12 Hole Stratocaster Pickguard

Humboldt · March 26

I recently put a black pickguard on my Strat (which I bought new in either '72 or '73) and noticed that I had a screw left over when I removed the old one. You can see from the pic that there are two countersunk holes at the top left of the guard whereas every other one I've seen just has one hole in this area. I actually can't find another 12 hole pickguard photo on the internet but perhaps there's a Strat historian on here who knows the story? I just put the black one on for a change but not too sure that I like it so it's just temporary.

Thanks
https://i.postimg.cc/N04rqJJG/DSC01592.jpg

http://https//i.postimg.cc/cCKK3ss6/DSC01593.jpg

Humboldt · March 26

Here's the guitar if that helps.

https://i.postimg.cc/7h4YrYrG/DSC01593.jpg

SteveRobinson · March 26

I would guess that the extra screw was added because the pickguard was lifting up in this area. This happens if the scratchplate overhangs the neck pocket a little and gets pushed up by the neck.

The correct solution would have been to trim the pickguard a touch but if it had been like that for a while the only solution may have been to screw it down to the body.

Humboldt · March 26

I'm pretty sure that it was like this from new. I have an old pic somewhere of the day I took it home, but that's over 50 years ago and the resolution might be iffy. I'll check though. Thanks.

Edit - I found the old photo but the resolution, as suspected, was too poor to identify individual screws.

Funkfingers · March 26

SteveRobinson said:

I would guess that the extra screw was added because the pickguard was lifting up in this area. This happens if the scratchplate overhangs the neck pocket a little and gets pushed up by the neck.

It also happens when some plonker tucks an emergency spare plectrum between the body and the 'plate.

ICBM · March 26

That definitely wasn't like that from new. Either the guitar wasn't actually new - some shops have a somewhat 'liberal' approach to descriptions, and did even back then - or you've forgotten fitting it...

Philly_Q · March 26

No, there's never been a 12 hole Strat scratchplate. Not from the factory, anyway. I like the black scratchplate, by the way.

ICBM · March 26

Philly_Q said:

No, there's never been a 12 hole Strat scratchplate. Not from the factory, anyway.

Actually there has... which I thought was what this thread was going to be about!

It's the 1983-1984 USA Standard (1st version) with the single-ply guard - but the 12th hole is in a completely different place, to strengthen the area near the guard-mounted jack -

Image: https://guitarshopfolkestone.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Fender-Stratocaster-1983-USA-Two-Knob-Version-Closeup-rotated-e1646413124427.jpg

Philly_Q · March 27

I stand corrected.

Funkfingers · March 27

For the record, there also a few with ten fastening screws, at the turn of the Sixties, when the single-ply 'guards were superseded by the three-ply type.

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12 Hole Stratocaster Pickguard

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