NF3 pickguard HELP!

[Joeyg]

Hi all,
So I bought my first PRS about a month ago. I have always been a strat player and decided to upgrade from my mexi strat. I was close to pulling the trigger on a custom shop strat and I found some NF3s on eBay at a deal to good to pass up. I am familiar with PRS quality having played them in music shops. Boy am I glad I went that route!! The quality of this guitar is amazing!! It plays like a dream. Although the narrowfields are nice, my intentions where to buy single coils for it. First step was a new pickguard. So I contacted terrapin guitars. They said they would make me a custom pickguard but I needed to mail them a tracing or the original guard. So I mailed mine June 22nd, and emailed them back telling them I sent it. No reply for a week. I sent another email. No reply for another week. So finally I call. No answer, but I did leave a message with no call back. I feel pretty defeated. I was about to have my dream strat, now my pickguard is in limbo and no one has a template for this thing. What in the world can I do now? Please someone help a brother out.

 

[helmi]

well the first mistake you made was wanting to swap the narrowfield pups for strat pups. you really need to give them a chance, their fabulous pickups. if worst comes to worst, i'm sure PRS will sell you a new pickguard if your in a pinch. (please tell us you only sent the pickguard in empty?) by the way, welcome to the forum.

 

[Joeyg]

Thanks I guess. Yeah dude I definitely kept the pick ups. Also not a mistake swapping pick ups I don't like, for pick ups I do like. I love the look of the strat style prs body and I want a strat sound. NFs couldn't give me that. I posted this hoping I could find someone that could actually help me with a problem I have. Already contacted PRS. They don't sell nf3 pickguards.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'm on the hunt for a good custom pick guard maker too. Most of them (or all) don't seem to have templates.

Another option is to sell your NF3 and get a DC3.. NF3's seem to go for more money and the DC3 is way more Strat-like. I compared the two and wound up buying a DC3 about a month ago.

 

[Joeyg]

Thanks for the reply. I should have gone that route. I could try and sell it but I already have the pickups for it and honestly don't want to go through the trouble to sell it. Right now I'm just blazing emails to any custom pickguard maker seeing if they have a template. Quickguards have a dc3 template listed, but I'm still awaiting an email back from them. Is the dc3 pickguard the same as the nf3?

 

[garrett]

I don't think anyone here can help you in a dispute with someone you're doing business with. I wish you the best for a happy resolution.

If you want to pursue another option and can't get your guard back, maybe someone here has an NF3 guard they can trace for you. The DC3 guard is the same except for the pickup routs, so that could work as well.

Get in touch with Tony at Pickguardian. He's great to deal with. If you haven't already, reach out to him now to see if he happens to have a template.

 

[Joeyg]

Thanks garrett I will get in touch with tony. Maybe my first post came out wrong and I apologize. I'm definitely not asking for justice for my missing pickguard. Just thought maybe someone had done business with them and had some thoughts.

 

[garrett]

Thanks garrett I will get in touch with tony. Maybe my first post came out wrong and I apologize. I'm definitely not asking for justice for my missing pickguard. Just thought maybe someone had done business with them and had some thoughts.

No sweat. Looking forward to seeing the finished product and tone report. Have you decided on which Strat pickups yet?

I haven't done business with Terrapin, so can just go by what I find searching online.

As a side note on Pickguardian, Tony sometimes took a few days to reply to my emails, but he was always very helpful and friendly and made a great customized replacement guard for my S2 Singlecut Standard.

 

[Joeyg]

Sweet yeah I definitely will! I have some hot noiseless I want to try first. The nfs have a nice growl that I like but not quite enough spank. I might leave the bridge narrowfield in it. Also got these cool green numbered speed knobs to complement the black on black. That is if I ever get a pickguard for it ha!

 

[vchizzle]

You might dig around here if you have time: http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/modified-monday.10374/
There might at least be some info on custom makers who might have made a guard and have a template? I don't know for sure.

So we're certainly not against modding PRS around here. Keep in mind this forum is pretty protective of the PRS brand. Like, we hate fakes and people trying to make money off PRS designs who have no right to do so. So when people ask about "templates" of things, many people here are pretty guarded. I'm not saying you're trying to do anything like that, but it can put members here on edge a little bit(or a lot). I feel for you, sucks you lost your pickguard. I hope you figure out a way to get a new one made and get the guitar back together.

 

[Rider1260]

WD Music does pick guards I can get you a tracing for a 3 single coil that would fit your NF 3 here is my custom one


IMG_2677 by Michael Christie, on Flickr

IMG_2535 by Michael Christie, on Flickr

 

[vchizzle]

BTW, being new here...ya got any pics of that guitar? We like pics on this forum - they're mandatory!

 

[Joeyg]

Rider you are the man. I really appreciate the gesture. Is it cool to pm you my address?
Uh vchizzle I don't know how to post pics but I certainly will.

 

[Joeyg]

 

[bodia]

Rider you are the man. I really appreciate the gesture. Is it cool to pm you my address?
Uh vchizzle I don't know how to post pics but I certainly will.

You need to link them through a 3rd party photo sharing site like Imgur or Flikr. Once you upload there you can use them Img button to link them, or simply copy/paste from the photo sharing site.

 

[Joeyg]

 

[bodia]

Nice!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I'm sorry. I can't help, because I start to get nervous and my lip starts to quiver every time I hear someone saying they are going to pull the pickups out of an NF3!

 

[Joeyg]

Haha! Although I appreciate the fact most of y'all are prs purest I can't share that sentiment. I get it. They are great pups. But that's not why I bought this axe. I bought a strat style prs body for a better price than an American strat, but it has the quality of a custom shop strat. Also the reason why I was able to get such a great deal was because they got discontinued. Hmm imagine that, a strat style guitar with mini humbuckers not selling well. Just sayin...

 

[Joeyg]

So I just got an email from terrapin 26 days later. I really appreciate the ones up here who were willing to help me out. I'm going to try and resolve this get my guard back. I'll post with updates.