Which scratchplate?

paulnb57

My challenge entry, I cant decide which scratchplate to go for…..Imagine its black….thoughts?

This?



or this?

PhilKing

I'd go for the second one, as it is more like the Melody Maker shape.  

ICBM

Neither. I would shape it to avoid the tailpiece... I don't think it's ever a great idea to have hardware over the top of a pickguard.

Of the two shapes at the neck end I prefer the first (non-Melody Maker-like) one though. I've always thought the MM ones were ugly.

davros

I prefer number 2, but with a smaller section for the controls that avoids the trem

paulnb57

ICBM said:

Neither. I would shape it to avoid the tailpiece... I don't think it's ever a great idea to have hardware over the top of a pickguard.

Of the two shapes at the neck end I prefer the first (non-Melody Maker-like) one though. I've always thought the MM ones were ugly.

Its actually shaped to go round the trem….the trem sits flat to the body…

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

I don't think it's ever a great idea to have hardware over the top of a pickguard.

This!

I own a 1965 mk3 Melody Maker with the short Vibrola tailpiece. 

If I leave the arm on, it fouls the control knobs and a straight jack plug into the output socket.

If I remove the arm, this exposes the fugly divot left in the pickguard by the bolt thread on the rear of the arm and string anchor assembly. 

I cannot tell you how much I wish that my Gibson only had the wraparound "lightning bolt" bridge/tailpiece.