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It's a surmountable problem, so I'm not worried. My beautiful new D'Aquisto DQ-NYE is wonderful, but has - for me - one problem: my right hand pinkie wants to be where the volume control is. I keep banging into it, even moving it as the finger rubs against it. So I've started playing higher up, closer to the neck pickup, but that feels odd to me - I don't mind doing it occasionally, but not all the time.
Obviously, the ideal would be to have the controls under the pickguard. But that would leave holes where the pots used to be. So that means a new pickguard, saving the other one. And then there is the floating pickup. It's attached to the neck, which is a good thing. But obviously rewiring need be done.
So, I'm looking at a new pickguard with discreet volume and tone controls, but something that would look good on this guitar:
I've never bought anything like this before. Where to start? I don't want a cheap plastic one. This guy in Manchester (I'm in Scotland) makes beautiful guards, but at a considerable price: Pickguards With Binding for Archtop Instruments | Jack's Instrument Services
Any suggestions/advice?
PS Sorry the image has appeared twice! Not sure how to change that.Last edited by Rob MacKillop; 12-01-2015 at 06:41 PM.
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12-01-2015 06:39 PM
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you'd be good with a schatten thumbwheel set up..on a new guard
heres the thumbwheel via a great usa source , but i'm sure you could find more local to you..so just for info-
Schatten Thumbwheel Controls | stewmac.com
i think there are gents who make pickguards on this forum, so...i'm sure they'll advise
you could even use the same pickguard and plug the holes with something of your choice.. as a last resort
cheers
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I second the thumbwheel idea. Any guitar repair person should be able to make a bound pickguard. It is not that hard.
I'd keep the original one in intact. I was even able to get the miter corner correct, having never done it before.
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Here is another placement idea. I have this pickguard on my Unity 100th Anniversary. The pickup is a Zoller Shadow 48. The volume and tone controls are way back on the bridge end of the guard. They are completely out of the way of my right hand, yet I can get to them very easily on the fly. I think this is more intuitive than the wheels for real time adjustment--but I could be wrong.
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i'm with you greentone..if you are a knob tweaker..the thumbwheels are not as convenient..but the shape of the pickguard prohibits your kind of setup..and to alter that great pickguard cut/look would be criminal
cheers
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Hi Greenstone. That guard is quite a different shape from mine, but I can see what you mean. I'd like to keep mine the same shape it is already, as it seems to suit the instruments aesthetics. But I'll keep your idea in mind.
How do you find the Zoller?
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Me, I'd go with the Schattens as I already have a set on a guitar and they are great. Being you have such a unique and slightly narrow pick guard you COULD have the existing controls removed and just fill the holes with tape for now, use the Schattens. If you choose to sell later simply pull the tape and have the controls reinstalled. The Schattens go on with a sticky tape stuff that should make removing them pretty painless.
Big
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Rob, the knob placement would drive me crazy. I plan on using the schattens on my Heritage Johnny Smith when I get my new pickguard made. It's just something you can never get use too.
Joe D
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Rob you have the Schattens on Thomann. I've got some for a future archtop project - mine will be on the f-holes because I hate pickguards. Good luck!
Schatten Design T2 500k Dual Thumb Wheel - Thomann Portugal
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I have both on a gretsch g400. I installed the tone knob on the pick guard and the volume as a thumb wheel under the guard. Works for me.
The volume is always parked at around 8-9 unless I roll it all off. The tone was the only one I actually fiddled with regularly, so I switched them. It's out of the way but easy to get to.
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i made several guards like that . If youre interested send me a PM
Last edited by fws6; 03-08-2016 at 05:52 PM.
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I have the exact same problem with a guitar I have. I pulled off the largish wood knobs off to temporarily get by it. I'd have another made for it but the darn PG is a 6 layer maple / dark wood laminate with a nice gold sunburst on it. I've never seen those Schatten controls but now I'm thinking of plugging the PG holes and installing them.
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fsw6 has offered a good solution. The other thing is to mount Schatten Thumbwheels under the current pickguard AND fill up the holes left behind with ebony or MOP or Abalone inlay dots. You can find the dots just by scouring the web for them. For example, here:
https://www.allparts.com/dots-bindin...oard-materials
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I think an ebony pickguard looks great without the binding. It would reduce the cost. And you would not have to worry about the binding coming loose.
Danielle
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I know it's a couple of months since your post but I was wondering if you were able to resolve the pickguard and knob issue. I have a 2004 Aria D'Aquisto New Yorker that I'm very happy with in general but run into the same frustrations with the pickguard/knob placement. I'm considering taking it to a local guitar tech for a consultation and am also thinking about swapping out the original pickup for something warmer. How do you like the Bartolini? The one video I saw (which was great by the way like all of your playing) was unamplified and I'm guessing you haven't heard the guitar with its stock pickup but any comments are welcomed.
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Wow, it's really a coincidence you asked about the pick guard today, as just a few hours ago I was playing the guitar, and the pick guard just snapped off from where it makes contact with the neck. I was shocked at the time, having been playing some dreamy chords. There must have been a fracture that eventually just gave out. I could glue it back together, I suppose, but it might be the time to get that replacement.
The Bartolini is really good - warm and clear at the same time. Enough of the acoustic nature of the guitar comes through, yet is still an electric sound. Well balanced. I'd recommend it.
Please let me know what your guitar tech says, if you do manage to get your guitar to him.
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weird!! so much for coincidence!.. might be the time to go for thumbwheel controls...heavens intervention!! hah
i sort of like the idea of the ebony pickguard to match tailpiece, but original pickguard look is classic too
of course you could not use pickguard at all, and mount thumbwheels in f hole
lots of help i am!!
cheers
ps- you might want to shoot an email to aria/d'aquisto..that really should not have happened!Last edited by neatomic; 03-01-2016 at 08:12 PM. Reason: ps-
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I can't complain to Aria - I bought it second hand. Who knows what happened to it before. The rest of the guitar is A1 perfect. Really, I can't fault it. All my students are jealous for once - I used to be jealous of their guitars!
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yeah i remember the details!! haha...gave you a little push toward it, i did...but an email wouldn't hurt.....i've very seldom heard of a "newish" pickguard cracking like that..worth an email mention to them..never know...sure they are proud of their work and most obliging
otherwise see fws6 onboard here..he's known on the various forums for his good work..
glad you are enjoying it otherwise..lovely guitar
cheers
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I'm sorry to hear about your pickguard snapping off. I hope it do any damage to your guitar. I had 2 tailpieces that broke off of my Eastman 805CE and, although the guitar wasn't damaged, it's pretty unnerving. I'm also hoping it was only a problem with the pickguard and isn't reflective of the guitar in general. Mine is really gorgeous and feels solidly built. Thanks for the Bartolini recommendation. I do plan on getting my New Yorker to a tech in the next couple of months and will let you know the outcome. I'll let you know. Any plans to post additional recordings with the New Yorker?
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Eventually. I'm really busy with three commissions from Mel Bay, all in DADGAD tuning: one Celtic, one Classical, one Blues. Really enjoying getting into that, but on a Taylor steel-string.
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Hi, everone!
I have very recently bought a D'Angelico EXL-1, vintage sunburst LH. The guitar is wonderful, except for the rather large problem of one of the control knobs mounted on the pickguard being very much in the way of my picking hand, as is the problem of Rob MacKillop here. I am writing to ask a bit more about the Schatten thumbweel controls. According to what I have read from your comments about them here on the forum (and other places on the internet) they seem a good solution for releaving my picking hand of the nuisance of the knobs. But are the Schatten really reliable? I understand they're normally glued to the bottom of the pickguard; isn't there a risk of them falling off, say during a really fiery solo
, or during a bumpy plane ride etc?
I will also definitely not attempt the to me seemingly impossible operation of removing the old knobs and installing the schatten wheels instead, but I should be able to ask any guitar technician to do this for me, I suspect? If I get enough positive feedback on the Schatten from you guys that is. Though I have yet to see one negative word about them (which I think seems to good to be true, however).Last edited by Jon-Henry; 03-06-2016 at 05:56 PM.
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unless you pete townshend your archtop, the schattens should work fine...modern glues!!...tho, i'd recommend getting a new pickguard made and installing the schattens..and putting aside the factory works...
and incidentally that type of thumbwheel control has been used for ages on everything from fender jazzmasters to transistor radios....nothing new
cheers
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You also could just move the volume knob to where the tone knob is now, use a thumbwheel attached under the pick guard for tone control and plug the remaining open hole. I bought some thumbwheels from WD music, don't know what brand they are but i can confirm that they are reliable. I screwed them on a piece of plastic which i glued under the pick guard so they are easily removable. With good quality glue it will not be necessary to worry about falling off.
Last edited by JazzNote; 03-07-2016 at 04:45 AM.
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Ok! Thank you for the input and feedback!
Originally Posted by neatomic
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