My first build: DTL-1

[gpjt]

Next: I'd decided to swap out the stock white 8-hole pickguard with a black 5-hole one:



For convenience, I still want to have the pickup mounted to the pickguard as per Simon's earlier suggestion, so removed it from the white one and put it in place:



Used the pin vice to drill again, working my way up from 0.5mm to 2mm bits; first pilot hole from the back so that I could drill it through the pickup's mounting hole, then the others from the front so that I didn't get ugly visible tearout. First hole done and screw in place to test:



And second done:



Much easier than I'd feared it would be.

[gpjt]

Next, I want to get the pickguard in place. Attached the bridge, just with the two outside screws (so that I didn't have to fiddle with the centre saddle), and then put it on. Starting to look more like a guitar!



Figured that I need the control plate in place too if I'm going to get this right, so dropped it in and discovered a minor problem -- the cutout for the control plate looks like it's the wrong shape slightly:



Also looks like the cutout for the neck heel is a little out; bit of an overhang when the pickguard is in what feels like the right place:



So it looks like a little time with a sharp knife and/or a file is in order for both of these, unless I'm missing something.

[McCreed]

Replacement pickguards will almost always require some adjusting to fit correctly. Sometimes they just drop in, but they are the exception. Even if you bought a Fender p/g for a Fender guitar. It's just the way it is.

I like to use my set of jeweller's files for minor tweaks, and a 1" flat file for areas like the neck joint.
The key is keeping perpendicular to the face while filing.
Alternatively, for the control plate cut-out, a bit of 400 sandpaper wrapped around a 1" wooden dowel works well.

A tip for working with a black p/g, is use masking tape as a guide to mark the edge where you want to stop (like the straight edge of the neck pocket). Black is hard to mark (or at least see) with pencil or texter.

[gpjt]

Thanks, McCreed -- I suspected that pickguard fit might not be a completely standardised thing, but it's certainly good to know for sure that I wasn't just missing something and trying to put it on the wrong way. I don't have any dowel to hand, but my e-cigarette is round and about 2cm in diameter, so that should do nicely for the control plate -- and the masking tape thing sounds like an excellent trick.