Help with fender strat plastics

Jtaylor

Hi all, 

I'm after some help with my fender strat. It is a 65 AVRI which I changed the pickguard on to a art of ageing mint green guard which is great. The only thing is the stock pickup covers and knobs now don't look quite right. Here it is: 

https://imgur.com/ePtL8Fo

I love the actual pick guard but there doesn't seem to be enough contrast between the pickup covers and knobs to the pickguard. I had a look at some custom shop examples and the pickup covers and knobs seem to be paler in colour: 

https://imgur.com/4WifM7h
https://imgur.com/imDCp0g

The question is which colour pickup covers and knobs do I go for? I don't want them to be absolutely white but more like the custom shop examples. 

I know this may seem crazy to some but it does bother me. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. 

dc77

I suggest parchment is probably the shade your looking for. 
Plenty of places online sell them if they have them in stock. 

Funkfingers

I would revert to the stock white/black/white 'guard. 

The minty green colour is an attempt to imitate the greenish-grey off-white of pre-CBS parts. By 1965, Fender had changed to materials that do not discolour that way.

Fender's Eggshell plastic parts are more subtly off-white than Parchment. 

Voxman

Personally I think yours looks perfect & much nicer and more authentic than the CS pics. That severe contrast is un-natural and I don't know why they do it. On real vintage guitars, the pick-guard and controls are the same colour or generally the difference on pre 64's is not that prominent.

Here's my 1969 hardtail:



And here's a '63 strat


And here's a real 1965:

Funkfingers

On second thoughts, since the AV65 is white with a rosewood fingerboard, the best solution is a 4-ply, dark brown, faux tortoiseshell 'guard.

Alex2678

Charles guitars do art of aging plastics and what appear to be the same plastics but non aged, I’d grab a set of parchment from them. They do photos of how their mint looks with each colour knobs and covers on the product page of the pickguard

Alex2678

For what it’s worth I think it looks good now but if you’re not happy it might not get out of your head til you try

richardhomer

By ‘65, the nitrate scratch plates (we’re not American!) were considerably thicker than earlier versions - presumably to lessen their tendency to warp. The one you have doesn’t look right for the period you’re trying to recreate. Part way through the year, Fender switched to plastic W/B/W as @Funkfingers said.

The ‘65 I used to own had a ‘green’ plate - but the plastics didn’t show much yellowing. I used to own a ‘63 - the plastics on that had yellowed a lot. I don’t know whether the materials were different, or if it was due to exposure to smoke. If you want that look, soaking them in tea used to be the recommended option.

TheBigDipper

Funkfingers said:

On second thoughts, since the AV65 is white with a rosewood fingerboard, the best solution is a 4-ply, dark brown, faux tortoiseshell 'guard.

Thread hijack:

I'm with @richardhomer . Always scratch plate rather than pickguard. And always fretboard rather than fingerboard - especially here of all places!   

And let's not start on valves vs tubes....  

JCA2550

I think it looks great,  but can't you just get matching pickup covers?

ICBM

Yours looks *much* better like it is. The CS ones look wrong because the guards are that hideous fake green.

SPECTRUM001

From the scan you have posted, the body, guard and knobs etc all seem quite close in tone and colour when compared to the CS.

To me it is marvellous looking guitar - personally I wouldn’t change a thing.

Fwiw, I always knew of scratch plates and not pickguards. But having been out of the game for twenty odd years, I simply thought that terminology had streamlined.

Jtaylor

Thanks for all the comments and advise, really appreciate it. Those vintage strats look amazing @Voxman, particularly like the 63'. I am going to try some parchment pickup covers and knobs and go from there. I know its not correct for the period, but I think I need to scratch the itch otherwise it'll forever bug me!