Matching up the screw holes on a Jazz Bass pickguard

[Essential Tension]

I want to replace a white Jazz Bass pickguard with a tort guard. What are my best chances of getting a new guard where the screw holes match the old guard?

[Chris P.]

Jeannie Pickguards?

[Dave W]

Talk to godofthunder and drbassman before you order anything from Jeannie.

[Essential Tension]

OK, thanks guys.

Do I need to get it made from a tracing? Off the shelf may not line up exactly, is that the point?

[Dave W]

The holes not lining up is a common problem with replacement pickguards. The worst I ever bought was an Allparts P-bass replacement-- the pickup routing and holes were way out of position. It may have fit some variation of P bass perfectly, but not the one I had.

Some pickguard makers will want to work off a tracing, others will want you to send in your original. Then there's Chandler (Pickguard Heaven), which has supposedly exact patterns for many different variations (see here). There's a pic of their tort in the materials section. I've seen some of their guards in person before, but not the tort.

[Essential Tension]

OK thanks Dave that's what wanted to know.

[eb2]

I have had good luck with Chandler.  Granted they have moved across the country once or twice since then, but they were good.  WD as well.  My only advice is to pay extra for a multi-ply tortoise guard.  Don't get the crappy 3 ply guards if you do tort.  There are a couple of Jazz variants with screw holes as well.  If you can do a rubbing of the pup and hole pattern, they can match them up.  Probably they can figure it out over the phone.  Good luck.

I am guessing Jeannie's was not so smooth.

[Essential Tension]

Thanks eb2.

I have a 99 fretless US Jazz incoming any day now and I'm going to give it a couple of weeks to be sure but I think it will be torted one way or another but I don't want to put extra holes in it if I can possibly avoid it.

Thanks again guys.