Floating pickguard extends over the cutaway?

[trabant]

A quick question to you fine, knowledgeable folks here: as I'm drooling over hollow body guitars, I stumbled upon an interesting one but one detail baffles me. The pickguard goes partially over the cutaway which to me seems odd (see pic). I haven't seen this on any other guitar. Why would a luthier choose that instead of aligning the pickguard with the body? Does it serve a purpose?

[GuyBoden]

Looks like the wrong pickguard for the guitar.

It's not easy to purchase pre-made pickguards that would fit two P90's and a cutaway.

From the back.


Below, one of these pickguards could be fitted, but they have screw holes. (Maybe an option, if the guitar is inexpensive to buy).





https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002235383024.html

[trabant]

Thanks, GuyBoden. Seems like the most reasonable explanation. It just makes me wonder because the guitar is made and sold by a luthier so why would one build a guitar (presumably) from scratch and put on a wrong-sized pickguard? Couldn't they make a fitting pickguard themself? Does that tell something about the luthier or the guitar?

[jazzshrink]

...Why would a luthier choose that instead of aligning the pickguard with the body? Does it serve a purpose?

I agree with Guy - it just doesn't look right. If the pickguard is original, I'd be interested in what the luthier has to say. Have you considered asking him/her?

[Woody Sound]

If it is original, it’s bizarre.

[omphalopsychos]

The luthier in question: GALLERY :: Ep-tone

Yeah dunno if I'd take the risk on anything from a luthier who thinks this design makes sense.

[Cunamara]

Does the luthier- and I use the term with reservation- play guitar themselves?

[jazzshrink]

The luthier in question: GALLERY :: Ep-tone
Yeah dunno if I'd take the risk on anything from a luthier who thinks this design makes sense.

No such problem here. 'Tis a little wide though.


One small point: the archtop pickguard in the op isn't really a "floater", is it?

[ruger9]

Ugly and anti-functional.

[garybaldy]

Looks like it was all he had in his pg drawer and he clearly only had one toggle switch in his pickup selector switch drawer.

[Cunamara]

That pickguard, the mismatched wood of the back and the apparently mismatched halves/suboptimal grain orientation (wide grain near the center, tight grain at the edges) of the top would give me pause.

[trabant]

Thanks to all that replied! Some more "odd" choices were spotted here as well, although ´things like switches or knobs are more of a subjective aesthetics-related thing I guess.

Anyway, I just wanted to hear from more knowledgeable guys about a specific thing on a specific guitar, I didn't want to name and rag on the luthier based on some pics on the internet as they're clearly just a person making guitars on a small scale somewhere.

I'm more than 250 miles / 400 km from the guitar so I can't get my hands on it easily any time soon anyway.

[Woody Sound]

and the apparently mismatched halves/suboptimal grain orientation (wide grain near the center, tight grain at the edges) of the top would give me pause.

Some builders think that matching the top that way yields a unique tone, not necessarily worse, just different, that some might prefer.