Whether or not you like the pickguard is just personal preference, but without it, you wouldn't have the bass at the announced price. Simplified routing takes less CNC time, modular pickguard mounted electronics are probably entirely machine assembled, etc.
Consider that the $799 DC Junior guitar is $300 less than the least expensive US-made Fender. It's being sold to dealers at about half that amount. Gibson has to pay American labor and operational costs. Every dollar counts. I think it's a pretty remarkable achievement. You can get a gloss finished Junior with all the traditional appointments but it costs quite a bit more.
