UPDATE Strat PU cover color- Before and after

[heywood]

Hello, I built a parts-caster, and bought a Finished p/u template from Mojotone. ( 60th anniversary set with blender circuit)

These came with Black covers, after I assembled the guitar, I was thinking that white covers might look better.

I know the standard answer is "what ever you like", but I was wondering the conventional wisdom on covers and pick guard combinations. (Especially if I ever enter it in a GOM contest )

It will be a pain switching back and forth, to check them out.

Sorry for confusion, I actually have the White pick guard, not the pearl.

 

[heywood]

BTW, rosewood fret board, Chrome hardware and white knobs.

 

[stratamania]

Personally I think white or off white pickup covers and knobs. If they are black they may detract from the body finish.

Edit: on this guitar.

Black pickups  look fine on a white strat for example.

 

[Cagey]

I'm not sure there's any "conventional wisdom" about outfitting your fiddle. They're all over the map, and what appeals is pretty individualistic.

My way of looking at it is sorta like dressing for success.

You don't match fancy tops with fancy necks. If one is fancy, the other should be somewhat non-descript. Kinda like not wearing a striped shirt with plaid pants. Along those same lines, you don't use fancy pickguards with fancy tops.

You don't mix & match hardware colors. If you want any chrome metal parts, make 'em all chrome. Same for nickel, gold or black. Kinda like not wearing emerald earrings with a ruby necklace.

You don't mix and match electricals. If you have black pickups, use black knobs and switch ends. Otherwise, it's kinda like not wearing a brown belt with black shoes.

Contrast can be a Good Thing. If you have a white pickguard, black pickups/knobs/switch ends/wang bar ends/etc. are probably in order. Likewise, if you have a dark body, a light neck can be effective. Kinda like wearing a light shirt under a dark coat.

To my mind, almost all fretboard inlays are detractors. Put dots on the side and call it a love story. It's a much classier look and you won't miss the inlays. Takes about 13 seconds to get used to.

Of course, there are a million exceptions to all that, because the attractiveness of appearance is highly subjective. So, whatever works for you is what you should do.

You might want to cruise through the galleries on Warmoth's site. There are literally hundreds of examples. You may get an idea there that either reinforces what you think, changes your mind or gives you new insight.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Chrome covers & Chrome knobs.
Just my preference.

 

[heywood]

Thanks all-

Along those same lines, you don't use fancy pickguards with fancy tops.

Because of this, my pickguard is actually the white with black outline rather than the pearlized in the picture.

Looking through the gallery, pearl can work with a burst, but for the most part looks better on a solid color

(The rear is blue pearl to go with blue back)

I

 

[stratamania]

The pearl white works for me.

 

[line6man]

Anything other than some variant of white is going to look absolutely hideous, in my book. Not only do you have a pearloid pickguard, the body is creamy white in the middle. White or cream covers are the only things that work*.

Personally, I would go for slightly aged white. Just enough to contrast the pickguard and tie in with the body.

*As far as chrome goes, it works in principle, but chrome Strat covers always look cheap and tacky. If you can get real metal parts, and don't mind their effect on eddy currents in the pickup coils, go for that. If they are that plated plastic crap, stick with white.

 

[Wolfie351]

Go to the Warmoth custom builder page and see for yourself, I do that every time I assemble a guitar.  I take a screen shot of every color-combination available and compare them next to each other to give me a better idea of what the final result will look like.  I can't tell you how much money I've wasted on parts I've changed out because of how it looked.  Actually I could, I have a big box here with all the parts I bought that I couldn't return.  The Warmoth builder has saved me $$$ 

But, with that said, I can already tell you that white pickup covers and knobs would look best in my opinion. 

 

[Cagey]

I have a big box here with all the parts I bought that I couldn't return. 

I have several drawers that I've labelled "The Drawer of Misfit Parts". Stuff that's ended up here for the same reasons you describe, or leftovers from rebuilds/repairs, overstocks, bad decisions, etc. All good stuff, just no definite home. Comes in handy sometimes  :icon_biggrin:

 

[heywood]

Before

After

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[stratamania]

I think that looks consistent and much better. 

Even if you do go with black pickups and a white pick-guard the volume and tone knobs, switch knob and tremelo arm should be black also. Well at least that's my view.

 

[bagman67]

I think that looks consistent and much better. 

Even if you do go with black pickups and a white pick-guard the volume and tone knobs, switch knob and tremelo arm should be black also. Well at least that's my view.

 

[DavyDave53]

When assembling guitars and guitar parts I've always found it best to use a tasteful combination of contrasts and similarities in color and texture.