New pickguard for the CV 50's Strat

[Tig***]

So maybe this isn't worth a dedicated thread, but I'm sure many of you are thinking about replacing your CV Strat pickguard. I never liked the mega-thick white one mine came with. After looking around for 8 hole pickguards (didn't want to drill too many holes for the 11 hole), I liked what Warmoth had to offer.

While one screw hole near the switch didn't line up, the rest of the holes matched perfectly. Also, the Warmoth pickguard was shielded only at the pots and switch cavity area, while the stock was also shielded around the pickups.

I wanted to keep it looking classic, but not look like anything else I've seen lately. Vintage Pearl is the color name.



Now it is starting to feel like my guitar! Oh, changing the .09 stock strings to .10's made a nice feeling and sounding difference.

[duhvoodooman***]

Nice! Big improvement!

[Duff]

That looks almost exactly like my burst fifties CV with the pickguard I put on from Grizzly's.

I think it looks real good and is an improvement over the plain white one and gives it a nice mellow vibe.

[Mister Boston]

That's a honey alright. I would have gone with something in a reddish tortoise shell; but I dig that Vintage Pearl one as well.

[kidsmoke*]

:aok :aok

[sunvalleylaw]

Looks good Tig!

[M29]

Sweet Tig lookin good. Congrats!

[tjcurtin1]

Works nice with the tinted knobs and pup covers. The 8 screw guard that I got also matched all holes except near the switch.

[MAXIFUNK]

A very cool upgrade I like it a lot.

[bigoldron]

Very nice, Tig!!! She's a real beaut! I'm thinking the CV50 will be my next guitar, if I can ever save up enough.

[Tig***]

Very nice, Tig!!! She's a real beaut! I'm thinking the CV50 will be my next guitar, if I can ever save up enough.

I understand. I'm on a tight budget as well. That's what's so attractive about these new CV guitars... You get so much for so little cash.
Just be sure to check them out closely. So far, only 3 out of the 7 CV Strat's I've played were in great shape. Three had prickly fret ends, and the other one had really poor electronics.

I need to take a new photo of the pickguard in better light.

[Tig***]

I need to take a new photo of the pickguard in better light.

Finally got around to it while the sky was overcast for neutral lighting.

[TS808]

Looks great! I just bought the exact same guitar a few weeks ago and ordered a white pearl guard from Guitar Parts Resources LLC.

[duhvoodooman***]

I plead guilty to old thread exhumation, but just wanted to say "thanks" to Tig for turning me on to Warmoth's custom pickguard offerings. I've bought several Strat and Tele p/g's in the past but had somehow never discovered that Warmoth did pickguards in addition to their well-known selection of guitar bodies and necks. But I was doing a Google search for "CV Strat pickguard" and, lo & behold, a link to this thread comes up!

I just picked up a Squier CV '50s Strat in LPB for cheap off eBay and wanted to change the stock white p/g for something more distinctive. While the Warmoth selection of colors and patterns isn't as extensive as many that I've seen, the cool part is how you can select the pickup and controls layouts, mounting screw number & placement, bridge cut (standard or FR), and left or right-handed orientation. They then machine the pickguard to your specifications. And the final price is VERY reasonable--mine was $28, including a $3 upcharge for the material I selected. A lot of the "off the shelf" Strat p/g's I saw ran in the $35 - $50 range! I won't tip my hand just yet on what I picked out, but it should be a real eye-catcher, I think. Will post a photo or two once the metamorphosis is complete...

[Tig***]

Cool! Can't wait to see it...

[duhvoodooman***]

Prolly won't be until next week. Just ordered the p/g last night, and they take a few days to ship, per the Warmoth website. I also ordered an LPB touch-up pen from Guitar ReRanch, because the guitar had a pretty good sized ding down to the wood on the lower edge of the top. Also planning to wire in a push-pull pot for adding the bridge pickup in series to whatever else is selected.

[riverrick]

Nice job Tig the 2nd set of photos much better. It's a BIG improvement!!! NICE!

[Eric***]

I just picked up a Squier CV '50s Strat in LPB for cheap off eBay

That's your fourth CV axe now, isn't it? I guess they must be nice guitars, eh?

[deeaa*]

Funny, I was just about to comment on my 'used to be' CV strat, now 'frankenstrat'.

Because I'm having fret issues now...it's been played NOT that much, I mean, just 3 string sets or so, but there's already quite noticeable wear on the frets. They aren't very good material, but that can be guessed already from how they look. The metal is kind of iffy and the frets kinda vintage thin - which is fine, because it's nice to play anyway.

But, upon close examination, the 11th fret high end seems to be ever so slightly up as well. Not enough to cause any problems with playing, as I haven't gone to extremes with action on this one, but just enough for it to be visible upon closer examination.

It is kind of worrying...well, they are cheap axes so something's got to give anyway...but it's a bit of a bore to have to start thinking about refretting and/or replacing the neck so soon. The neck is very nice, though, but being one-piece and all, and so new, and not apparently the best to withstand big temp changes, it's a bit iffy if it's worth it to do a complete refret even. If the culprit for the frets getting uneven is the actual wood (maybe not so well aged/stabilized as in more expensive axes) it might cause problems even with new frets.

I do love & prefer cheap guitars, but the thing is, I usually buy very old and beat-up guitars that were of better quality. Like the Davette - I've played that for like, I don't know, five-six years now quite extensively, and all I've ever done to the original 80's frets is give 'em a slight filing and recrown. Same with the old Yamaha; frets will last for a looong time still. And of course the strat, those frets are from the 90's but proper quality. Same used to be with my Gibson - 13 years of hard playing and still got away with just some fret restoration.

But these Epiphones like my GX, and Squires...really nice guitars, but pretty soon you always end up with the choice whether to shell out money or labor to replace them frets...or would it make more sense to buy a better guitar in the first place? What is the price difference to a CV strat and the cheapest U.S. made strat? If you factor in a refret for the squire and possibly some pickup upgrades, will it be worth it? By the time I've replaced the (also now already a bit worn) frets on my Epi, will the overall price be on par or near that of a Gibby? Although arguably the Epis are actually even better finished etc. in some ways.

Something to think. I've never bought a new axe really, except when I've gotten it dirt cheap...but, I'd really consider hard if I did, I mean, on what would I put my money on. The CV's are really great strats, but how about their future usability, value and the repairs to be expected?