Pick guard screw material

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

Stainless, cgrome, zinc, brass plated, solid brass, titanium, aluminum, casmium plated, nickel plated


Any thoughts on those materials?

 

[BigSteve22]

Stainless, great but not exactly cost effective because the conditions they're designed for would destroy your guitar. Titanium, WAY too expensive, and I've never seen Ti wood screws. Solid brass screws are really too soft for general use and break too easily, I generally avoid them. Aluminum, never seen Al wood screws, can't imagine they'd be very strong. Plated steel, (chrome, brass, galvanized, cadmium, nickle, etc...), strong and inexpensive. (When I mention strength, I mean resistance to breaking off during initial insertion.)

I use chrome or black plated steel. But as they say, whatever floats your boat....

 

[rolloman]

Just let it go dude

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

Ti is available, not commonly, but my local supplier can get them.  Box quantity of 100, about 13 cents each, which is expensive, you're right!
Stainless is more like 4 cents each in box of 100, the rest... unsure.
Al screws are also available, but uncommon in small sizes... was just throwing them out there with the rest.  A lot of cheap-o hardware from Home Depot is equipped with Al screws... which if you think they're steel, will snap off in a NY second.  Don't ask how I know.... fortunately not on guitar, but a home made telegraph key where the mistake was hidden.

Brass... gotta size those holes right for minimal engagement. 

I went with all the supplied hardware, rather than subbing stainless hardware on the current project.  Not to be cheap, but just to keep things simple, let 'em age as they do.  The only hardware I'll need to buy is the pickguard screws.  The zinc looks terrible, all frosty.  Cadmium is sort of pre-aged looking.  Decisions decisions....

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Alnico II for that classic pick guard tone... :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

Oh man.... I like the way you think.  Gears churning a hole outside the box....

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

A quick google of the term "decorative screws" reveals a lot of options.... thanks for the AlNiCo suggestion!  It got me out of a mental slump!

 

[Verne Bunsen]

For me, the pickguard screw decision is strictly aesthetic. I keep chrome, black and gold on hand and use whichever fits the guitar. There is no tone impact and precious little structural demand, so I’d say use whatever...

 

[stratamania]

On a more practical note, if I remember correctly, at least one person on the forum has used inserts and machine screws for the purpose of changing pickguards.

Other than that just screws of an appropriate colour.

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

Its all just decoration to me too.... Just looking perhaps for 'sumthin dif'rent'

 

[rgand]

You guys are all wet. Tone screws do make a difference when you play clean.

 

[stratamania]

Maybe I can start a web site selling tone screws and reach Zillionaire status...

 

[Toulouse_Tuhles]

That's exactly why I bought knobs for my controls that are made out of petrified T-Rex boogers.

.

 

[Logrinn]

I’ve toyed with the idea of having no pickguard screws at all, but instead small magnets attached on the back of the pickguard. With corresponding screws slightly sunk in the body allowing some room for the magnets and something for the magnets to grab on to.
Would make for a clean looking pickguard with no screw holes and also - hopefully - an easy way to remove the pickguard when needed.

 

[vwkng1]

Stainless steel for me, I live near the sea so corrosion prevention is my upmost priority. In fact, my strat has also stainless steel frets, neck screws, neck plate, bridge, lol!