Question bent pickguard

[sanderhermans]

hi all,

I just bought a used mm classic stingray, and I love it! but the only weird thing is that the pickguard is bent towards the outside a bit, it seems to come up towards the strings in the middle.
anyone ever had this problem and what could cause this?

greetings
sander

 

[sanderhermans]

update: I just tightened the screws and the "curve" flattened itself for about 80/90%

 

[Soulkeeper]

My Sunburst FL SR5 came with a convex tortoise shell PG. It probably lifted itself up several millimeters above the body in the middle, something which I kind of liked. It gave it a nice three-dimensional look and feel, and it didn't affect my playing. But I replaced it with a transparent PG that happened to be flat anyway, because I liked the look of the wood grain even better.

 

[jlepre]

JMHO but possibly the bass was left in the case at extreme high temperatures. Maybe in a car in the summer? I have never had that issue with any of my 11 EBMM basses that I've owned.

 

[sanderhermans]

I wouldn't know that, as I just got it.
but It did just travel from san diego to Belgium. so it propably had some temperature changes along the way, the neck needed some slight tweaking too, and the bass was out of tune.
anyhow it's not too noticeable now that I have tightened the screws. so overall I'm super happy with this bass!
but tips to get it back to factory straightness are still welcome.

 

[njhammer]

Sometimes, if I play really fast, the PG warps.......just kidding.

 

[Golem]

hi all,

I just bought a used mm classic stingray, and I love it! but
the only weird thing is that the pickguard is bent towards
the outside a bit, it seems to come up towards the strings i
n the middle.

anyone ever had this problem and what could cause this?

greetings
sander

You mean so it has a hint of a hollow space under the middle ?
One of my SR5's like that. I've never seen another one like that.
I spoze it's a bit weird and it DID bug me for a few days, maybe
even a week. Give it time. You'll forget about it, until somebody
else posts that THEY got one too

 

[sanderhermans]

Exactly! But tightning the screws did alot... I think this pg bending may haveto do with the wood working. If the wood of a bass shrinks a bit this could squeeze the pg, forcing it up.

 

[Soulkeeper]

tips to get it back to factory straightness are still welcome.

I've got some tips that work with vinyl, may work with a pickguard too.

Slow but safe method:
1) Lay it on a flat surface.
2) Put a dictionary on top of it.
3) Then put a dictionary on top of that.
4) Repeat number 3 until you're out of books or lose balance.
5) Wait for days, weeks or months.
6) Retrieve flat(ter) pickguard.

Quick but unsafe method:
1) Place baking paper on a flat surface.
1) Lay the pickguard on the baking paper.
2) Cover the pickguard with another sheet of baking paper.
3) Put a piece of fabric on top, fine cotton should work.
4) Power up a clothes iron. Low or medium heat.
5) I think you can guess the rest. I'm not taking responsibility for even suggesting it. Just don't overdo it.

I think this pg bending may haveto do with the wood working. If the wood of a bass shrinks a bit this could squeeze the pg, forcing it up.

Sounds plausible enough... or if the PG hole pattern starts out slightly bigger than the body wood pattern, but why would that be? Aha, maybe the PG holes were drilled made in a relatively cold environment? I believe some plastics shrink/grow with temperature changes. But at this point I'm merely speculating.

 

[Golem]

Exactly! But tightning the screws did alot... I think this pg
bending may haveto do with the wood working. If the wood
of a bass shrinks a bit this could squeeze the pg, forcing it up.

I think if the wood shrank THAT much then the finish
would crack or lift off.

 

[sanderhermans]

Yeah mayebe, or propably yes. But if that's not the cause,what is? On this forum alone 3 people got the same issue, so high tempratures don't seem likely to me.

 

[Golem]

Yeah mayebe, or propably yes. But if that's not the cause,what is?
On this forum alone 3 people got the same issue, so high tempratures
don't seem likely to me.

Well ..... then the only possible answer is that the
PG somehow got swollen, larger, more spread out.
They're not made of high tech plastic, and they're
laminated, so I spoze occasionally something just
gets to them. Acoarst that still doesn't answer for
"what causes this?" I mean, I have no ideas what
might make a PG grow larger :-/

 

[five7]

Well ..... then the only possible answer is that the
PG somehow got swollen, larger, more spread out.
They're not made of high tech plastic, and they're
laminated, so I spoze occasionally something just
gets to them. Acoarst that still doesn't answer for
"what causes this?" I mean, I have no ideas what
might make a PG grow larger :-/

global warming possibly