G&L Asat alloy guard tone

[azatplayer]

I recently acquired 2 older Asat classic signature models. One is a maple bodied rosewood neck thing, the other maple neck on oil finished ash, real gun oil too, could smell its soon as i saw the case.
Thing is, with both guitars, they have powdercoated alloy pickguards, what ive found is the alloy dulls the tone of the neck pickup( as only the neck PU is in the plate). I use both of them without te plates as a result and keep meaning to buy some plastic material to fashion some new ones.
Shame as i paid a LOT of cash for the oil finished guitar, that indecently came with a letter from Dale Hyatt regarding the oil used, and both are steller guitars, really great, but with the guards on, its kinda like the difference in an express between the 2 bright caps, very noticeable.
Just wondering of its been noticed. Ive just seen G&L's new model, a commemorative effort using the old metal plates, the blurb by the guy making them is all about shielding with some mention of "smoothing the tone", read "dulling the tone"..
Anyone else experienced this?

I did try sanding a little area underneath and using a piece of wire bridged to the control plate to ground the shield, but to no avail.
Cheers Don

[dano-rator]

Anyone else experienced this?

Guess not... But thanks for the info.

IMHO it'd be a shame to cover a gun oil finished guitar w/ a piece of alloy let alone plastic. See if you can search out some 1/16" walnut or something and a flush trim bit in a router, or find a local cabinet maker or retired guy with the hobby and do it up in true gun stock fashion!

I did one for my brother-in-law's strat and it looked pretty dern good.

Best of luck,
Dan

[Structo]

I find that very strange.
Fender used to used anodized pickguards on the Jazzmasters and also used full aluminum shields on the back side of the pickguards in the early days.
I have never heard anybody say it affected the tone.

[azatplayer]

Yeah i dont get it either Tom. Seems like a daft thing to do if there was an effect that was unwanted. I like the look of the guitars without the guards which is ok, but with the guards they look nice too. The maple bodied one has some beautiful flame thats generally under the guard, typical. The finish has broken on that with splits everywhere, under the guard and on the back, but the top where the guard is not is unaffected. Looks kinda cool, but would like the guard on that one.
I bought some white pickguard material, but gotta work out how to cut it up, particularly the pickup hole, without making a mess of it, or having to hand file/sand it for ages.

[Structo]

Where are you located?

This place can make a one off guard for you but they are on the expensive side.

http://www.terrapinguitars.com/

and this company.

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguardian/

And here.

http://www.pickguardparadise.com/ordering.php

[CapnCrunch]

"I bought some white pickguard material, but gotta work out how to cut it up, particularly the pickup hole, without making a mess of it, or having to hand file/sand it for ages."

Use your alloy guard as a pattern. Trace it onto a piece of 1/4" or 1/2" MDF or Plywood. If you use Plywood, make sure it is void free, i.e. batltic birch or pattern grade plywood. Take some time to get the pattern right, then use that template to route your new guard with a template bit (i.e. bearing above the cutter).[/quote]

[rp]

I stumbled across this old post searching for something else, I hate digging up a zombie but Azatplayer you might find this interesting, it's an old post I had on the G&L forum, I'm efudd there:

http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=3860

If there are two of us I'd say we ain't imagining it.

BTW Chandler in CA made (makes?) the guards for G&L and they can make you a plastic one easy enough, might not even need a template.

[azatplayer]

Well sirmyghin didnt think so
The difference is like throwing a blanket over the amp!
I ended up making a guard for it, and i loike it on, tho mine is a maple body and has the slightest flame in it and looks great with the guard off. Shame it had one in the first place actually, woulda looked great undrilled.
Thats still my fave guitar. Ive owned heaps of G&L's, but them early maple ones are something special.

[billyz]

I have experienced the same when using the metal pickup cover on and old Precision Bass. It was connected to ground. I lifted the ground and left the cover on, it still had an effect only different. I finally removed the cover entirely and liked the sound much better.

the same happens on a telecaster bridge pickup. The bridge plate metal makes a difference. I have a titanium one from Glendale and like the sound. Also, a pickup bottom plate makes a big difference. I was once told that leo experimented with different alloys on the bottom plate of the G&L pickups and they all sound different. The same guy told me Titanium was the sweetest sounding.

I believe it affects the magnetic field.