A video is dedicated to distorted sounds, and is titled:
ASAR HSH NEODYMIUM STANDARD CLOSED COVERS STRAT CUSTOM SHOP LOADED PICKGUARD (DISTORTION)
The other video is dedicated to clean sounds, and is titled (copy and paste on the YouTube search engine):
ASAR HSH NEODYMIUM STANDARD CLOSED COVERS STRAT CUSTOM SHOP LOADED PICKGUARD (CLEAN)
As for the pickguard plate, it is also available in black, as are the knobs.
Please note: The pickups installed on this pickguard are designed and handcrafted by myself (signature: ASAR custom amplification & pickups), like the pre-wired pickguard itself.
Model: HSH NEODYMIUM FULL OPTIONAL CLOSED COVERS
The humbuckers are a SHB-UD CC (Neodymium magnets) model set. The middle Strat single coil is also equipped with neodymium magnets and is designed to be paired with SHB-UD CC humbuckers.
CONTROLS:
- VOLUME (B500K, Alpha), equipped with full range treble bleed (*);
- TONES (both A500K with 10nF / 100V MKP capacitor). The SECOND KNOB acts on the neck humbucker and the middle single coil, while the THIRD KNOB acts only on the bridge humbucker;
- Five-way selector;
- Push-pull switch of the second knob (tone control of the neck HB and middle single coil pickup): by pulling up this knob you get the exclusion of the middle single coil pickup while, at the same time, the neck humbucker and the bridge one will be connected in parallel, regardless of their operating status (ie the position in which the push pull switch controlled by the third knob is held). Once activated this mode, it always maintains the mentioned pickup configuration, regardless of the position taken by the five-way switch.
- Third knob push-pull switch (on the bridge humbucker tone control): by pulling up this knob, both the humbuckers will be split, working with only their NORTH coils operating (i.e. the one facing the middle SC and the one facing the neck). By keeping the knob down, both humbuckers will operate with both their coils connected in series (FULL COIL OPERATION). For further information, please see note (**) at the end of the Ad text.
These pickups were wound and assembled by guiding the wire by hand (AWG 44). Then they were waxed in a paraffin and beeswax bath. Later, EVERY POLE WERE INDIVIDUALLY FITTED WITH A POWERFUL NEODYMIUM MAGNETS SET.
All pickups are equipped with shielded wires. The back of the pickguard is fully shielded with aluminum foil. Consequently, if the guitar body is also properly shielded (for example, by means of an adhesive copper sheet), by installing this pickguard the entire electronics of the guitar will be surrounded by a complete electromagnetic shield.
The series resistances (Rs) of the pickups are the following: NECK humbucker 8.8 Kohm in SPLIT / 16.8 Kohm in FULL COIL OPERATION - MIDDLE Single Coil 8.8 Kohm - Humbucker to the BRIDGE 9.5 Kohm SPLIT / 19.2 Kohm in FULL COIL OPERATION.
The NORTH coil of the NECK HB and the SOUTH coil of the BRIDGE HB are RWRP compared to the other coils.
Shipping by international registered mail.
THIS LOADED PICKGUARD HAS BEEN PERFORMANCE TESTED.
(*) My "full range treble bleed" mod consists of three components: a capacitor, a fixed resistor and a potentiometer coaxial with the volume control potentiometer. This ensures that the tone of the guitar remains exactly the same (volume aside, of course) throughout the operating range of the volume knob, unlike what is possible with classic treble bleed circuits which are, typically, equipped only with a capacitor or with a capacitor and a fixed resistor (connected in series or parallel to the capacitor).
(**) In other words ...
1) by pulling up only the second knob, just the two humbuckers will work, connected to each other in parallel and with both their respective coils activated (FULL COIL OPERATION), similarly to a Les Paul with the pickup selector held in position 2;
2) by pulling up both the second and the third knob, just the two humbuckers still work connected to each other in parallel but in SPLIT OPERATION (i.e. only the NORD coil works in each of the two), similarly to what happens in a Telecaster with the pickup selector held in position 2;
3) by pulling up only the third knob all three pickups and also the 5 way selector work, as in a normal Strat, but the two humbuckers are in split mode and, therefore, the pickup configuration will be Strat SSS (split neck HB / single coil / split bridge HB);
4) with both knobs turned down all three pickups and also the 5 way selector work, with the two humbuckers in FULL COIL OPERATION and, therefore, we get a Strat HSH operation.
In cases 1) and 2), in addition to the middle pickup, il also excluded the operation of the 5 way selector. In fact, in these cases, even by varying all five of its positions, the configuration of the pickups always remains that described in the respective points 1) and 2).
This pickguard can be purchased through Reverb. The link to the Ad is the following:
https://reverb.com/item/56134725-handmade-prewired-hsh-neodymium-strat-pickguard-with-hb-split-switch-tr-bl-and-mid-pu-cutoff-switch
