# Tele scratchplate decision.



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

Hi Folks, I thought I knew what I wanted 3 months ago when I ordered these two scratchplates for this build. Its oxidized aeromatic cedar top of pine, shellac finish. 
I'm open to be swayed to other ideas too... Topless is not an option as I botched the (cursed ) slot from pocket to neck pu. 
(my first diy body, learning a lot) 
Thanks folks, appreciate your input.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Of those choices I prefer #1.


----------



## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

#1 all the way for me! Love the contrast.


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

#1


----------



## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

My instinct wants to see a single ply white or black.
I imagine you wanting to use at least one of the ones you have seeing as pick guards are not cheap nowadays.

#1 would be my choice out of the 2.


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I like #1 also


----------



## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

The darker guard contrasts well with the neck however not so well with the dark body...I prefer the dark guard by itself.


----------



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

To add, this body will be getting an ebony over roasted curly maple neck. Its a dark roast. Seems to be a good match and will contribute to the #1 contrast. ( also working on my first two diy necks )
After breakfast today I was starting to like the dark. Last week the white. Lol, that's why I turned you you folks for input. And wow, I thank all of you for your input to get me on track.
What a great community !!


----------



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

Paul Running said:


> The darker guard contrasts well with the neck however not so well with the dark body...I prefer the dark guard by itself.


Yeah, sorry that neck is just a temporary hanger. Getting and ebony board. It's sibling a straight up pine, with warmer colour is getting a maple/maple neck.


----------



## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

...another vote for that white pearl (#1)!


----------



## Backbeat (Jan 18, 2014)

Another vote for #1!
That said, I might like white parchment even more.


----------



## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

#1


----------



## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

Backbeat said:


> Another vote for #1!
> That said, I might like white parchment even more.


Yeah, option #3!!!


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Of those two, #1 would be my choice too.

Other suggerstions would be tort, red or brown, or parchment.


----------



## Vally (Aug 18, 2016)

#1


----------



## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

The white guard for sure.


----------



## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Another vote for #1.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Maybe I'm shallow, but I like the white mother of toilet seat guard, especially with a dark fretboard like ebony.


----------



## skeetz (Mar 26, 2014)

I like the dark one with ebony - it will give it more of a “rich” character. It would also help if you “modeled” both bodies with the entire length of the neck. This way it would be less of a “guessing game”. Good luck with your choice. Having said that....pick the one that “turns your crank” .... not everyone else’s.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've never been a fan of that look or Tortoiseshell on a guitar
Maybe because of all the cheap & subpar guitars I saw it on when I was younger.
But like most things I tend to prefer solid colour.

That said --of the choices--I'd go with the black one.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The black one.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Another idea, which I rarely see (maybe there's a reason for that, LOL) is a transparent guard.

Because I'm working on guitars with artwork on them I'm often trying to avoid concealing the top of the guitar.

If there's nice wood on the top, this is an option. You have to conceal a few wires.

Thi is a Strat one obviously but I have used similar guards on Teles.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Milkman said:


> Another idea, which I rarely see (maybe there's a reason for that, LOL) is a transparent guard.
> 
> Because I'm working on guitars with artwork on them I'm often trying to avoid concealing the top of the guitar.
> 
> ...


That's 100% awesome. 

On a non-guitar project once I used a photo of the wood under glass to hide utilities, sized it and colour matched it as close as I could to the underlying wood and very lightly glued it in place. From any distance it was hard to tell.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

We did one sort of similarly. Yours was probably more invisible.

I laid out the shape of the "concealment" area on the underside of a clear pickguard, masked it off and Amanda did an acrylic pour on the exposed part. That was an idea suggested by Laristotle if memory serves. It worked but was slow and not much more effective than simply blacking out the sections I wanted concealed.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

@Milkman Cool idea too. It works. I do love these bodies you post.


----------



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

skeetz said:


> I like the dark one with ebony - it will give it more of a “rich” character. It would also help if you “modeled” both bodies with the entire length of the neck. This way it would be less of a “guessing game”. Good luck with your choice. Having said that....pick the one that “turns your crank” .... not everyone else’s.


Thanks, that was how I was feeling the other day I'm since working on some spiriting of the shellac. It slowed me down a little as I think that my rubber was a little to wet. I'll put up some more pics with the necks when I get past this little bit of streakiness.


----------



## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

Milkman said:


> We did one sort of similarly. Yours was probably more invisible....


That's a great idea !!


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

alwaysflat said:


> That's a great idea !!


Well if so, I'm pretty sure it was suggested by @laristotle. 

Thanks


----------

