Daytona pickguard removal.

[SteveB]

ok, so I'm trying to remove the pickguard on a Daytona. Got all the screws out. The front side of the pickguard appears to be under the neck a bit, but I can't move it back because the neck pickup hits the front of its route. So whats the secret, assuming that it shouldn't be necessary to remove the neck to get the guard out?

[Feynman]

On one of mine the pickguard came right out with a little delicate maneuvering.

On the other I had your symptoms. I loosened the screws on the neck plate a little to allow the neck to tilt just enough to get it off and on. I tried for awhile to figure out something clever, but eventually I conceded and just loosened the neck.

[BCR Greg]

Remove the neck.

[BubbaVO]

Remove the neck.

+1 That neck pocket/pickguard is a tight fit on the Daytona.

I dont think the strats I had ever had that degree of connection between neck and body.

[SteveB]

ok, loosening the neck I guess it is. Thanks.

[cmatthes]

It's that extra fret overhang that does it. As posted above, the neck has to be loosened - it's the only way!

[SteveB]

It's that extra fret overhang that does it. As posted above, the neck has to be loosened - it's the only way!

I was hoping there was some magic incantation or something. I guess its not *that* annoying to loosen the neck.

[bubs_42]

I'm glad i'm not the only one that had this problem. What I like best about the Daytona is that I can pull the neck put it back on, string it up and go. No shims, no slop, just a greaat guitar. Gets 90% of my play.

[Punkavenger]

I felt that my pickups were hanging up on something when I tried to pull the pick quard back away from the neck, so I loosened the pickups from the top.

Worked for me ... taking the neck off scares me

Of course all previous partys that commented on this thread have more experience than I so you might want to listen to them.

[Samuello]

Yeah. I needed to remove the neck, too. I tried to loose the neck pick-up and everything but no... Same thing with my T-51. I don't think it serves a purpose to make it like that! I was planning to cut out that extra piece that goes under the neck... Has anyone done this?

-Samuel

[Dendog]

I was planning to cut out that extra piece that goes under the neck... Has anyone done this?

I haven't but was thinking of it. To get around this problem I find you can loosen the neck pickup completely and then you can pull out the pickguard. Fortunately you can reverse the technique to put it back together. But I'm surprised Hamer didn't fix that design. If I get a slightly thicker pickguard I will have it cut flush to the fingerboard.

[murkat]

you could jack up the pickups to make it easier to pull out,

but, you just might remove the neck....

[bubs_42]

The Daytona that I just sold was like that. The pickguard was cut so it just barely under the neck. Just unbolt the neck Hamer doesn't use shims and the neck goes on and off without F'ing up the set up. With the Pickups all the way up the still won't come off.

[Dendog]

I'm saying you have to unscrew the neck pickup completely so it sits in the cavity. Then the pickguard can be removed.I just bought a Daytona a week ago, and I have done this twice, and will probably be back in there a few more times. Personally I prefer this over removing the neck. But if I can get a replacement pickguard I'm going to modify it. Really can't figure how they left it that way.

The pickguard needs to slide towards the bridge for removal. You can't jack up the pickups enough to clear the cavity.

[anotherfreak]

um,

just pull the neck, The design and the craftsmanship in pretty damn perfect!

$.02

[Dendog]

You're absolutely right, it's a minor complaint in an otherwise flawless instrument. Nevertheless I'm not comfortable pulling the neck if I have another way to get in there.