Me: depends if the old one has mojo aging, etc. If so, I'd leave it on and make a deal for discount on future work or get an OEM ordered to put aside for later. If not, OEM replacement preferred.
You could be a stickler and tell him to replace it with a fender replacement. If the crack doesn’t bother you, you could tell him no worries. I think this question is all about how much you love this tech and want to be easy going, verse your tolerance for imperfections on your guitar. For me, a great/dependable tech who did this to my guitar would offer a factory replacement. To which I’d refuse. Then he would insist on giving me a nice discount. If the scenario doesn’t play out like that I probably wouldn’t consider him a great tech.
If my tech called me to say he'd cracked my pickguard, I'd likely say, no problem and move on. I've rarely owned a Strat without a cracked screw hole. If my tech cracked my pickguard and didn't let me know, I'd be demanding a replacement. Guess I'm just weird like that.
wouldn't bother me . And i'd be fine with a hand cut one. But that's just me. Depends on your view of guitars; if you're someone that loses their rag over a scratch, or if you're someone that understands wear and tear. If it impacted the function of the guitar, i might be more bothered, but a crack along a pickguard hole (especially as the revered early strats did exactly that !) ? Life's too short to get on anyone's high horse and start demanding things.
Curious to how how many of the guys here saying that they would demand a factory replacement at the techs expense has been self employed trying to scrape a living to pay their bills. Making a pickguard with mat's he already has cost nothing. The guy spends a bit of his own time. The 20 quid for a new one might be the difference of him not meeting his electric bill. These are hard times right now. Letting it go will pay dividends in the long run. Take the home made one he offers.
Some scratchplates crack, for apparently no reason, probably due to the solvents in the plastic. Unless it was falling off, I'd just get the guitar home and play it.
Doing some renovations on PVC windows and I discovered this stuff in Selco - works on pickguards and pretty much anything. It's basically CA glue and activator, but you get loads for a fiver and it's way cheaper than buying the little tubes..
I'm that guy, and if I broke something that belonged to a client of mine my first offer would be the closest to original I could arrange. To me that is good customer service and I like to think part of what got me out of that scraping by era and on my feet just fine these days.
When I make a mistake, I pay for it or submit it to insurance. I would never dream of asking a customer to pay for my mistake. Likewise an employer. If I screw up and damage something, I take responsibility for the mistake. If a $40 factory pickguard is going to break the guy, then maybe he's not such a great tech. Sure, it eliminates anything he would have made on that particular setup. OTOH, if he were to make one in this own shop, that's still going to cost him $20 or $30 in time and material. And note that I never said "demand" anything... I indicated outrage that the tech would tell the customer that he would be willing to install a new guard that the customer bought, or he would make his own. Offering the customer a choice is cool... "Hey bud, I overtightened one of the screws and crackes your PG. Here's a picture, I can make you a new one from my material, replace it with a factory part, or if you're good with it as it is, I'll give you $10 off on your setup" That's good business and keeps customers coming back. Put them in control and do what it takes to make them happy... it might cost you $10, $20, or $40... but he will be back in 6 months to spend another $50.
Not really sure what a "homemade" one will look like. Personally I would have him buy you a new factory pickguard.
He should buy you a new one that is the same as what was on there, and it shouldn't be a big deal. I had one of my strats at my tech to adjust the truss rod and for a general set-up. The Truss was kind of wonky to start, I would have it set up right then a couple months later there would be a decent sized bow in the relief seemingly out of nowhere. I took it to him to figure it out and as he was working on it the truss rod snapped. He told me about it, apologized and then bought an exact replacement neck for my guitar off of the Stratosphere. I felt bad for him as this was my AVRI 60s hotrod neck with the compound radius, so not cheap. He said not to worry about it and that, "this is why I pay for insurance!".
I've been that guy also (in different trade). And I've been desperate where having a client throw me a bone to help me out has been necessary. And like yourself, I've always satisfied my clients. In the position I am in now I would replace it without question as my business can afford it. Another option could be the tech replaces the PG with a factory next time around. I'm just assuming that it might be a stretch for Mr tech at spending out right now. Which is possibly why he is offering to make one with materials he has. That $20/$40 or whatever may be a meaningless amount to a lot of us. But with 10's of millions of people facing unemployment in the world, that measly amount is enough for a lot of folk.
Sounds like you use this guy a lot. If it's a hard to notice little crack, put it on the wheel, tell him, "look, you can do me a solid later, to make up for it" This could parley a itty bitty PG crack into some major upgrade, and you don't lose a decent tech, to attitude, RFN.
Ive overtightened PG screws before and the just strip the hole...how the hell does one crack the PG??
I'll approach this at another angle: If I were the tech, I'd honestly just rather pay the $15-$20-ish my cost for a new pick guard before taking the time and effort to set up a jig and cut a new one myself. Even it it took all of five minutes to do.
It's taken me longer to read this thread than it would take to have a pleasant but firm conversation with a tech following my own agenda. "Yes, I'm happy for you to make one however you'll understand I reserve the right to ask for a Fender replacement (assuming the original is a Fender) if it's not up to standard?" If the answer is yes then just chill.
