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Spitfire pickguards ?


spencer.b

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I'm a massive fender geek and I love the old 60s tort guards to the point where anything else looks instantly all wrong to me

I've got a surf green CS P with a gold anodised guard which is cool but for me it's a 60s looking bass with a 50s guard so a fancy a tort one

Spitfire guards look amazing but are insanely expensive ( although I wouldn't say overpriced considering he's making a bespoke sheet of celluloid to your spec) 

I've got a mate in America who comes over a lot so I could dodge duty etc but £230 odd quid for pickguard  , am I going mad?

Anyone got one? What do you reckon?

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Agree with you about the old sixties tort and for me nothing else comes close. When I needed to replace a 63 tort guard, I went for the real thing, it took a lot of searching and talking to different contacts but it was all worth it, when I eventually located one and got it. Dearer than a Spitfire one but not by that much.

I seem to recall a BC'er having some bother with Spitfire a few years back. (Try a search and you might find the thread).

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10 minutes ago, gary mac said:

Agree with you about the old sixties tort and for me nothing else comes close. When I needed to replace a 63 tort guard, I went for the real thing, it took a lot of searching and talking to different contacts but it was all worth it, when I eventually located one and got it. Dearer than a Spitfire one but not by that much.

I seem to recall a BC'er having some bother with Spitfire a few years back. (Try a search and you might find the thread).

Yes indeed. I remember than thread very well. It all got quite surreal in the end.

I know what you mean. I had the Bass Doc make a total of 3 tort plates for me. I seem to recall he used a WD 4-ply material that looks identical to the 70's real thing on other basses I own. Infinitely better than the awful tort plates on Fender's own reissues and even on the JV Squiers.

Here's the thread.

 

Edited by Steve Browning
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Does anyone know if custom colour basses actually came with tort , I thought they were always white and pics in books suggest this but you see CS ones with tort, I wonder if this has become a thing cos it looks cool and sunburst basses got refinished , is pino's bass all orig?

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I talked to Mr Bravewood a few years ago, and he steared me towards WD as a good current version.  And yes, it’s worth the effort..bad tort is a terrible and far too common thing.  

I do know of someone who grows his own, so to speak...and could be tempted to reveal his identity in a PM 😳

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The WD one is decent, I can attest to that. I was umming and ah-ing over a Spitfire, but ultimately turned off by the price and poor customer service. Heard of one case where someone's guards did not come out as expected, e.g. colours different to advertised with a massive ugly blotch in the center, and there was no offer of refunds or anything. I'd ask for detailed photos of the finished product before handing over any cash!

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I hate to disappoint, but apparently Spitfire pickguards don't fit Fender Custom Shop basses. He uses MIA templates and they won't fit a CS because their sizings differ.

It says this on the Spitfire website as a disclaimer.

I wanted one for my CS '62..

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39 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

I hate to disappoint, but apparently Spitfire pickguards don't fit Fender Custom Shop basses. He uses MIA templates and they won't fit a CS because their sizings differ.

It says this on the Spitfire website as a disclaimer.

I wanted one for my CS '62..

Ta good to know

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I have a mint green Spitfire guard which I got from a fellow BC'er, he had ordered it and then had a change of plan, so it was posted to me when he finished making it. 

Very nicely made and looks great. 

I'm almost finished this build   and it will go on a Sonic Blue P bass. I didn't realise that Spitfire made mint guards, they seem best known for the tort ones, and as others have said, appear to be a bit hit and miss.

Very happy with mine though.

DSC02634.thumb.JPG.1786d78b115b1fcb1aa4caf2a5ce342a.JPG

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 spencer.b, if mint green could be an option for you, these ones below, which came recommended by Rick's Fine '52, look really nice and I would have bought one, had the Spitfire guard not been offered. I will probably try one of his single ply guards for a future build I am contemplating...…….half the price and no import duties! 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aged-MINT-GREEN-CELLULOID-NITRATE-62-PRECISION-BASS-PICKGUARD-3-Fender-P-Bass-/323079925413?hash=item4b39106ea5

 

 

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cheers rubis, that mint spitfire looks the absolute business, love the warping, so authentic. I've seen those ebay ones they look really good but not as good as the spitfire and if I can dodge the duty through getting my mate to bring it over the spitfire mint is a bit cheaper

I hadn't realised CS werea different fit though, that may throw a spanner in the works, anyone know how they're different?  

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On 29/03/2019 at 14:40, bubinga5 said:

I need a quality guard for my Lakland 4460. Could the BassDoc make me one.?

 

I was in conversation with the Bassdoc recently re: a replacement tort guard for a US 44-64.  I sent him the original Lakland guard and he sent back some images of the celluloid tort that he has in stock.  In his opinion, and mine, it's no better than the material that Lakland are using.  My plate was promptly returned and I'm still looking for some beautiful '60s style tort.  

I had a Spitfire plate on a Limelight J a few years ago.  It was simply staggeringly well-executed and could easily pass for (a very good) 'Fender '60s plate.  Originally imported for around £200 (not by me) about 7 or 8 years ago.  If you have to have something almost identical to '60s tort, I don't think that there's a better alternative to Spitfire.  Horribly expensive but lovely.

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1 hour ago, three said:

I was in conversation with the Bassdoc recently re: a replacement tort guard for a US 44-64.  I sent him the original Lakland guard and he sent back some images of the celluloid tort that he has in stock.  In his opinion, and mine, it's no better than the material that Lakland are using.  My plate was promptly returned and I'm still looking for some beautiful '60s style tort.  

I had a Spitfire plate on a Limelight J a few years ago.  It was simply staggeringly well-executed and could easily pass for (a very good) 'Fender '60s plate.  Originally imported for around £200 (not by me) about 7 or 8 years ago.  If you have to have something almost identical to '60s tort, I don't think that there's a better alternative to Spitfire.  Horribly expensive but lovely.

Thing is i dont have the original guard So im just after a guard regardless of where it comes from. Good quality of course.

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2 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Thing is i dont have the original guard So im just after a guard regardless of where it comes from. Good quality of course.

SIMS have some nice celluloid tort too, and does Jack's in Manchester - probably about £80-90 from SIMS or £60 from Jacks

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1 hour ago, three said:

SIMS have some nice celluloid tort too, and does Jack's in Manchester - probably about £80-90 from SIMS or £60 from Jacks

I was thinking about Sims. Would any of these guys have the correct Lakland screw spacing for the pickguard as there not all the same. I really dont want to drill more holes into this lovely Jazz.

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2 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

I was thinking about Sims. Would any of these guys have the correct Lakland screw spacing for the pickguard as there not all the same. I really dont want to drill more holes into this lovely Jazz.

Could you take off the guard, draw round it on a piece of paper and mark the holes to produce a template?

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