Pickguard modifying

[Bingusas]

Heya folks,
I want to do a top-routed soloist build like the guitar below


(Y.O.S. Quintic)

What I want specifically is the metal control place for the knobs and p.u. switch. According to the internet pickguards with those metal control plates are Fullerton Pickguards (at least for Fender Strats). Now my question would if I were to buy the soloist pickguard, how difficult would it be to modify the pickguard with such a control plate and how I should do the mod or if I should go to a professional?

 

[rockandroller]

I modded a Warmoth Soloist pickguard to accomodate moving a Kahler bridge...
(see this note)

In my opinion that vinyl is VERY TRICKY to cut... dremel just melted it, but it's too tough for a typical razor-knife. If you don't have access to some excellent tools, I would leave it to a professional...

 

[WrongPickguard]

Heya folks,
I want to do a top-routed soloist build like the guitar below

View attachment 67491 View attachment 67492 View attachment 67493
(Y.O.S. Quintic)

What I want specifically is the metal control place for the knobs and p.u. switch. According to the internet pickguards with those metal control plates are Fullerton Pickguards (at least for Fender Strats). Now my question would if I were to buy the soloist pickguard, how difficult would it be to modify the pickguard with such a control plate and how I should do the mod or if I should go to a professional?

Trying to mod a pickguard is painfully difficult. I love YOS guitars, so I've looked into this before, but pickguards are hard to cut without the right (expensive) tools. Some people can do it with hand tools, but it never worked out for me. I didn't even attempt to try the control plate.

I couldn't find anyone professional who could do custom pickguards like this either, so if you ever find anyone, let me know.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

This is possible if you don’t mind spending the time and find yourself a couple of appropriate files. Rather than melting the pickguard with a dremel, I often drill a series of holes and snip between each hole with side cutters, or dremel can be used too. From there its a tracing / marking and filing until you get an acceptable alignment with the metal control plate. It is just time consuming and try to mask areas of the pickguard so you don’t scratch it up while working.

 

[Strat Avenger]

This is possible if you don’t mind spending the time and find yourself a couple of appropriate files. Rather than melting the pickguard with a dremel, I often drill a series of holes and snip between each hole with side cutters, or dremel can be used too. From there its a tracing / marking and filing until you get an acceptable alignment with the metal control plate. It is just time consuming and try to mask areas of the pickguard so you don’t scratch it up while working.

Would a band saw melt the plastic?

 

[supertruper1988]

Would a band saw melt the plastic?

Not if you keep it moving in my experience

 

[Strat Avenger]

I want to make a custom pickguard for an old Peavy guitar I have. I already have the material, but don't have a router.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Www.pickguardian.com

I sent them my original pickguard and control plate for my J5 Bass and they nailed exactly what I wanted.

Thread 'Meet “Pearl”…'

Jan 12, 2023

Meet Pearl.
Pearl came to me as a standard “J” style bass.

Before, during, and after.
My own personal Fender Squier Affinity 5 string bass. After having a chat with it, we agreed that a pickup upgrade to EMG’s were in order, along with a custom pickguard thanks to Tony Dudzik at www.pickguardIan.com. The control plate and pickguard as separate pieces from the stock arrangement have been...

• TonyFlyingSquirrel
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Builds in Progress

• 

 

[Tretgeraet]

I want to do a top-routed soloist build like the guitar below

Is the control plate the only thing you want to look like those guitars? Because a Soloist doesn't look at all like the Y.O.S. guitars you posted. They look more like regular "Strat" guitars than Soloists to me.

So, if you want a guitar similar to those you posted and you have a source for those pickguard and control plate parts for strats, I would build a strat, if I were you.

But if you really want a top rout Soloist with a "George Fullerton-style" metal control plate, I wouldn't use one that's made for a strat!
They are not meant to fit a Soloist, they are not the same shape and you will be disappointed!

You could buy a Soloist pickguard from Warmoth and let a professional make you a control plate for that pickguard, if you find someone who will do that.

Sorry for being thorough, but it's much easier to get help, if people know what you want!

 

[Bingusas]

Is the control plate the only thing you want to look like those guitars? Because a Soloist doesn't look at all like the Y.O.S. guitars you posted. They look more like regular "Strat" guitars than Soloists to me.

So, if you want a guitar similar to those you posted and you have a source for those pickguard and control plate parts for strats, I would build a strat, if I were you.

But if you really want a top rout Soloist with a "George Fullerton-style" metal control plate, I wouldn't use one that's made for a strat!
They are not meant to fit a Soloist, they are not the same shape and you will be disappointed!

You could buy a Soloist pickguard from Warmoth and let a professional make you a control plate for that pickguard, if you find someone who will do that.

Sorry for being thorough, but it's much easier to get help, if people know what you want!

Aside from the angled strat-style output jack, which I can just drill on my own, the pickguard I is the biggest hurdle.

From the information and videos I could gather up, the Quintic is slightly smaller than a regular Stratocaster.
There is also barely any information I could really gather since 1. I am not japanese. 2. I don't use twitter or instagram so even tho they do have social media I can't really see stuff from there like the behind the scene things. They do have their own website but that also barely tells anything since it's also in japanese and there aren't really any more information aside from some pictures from their other products or past guitars and some other stuff

The main problem I have is that a regular Stratocaster is somehow really uncomfortable for me since I am a smaller person. For me the smaller size of e.g. an Ibanez AZ or Charvel dk feels much more natural.

But I would probably just buy a Soloist pickguard and then trace the whole pickguard on e.g. cardboard so I can also customize where I would want the metal control plate to be

 

[Tretgeraet]

I see. While that won't help you with finding a suitable metal control plate either, I would still advise you to take a look at Warmoths 7/8 S-Style:
They are a little smaller than strats and with the fitting 7/8 neck they also have a shorter 24.75" scale with 24 frets!

Or they can even be paired with a Jaguar/Mustang neck to have an even shorter 24" scale.

I think it'll be worth looking into.