Aesthetic question: Black screws or not?

SharpCat

SharpCat

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Apr 17, 2023
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#1
I'm in the process of converting a JBass to black tuners/knobs/bridge. Black control plate, probably a black PG. Fretboard is RW, body is 3TS. Pickups are black housing, but normal silver poles. Given the poles are silver and so are the fret wires, would you use the existing silver screws for the PG and control plate to echo the poles, or go for the all black? f the body was black, I think I'd for sure change over, but with the 3TS body, not sure. Any opinions? Any suggestions for a different way?
 
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#2
I think silver screws would work well. Just yesterday I brought a bass uke to Eric's Guitar Shop in Sound City, Van Nuys, CA to install a chrome mini humbucker. All the hardware is chrome, but the pearl pickguard and truss rod cover had black screws. I had Eric change them to silver, looks much better now.
 
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#3
I did a hardware "blackout" of one of my J's along the lines of what you describe (plus a black output jack), and did indeed use black screws throughout. Even the black screw heads are slightly polished, so you get a bit of light scatter from them anyway, but it's reduced from the silvers, so I like it. I would have used black screws on the pickup covers, but the manufacturer said they didn't fit Fenders, so I left the stock silvers in those. I might rattlecan those black at some point, or I just won't bother.

J-Bass Overhaul-Controls-win.jpg


Good luck with your project! :thumbsup:
 
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#13
I like to blackout everything.
Winslow said:
I did a hardware "blackout" of one of my J's along the lines of what you describe (plus a black output jack), and did indeed use black screws throughout. Even the black screw heads are slightly polished, so you get a bit of light scatter from them anyway, but it's reduced from the silvers, so I like it. I would have used black screws on the pickup covers, but the manufacturer said they didn't fit Fenders, so I left the stock silvers in those. I might rattlecan those black at some point, or I just won't bother.

View attachment 7057662

Good luck with your project! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Pickup Height Screw for Bass - StewMac

1-3/8" Phillips roundhead, for Fender bass.
www.stewmac.com www.stewmac.com
 
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#14
The only hesitation I’d have on black screws is if they are in a place where they get occasionally adjusted and there’s a chance the black can get worn to reveal the bare metal. That can probably be cleaned up with a sharpie. The PG and control plate is probably a one-and-done process, so no real concerns there.

I have a black Nordy Acinonyx with a black guard and silver mounting screws. I go back and forth on wishing it was all black vs liking it as is. I think either would work. Not a helpful comment, I know.
 
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#18
SharpCat said:
Full blackout is clearly a good thing, but here I'm still keeping the 3TS body, so the rules are maybe a bit different. Hence the discussion.
Click to expand...
Blacked-out 3TSB's are my favorite. I blacked out a 3TSB Jazz, which I loved but have since given away, and recently took delivery of a custom Sandberg 3TSB with all black hardware. What I didn't realize on that one though, is that it comes standard with 3-ply black/white/black, and that white line does not work for me so I'm trying to find one of their all-black aluminum pickguards.

Having said all that, I also think that @96tbird has a great point about silver screws on black imparting an industrial look.
 
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