Fitting Pickguards for Not-Quite-Strat Hole Patterns

[Dijii]

Hello! What do you guys do to fit pickguards for random strat style bodies that don't fit conventional Fender hole patterns?

The options I came up with are:

1. Plug the holes with wood glue and toothpicks or something and then redrill.
2. Use any holes that do lineup and just redrill without plugging holes (may end up with some overlap)
3. Buy the precut Allparts guard that just has the corner holes drilled and hope for the best
4. Have a completely custom pickguard made (kind of don't want to pay for that)
5. Buy pickguard material and try to wing it myself (not huge on this idea though)

Anyone have experience with this and a recommendation? I'm very much open to ideas that aren't on the list. Unfortunately, securing an OEM guard will be nearly impossible. This is for an SVK Chinese strat copy that was only made for a year or two.

If there's a company that sells pre-cut guards with no holes drilled, I would be very interested in learning about them.

Thanks!

 

[FuncleManson]

#1

 

[billy1187]

The easiest way and in my option, the "right" way is just fill & redrill. Over the years I've been cannibalizing a bamboo sushi rolling mat and shaving down the pieces to fit. a little CA glue and then once set clean them up and move on. For a random import strat copy I'd be in and out, just worry about the ones in close proimity to the new hole sites.

THEN fit your pots and pickups in the pickguard, and test fit in the cavity, get your E strings on to check alignment, then drill. You may also find you have some shaving to do with the pickguard at the neck join.

 

[Robonarc]

Toothpicks and wood glue then drill all new holes. Simple.

 

[Camel73]

I just had a matching pickguard and backplate sent to me and was a little worried lol. First time!
I think maybe two holes lined up.
The neck area of the pickguard had to be filed to fit (lots of pre-fitting).
Had to drill small holes into the pickguard for the tiny pot anchors also.
I cut small strips of tape to hold everything in the pickguard for the numerous pre-fittings.
It turned out great but it wasn't a plop-in fit.
It was an unopened second hand set by Oh Hello Music (Musiclily??) and I installed it the other day onto an Aria STG.

 

[CirroStratus]

A combination of 1 and 2. Figure out which holes overlap, as they don’t need to be touched. Fill the rest with wood filler. Install guard and place screws in good holes. Re-drill filled holes. Insert screws. Done