# Guitar Pickguard Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399 "2001-09-23T22:16:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cvandy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cvandy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cvandy3)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/1 "2001-09-23T22:16:20Z")
Ok, i just recently bought a guiar and i have a question about the pickguard. i know it comes off but in order to get it of you have to take off the volume/tone knobs among other things(correct?) my question is, is there any sepcific way to take off those knobs or do they just pull off? i just don’t wanna break something on my guitar… i thank you guys for any help i get!! ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/2 "2001-09-23T23:33:05Z")
It depends on the guitar. I take it from your post that yours is a solid-body electric; the Fender Stratocaster lookalikes are the most common. The volume and tone control knobs on many (but not all) Strat-style guitars can be pulled straight off, don’t try to pry them off diagonally. I’m speaking mainly here of the standard white or black plastic knobs; any special edition Fender or particularly Gibson electrics can be trickier. A guitar shop should be able to do it for you for a nominal fee. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/3 "2001-09-24T00:20:12Z")
The knobs on my Gibson pull straight off, but they’re nowhere near the pickguard. If your knobs just pull off, they should do so without much effort. If you’re really yanking on them then they probably don’t pull off. Some knobs might have a set screw that has to be loosened. This is a tiny screw in the side of the knob that is recessed into the knob. This is basically a screw with no head. You can loosen it with a small screwdriver if there is a slot it in. If, instead of a slot, there is a hexagonal-shaped hole, you need an Allen wrench, an L-shaped rod with a hexagonal shape (also called a hex wrench). Once you get the knob off, you may or may not have to remove the nut and washer that holds the knob shaft to the guitar top. It depends on how the pickguard is made (big holes or little holes) and I haven’t done this to enough guitars to know the possibilities. You should be able to do that with a crescent wrench, an adjustable wrench, or possibly a slipjoint pliers if you are very careful not to strip the outside of the nut. All that having been said, are you _sure_ you want to pull that pickguard off? Why? ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/4 "2001-09-24T00:43:16Z")
[Miss cleo] **cvandy** obviously wants to replace the standard-issue white pickguard with a cool-retro lime green pickguard. [/Miss cleo] ---
**Author:** ![cvandy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cvandy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cvandy3)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/5 "2001-09-24T23:22:14Z")
oh im sorry i didn;t know it mattered on the type of guitar. i have a standard mexi fender startocaster. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_the\_Advancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Lance\_the\_Advancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_the_Advancer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/6 "2001-09-25T01:03:43Z")
my fender strat knobs just pop off with the help of a flathead screwdriver acting as a wedge. im not saying this is the best way though. ---
**Author:** ![Swinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Swinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swinger)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/7 "2001-09-25T01:45:54Z")
cvandy3, I also have a Fender mexican standard strat and since you said you just recently bought it, I just wanted to say that you made a great choice! I absolutely love mine and I’ve played it pretty much every day since I bought it a few months ago. I have several other guitars, but I play my strat much more than the others. Sorry, I just love to talk about guitars. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cvandy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cvandy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cvandy3)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/8 "2001-09-25T01:54:38Z")
i know totaly swinger!! i love it a lot and for the quality of the guitar, it didn’t really cost all too much (429.99 + tax). no all i need is a better amp. all i have is this little 15 watt peavey… ---
**Author:** ![odaiwai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@odaiwai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odaiwai)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-pickguard-question/83399/9 "2001-09-25T03:12:21Z")
A little tip: if you take the knobs off reqularly, they can get very loose and fall off an innoportune time. VERY SLIGHTLY expand the gap between the prongs of the pot[1] if this happens and the know will have a tighter grip. On my strat (1997 American Std), the internal wiring was an appalling mess of bad joins and sloppy solder. It might be worth taking the pickguard off and examining the connections underneath just to make sure they’re all ok. dave “gdang gdang widdly-wee!” [1] potentiometer. A $10 word for the volume or tone control device.