Help me decide on this mod

[veniculum]

Hey guys...about 2 months ago, I exchanged a SoCal Strat for a San Dimas HSS Strat...I just liked the Duncans better, and because I was still in the exchange period, I really dug the "Trans Kandy Gold"...much better than the red SoCal (with the black pickguard). To be honest, I may have kept the SoCal if I bought a different color...but the red really didn't do it for me (no offense to anyone who likes red...it's just not for me)

Anyway...I don't regret the decision at all. Anyone who has seen the Trans Kandy Gold in person can't say enough good things about it...pictures really don't do it justice (probably because you can't see the wood grain in the pics).

So I have this guitar, and the one thing I wish it did have was the pickguard...maybe either black or cream. Then I got to thinking...I had a set of cream pickup rings from my PRS (which I switched to black on that guitar). Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep this cream ring on my SD Strat. Every time I look at it, it's growing on me....just not enough to commit...and when I say commit, I mean, putting screws through it. That said, the ring actually fits tightly around the pickup, so I don't even really need to put screws through it...it stays in place. It does, however, look like it's missing something without screws.

I took a few pics, and I'd like to know what you guys think. And for those who like it, I'd love some suggestions on how to make it look like it's not missing screws...other than actually putting screws through the body of the guitar.
Just a note...I took the pics last night, and I didn't adjust the ring so it was perfectly straight....so if you look at the pics and it seems a little crooked, it is. Since I took them, I've straightened it out and it looks perfect (except that there are no screws where there normally would be)

I'd sure like some opinions.
Thanks guys!

Here's the guitar stock (without a pickup ring):


And here are two with a ring:

[Grandturk]

A - Love that trans kandy gold - very nice looking guitar.

B - Not digging the cream ring on it at all. I would not put it in permanantly - but its yours, so do what you want.

[Hellbat]

Here are a couple good rules of thumb...

1. Black pickup - black rings. (exception would be chrome if matching other hardware.)
2. Cream ring - Cream pickups (exception would be zebra pickup.)

[veniculum]

Yeah...I'm starting to go the other way. I'm glad I didn't do anything permanent. I will say...I don't like the lack of a ring, however. I may put a black ring on there

[Hellbat]

I played a trans kandy gold on the weekend and I was a little surprised by the height of the strings from the body. Neck/fret wise it was fine just between the strings and the body. It wasn't uncomfortable to play, it just seemed a little wierd. It just could have been an optical thing with no pickup rings, i dunno....

It could have been a setup issue though because the store had like 6 pro-mods and a newer San Dimas pointy (that was hot GMG and what seemed like Ebony board) and none of them impressed me a great deal as far playability. I was a little underwhelmed because my RR1 creams them. It's not even close.

HSS or H I'm good with no rings, but HH definitely looks wrong to me without rings.

[roodyrocker]

If I understand this correctly, you want to use the pickup ring but maybe not commit to drilling into the body since it holds on fine but doesn't look right with missing screws? If so, then all you have to do is cut the heads of some screws and you can glue them to the pickup ring so it looks just like any other normally installed ring. No holes drilled into the body

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Here are a couple good rules of thumb...

1. Black pickup - black rings. (exception would be chrome if matching other hardware.)
2. Cream ring - Cream pickups (exception would be zebra pickup.)

I think zebras look good with creme rings on lighter-colored guitars and black rings on darker colored guitars.

I don't know of any way to securely mount a ring without driling into the body.

[veniculum]

I think zebras look good with creme rings on lighter-colored guitars and black rings on darker colored guitars.

I don't know of any way to securely mount a ring without driling into the body.

In this case, the rings were from a 2006 PRS CE22...I had to kinda wiggle it around, but once it was pressed all the way to the body, the pickup itself held it in place...and it held it in place pretty tightly. I actually had a little bit of a hard time taking it off last night. I almost got to the point where I figured I would just have to break it off. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. I managed to wiggle it off...and now that I"m looking at the guitar without it, it does look better. That said, I really do think a black ring would work well on this particular guitar. I just looks like it's missing something without it...not sure why Charvel opted for a 'ringless' setup.

[JediHalen]

It just looks like it's missing something without it...not sure why Charvel opted for a 'ringless' setup.

It comes from the old Van Halen style of mounting directly into the wood... Apparently it`s supposed give you more connection with the wood and pickup so that it resonates better.
(don`t know how true this is, but it looks cool!)

I have all my Charvels like this .. but as you say, its all about personal choice.

[///MK]

I would go without a pickup ring on that one.
but its totally your call. Wave your freak flag high if you choose to.
Nice looking axe BTW

[6string40]

I like the direct mount personally, but if you must have a ring, go with a black one on that guitar.

[Diminished]

I vote no on the pup ring.

[Trussrod]

Once you drill holes in a natural top there's no turning back. It looks too nice to me to mod in that way. Why not buy a decent, inexpensive guitar and mod that? I've modded guitars and regretted it decades later.

[VitaminG]

I don't know of any way to securely mount a ring without driling into the body.

double-sided tape?

[jet66]

I would only use a ring if I preferred the sound of a suspended pickup over the direct-mounted sound and was converting it. (And I don't know that I like one over the other, depends on the particular guitar and the pickup.) I like the look as it is, with no rings. I agree that if you do add a ring, go with a black one to match everything else.