[scallybert]

I have a number of RGs; only one of which (RG3250MZ) has a pick guard.

It feels that the strings are a bit low over the pick guard, making picking awkward.

It seems that the neck doesn't angle back as much as on the other RGs [looks not to, but not clear; bridge is as low as it goes, to set the action correctly].

So, I'm thinking the neck needs shimming; and I did some measuring.

On one of the other RGs, the strings are about 12.3mm above the wooden body.

On the RG3250MZ they are 10.6 mm above the wooden body, and about 8mm above the pick guard.

So, it looks like the neck isn't angled back as much, but here's the awkward bit..:

Even if it were shimmed to the same angle as the other RG, the height of the strings above the pick guard would still be about 2.5mm less than the height of the strings above the wooden body on either guitar.

The question, is whether this is something you just have to live with; or whether the pick guard guitars are set up to compensate in some way. eg with the neck angled to give more clearance, or such ?

 

[Leviathus]

It's just the way it is with a pickguarded RG, you're going to have less clearance. I'm pretty sure Ibanez doesn't machine neck pockets/necks differently for guard/non-guard guitars. A shim is your best bet IMO (especially if your bridge is bottomed out) for getting more room to dig.

 

[Zim Ali]

Hi I want to make the pickups of my SG Standard follow the angle of the strings. I have googled this quite a bit and this is what I have found out, please correct me if it's wrong. I need to buy two neck pickup bezels (because the bridge PU bezel is too tall), enlarge the holes in the pickguard slightly to make room for the change of angle.....or I could just out a little shim under the pickups but I would rather do the first thing. Does anybody have an exact link where I can get the bezels, I don't really know where to look. It could be in the US but since I live in Denmark a EU dealer would be very cool. It' not a big deal though. Subway Surfers Psiphon Hill Climb Racing

 

[scallybert]

Hi I want to make the pickups of my SG Standard follow the angle of the strings. I have googled this quite a bit and this is what I have found out, please correct me if it's wrong. I need to buy two neck pickup bezels (because the bridge PU bezel is too tall), enlarge the holes in the pickguard slightly to make room for the change of angle.....or I could just out a little shim under the pickups but I would rather do the first thing. Does anybody have an exact link where I can get the bezels, I don't really know where to look. It could be in the US but since I live in Denmark a EU dealer would be very cool. It' not a big deal though.

Please start your own topic somewhere appropriate.

 

[Takin' a Ride]

You can make the neck angle larger to compensate for the thickness of the pickguard.

 

[scallybert]

It's just the way it is with a pickguarded RG, you're going to have less clearance. I'm pretty sure Ibanez doesn't machine neck pockets/necks differently for guard/non-guard guitars. A shim is your best bet IMO (especially if your bridge is bottomed out) for getting more room to dig.

Yeah, I think the bottomed out bridge definitely says shimming is required..!

What I'm wondering about, is whether to try and increase the clearance over the pickguard to what I've got on the non-pickguard RGs, by increasing the neck angle.

I wonder if any pickguard RGs come like this as stock - ie with an increased neck angle to compensate, or even the neck raised.

 

[scallybert]

You can make the neck angle larger to compensate for the thickness of the pickguard.

Cheers - yes.

Is this something that people do ?

 

[sepulchrave]

Cheers - yes.

Is this something that people do ?

Not on an SG Standard it isn't!

Works great with bolt-on necks though.

 

[scallybert]

Not on an SG Standard it isn't!

Works great with bolt-on necks though.

Oi..!

I know people shim them. It's whether they do extra to deal with the pickguard thickness, I was wondering about.

 

[sepulchrave]

Oi..!

I know people shim them. It's whether they do extra to deal with the pickguard thickness, I was wondering about.

That's your choice, setups are personal things, if you want more space between the pickguard and the strings then you'll need to shim the neck and raise the trem up out of the rout.

 

[scallybert]

That's your choice, setups are personal things, if you want more space between the pickguard and the strings then you'll need to shim the neck and raise the trem up out of the rout.

Yeah, but do people do this ?

Or do they tolerate a relatively small gap between the strings and pickguard ?

I'm very prone to doing my own thing, but sometimes it's good to know what the conventional thinking is.

 

[jemsite]

IMHO the bridge height is a player's call so yeah you shim the bridge on an axe like this to get it at the height you want. I don't think the pickguard is the issue as much as the bridge itself is lower than your other axe by almost 2mm and also has the guard

 

[scallybert]

Slightly different tack, if anyone has a pickguard RG, how high are your strings above the pickguard, near to the bridge ?

 

[Hoseki]

The question, is whether this is something you just have to live with; or whether the pick guard guitars are set up to compensate in some way. eg with the neck angled to give more clearance, or such ?

Counting my JEM-FP, I've got three RG's and I don't even notice which ones have a pickguard or not unless I'm swapping pickups. I would think that over time you'd probably get to where you didn't notice either.
Definitely seems to have a fatter tone with the pickups screwed straight into the body of the guitar though.

 

[scallybert]

Counting my JEM-FP, I've got three RG's and I don't even notice which ones have a pickguard or not unless I'm swapping pickups. I would think that over time you'd probably get to where you didn't notice either.

Any chance of having a quick look at how the string heights compare ?

Definitely seems to have a fatter tone with the pickups screwed straight into the body of the guitar though.

Yes, the non-pickguard arrangement seems generally better - and the models correspondingly more expensive...

 

[Hoseki]

Any chance of having a quick look at how the string heights compare?

Unfortunately not. I don't have any of them with me right now and the closest distance between two of them is about 2,000 miles.

Yes, the non-pickguard arrangement seems generally better - and the models correspondingly more expensive...

My JEM-FP came with a pickguard and I tossed it. Same pickups as my other RG's but definitely fatter.

 

[scallybert]

My JEM-FP came with a pickguard and I tossed it. Same pickups as my other RG's but definitely fatter.

That seems to be a third configuration, where the pickguard doesn't have pickups and switches mounted on it, but just provides protection.

 

[Hoseki]

That seems to be a third configuration, where the pickguard doesn't have pickups and switches mounted on it, but just provides protection.

Original pickguard had the pickups mounted to it but I did a bypass and removed the pickguard.

 

[scallybert]

So, if anyone has a pickguard RG, how high are your strings above the pickguard, near to the bridge ?

Anyone ?

 

[sepulchrave]

My 1991 RG550 is about 10mm next to the trem post on the bass side.