Aluminum pickguard. Is it changing my tone?

[john1880]

I just got a RG570 modified with an aluminum pickguard on it. I used it for the first time through my amp yesterday and it sounded pretty bright and less beefy than my other RGs.
Do you think the aluminum pickguard could be giving it a brighter/thinner tone? I read a post that said a brass pickguard improved someones tone a lot. Maybe aluminum isn't a good material to have the string vibrations bouncing off of.
Anybody have any experience like this?
Thanks!

John

[EL-CeeDee]

I can image it giving a brighter and thinner tone.

Are your pickups direct mounted or guard mounted ?

[jaken777]

Originally Posted by john1880

I just got a RG570 modified with an aluminum pickguard on it. I used it for the first time through my amp yesterday and it sounded pretty bright and less beefy than my other RGs.
Do you think the aluminum pickguard could be giving it a brighter/thinner tone? I read a post that said a brass pickguard improved someones tone a lot. Maybe aluminum isn't a good material to have the string vibrations bouncing off of.
Anybody have any experience like this?
Thanks!

John

Yes bro a Alloy scratch plate will change the sound of any guitar it is put on, the sound becomes somewhat thin & tinny with less overall woody tone- but very trebley in tone with a lot of feedback that comes from nowhere! - sound like your guitar? - brass is no good, it makes the guitar very heavy & the sound is much the same as alloy with the same problems,

Ok the Jem 10 th has specialy made pickups & Alloy scratch plate calibrated for the guitar, that is why they sound so good, -you just can't put these metal scratch plates on guitars & think there will be no problems as you know, if you want the sound back to the way it should be & still have a metal look put a mirror scratch plate on the guitar, some guy on E bay had them in all coloured mirrors & such, carved with tree of life in them or with out, the choise is yours.

Cheers Bro- Jake

[john1880]

Thanks so much. That pickguard is coming off and a plastic one is going to be put on.
Now that brings up this question...Does a normal plastic pickguard affect the tone? should I just leave the pickguard off? I asked this in another thread and I believe most people thought that adding a pickguard to a RG570 woudn't change the tone much. I like the look with a pickguard better though.
my pickups are not direct mounted.
Thanks again.

John

[jaken777]

John, plastic will not effect the sound at all, with pickups direct mounted or not there is no diffrence in sound bro with putting the plastic scratch plate on a RG from a Jem, no problems there ok, theres plenty of choices in the colours you can get (eg) swirls, mirror's,plane, caved tree of life, its up to you bro.

Cheers- Jake.