Steel Pickguard on a P-Bass?

[Kyle Lee]

I am finishing up some extensive modding to my Squier Precision bass. Partway through I had an idea to make a pickguard out of a sheet of steel I had taking up space in my apartment. I already cut out the rough shape using tinsnips:

I still have to drill/cut out the holes for screws, knobs, output jack, and pickups. Then flatten it a little and file and sand the edges so I have a pickguard and not a picksawblade.

Only now have I been thinking of the pickups possibly picking up magnetic interference from being surrounded by steel. I looked up what I could about it, but found few detailed descriptions of what/how the interference might actually affect the sound. I'm looking for some feedback. What do y'all expect to happen with the sound, if anything? I'm not at the point yet where I can actually test it myself.

For your consideration, I have Seymour Duncan QP pickups. Also, the bass in final form will be fretless drop-tuned to ADGC. I normally play DGCF, so this is me prototyping my version of BEAD tuning on my fretless.

Thanks

 

[Will_White]

I am finishing up some extensive modding to my Squier Precision bass. Partway through I had an idea to make a pickguard out of a sheet of steel I had taking up space in my apartment. I already cut out the rough shape using tinsnips:

View attachment 3385095

I still have to drill/cut out the holes for screws, knobs, output jack, and pickups. Then flatten it a little and file and sand the edges so I have a pickguard and not a picksawblade.

Only now have I been thinking of the pickups possibly picking up magnetic interference from being surrounded by steel. I looked up what I could about it, but found few detailed descriptions of what/how the interference might actually affect the sound. I'm looking for some feedback. What do y'all expect to happen with the sound, if anything? I'm not at the point yet where I can actually test it myself.

For your consideration, I have Seymour Duncan QP pickups. Also, the bass in final form will be fretless drop-tuned to ADGC. I normally play DGCF, so this is me prototyping my version of BEAD tuning on my fretless.

Thanks

I can't say how it will effect the sound, but it can turn the pickguard into a microphone I have a steel pickup cover that picks up the body vibrations. In my case I like it because it adds all the warmth of the semi hollow body but you might not.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I've done some testing on that specific subject. This version of the Trussart SteelScrollPeg uses 0.060" steel plates on the front and back of the body. Both of them are grounded, for shielding and safety reasons. So, we wondered whether putting a grounded steel plate surrounding the pickups would affect their sound. Theoretically, it might, by pulling on the magnetic field and changing its shape.

As an experiment, I assembled the bass with and without the plates on there. No calibrated measured test, but I couldn't hear any difference.

Later, I rebuilt that bass with a single pickup and aluminum plates. Out of curiosity, I also tested that combination with and without the plates. If there was any effect, it was tiny.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I can't say how it will effect the sound, but it can turn the pickguard into a microphone I have a steel pickup cover that picks up the body vibrations. In my case I like it because it adds all the warmth of the semi hollow body but you might not.

That's a good point. If the steel pickguard isn't fastened down solidly to the body, and can vibrate, it will send a signal into the pickup. An aluminum pickguard won't do that.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

By the way, this is pretty easy to test for yourself. I assume that you have another playable bass. Lay it on the bench, plugged in. Listen to tone. Take some scraps of steel plate (any steel plate) and lay them on the body surrounding the pickup. See if it changes the sound. With a piece of wire, touch one end to the steel plate and the other to the outside of the jack (ground). See if that does anything.

 

[dwizum]

Lots of factory basses have steel surrounding the pickup. Here's my Ibanez ATK: