Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard Install Guide

Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard Install Guide

April 1, 2026
May 28th, 2026
3 Minutes

Installation of our Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard is a breeze, and most can handle it with basic soldering skills. If you are uncomfortable with soldering or working on a guitar, take the pickguard and your guitar to a local, experienced luthier for installation.

Installation Overview:

Remove your existing strings, pickguard, and output jack (if replacing), and replace with a new Pickguard and Output Jack. Test the installation with a “tap test” by tapping on the pickups while plugged into your amp on low volume to make sure the installation was successful before stringing your guitar.

Tools Needed

Soldering Iron & Solder (We use Kester 60/40)
Phillips head screwdriver (For removing pickguard, backplate, and output jack mount)
Wire cutters (for trimming excess wire, if needed)
1/2″ Hex Nut Driver (for uninstalling and installing the output jack)

Step 1: Remove Strings and Prep For Installation

Perform the following steps to get started:

Remove the strings from your instrument
Optional: Unscrew the tremolo cover and save all screws in a safe place – See note below
Unscrew the Jack Mount plate to expose the output jack
Use the 1/2″ Hex Nut Driver to unscrew the hex nut while holding the output jack from the back to uninstall the output jack from the plate
Unsolder the leads connecting the output jack (if replacing the jack, simply snip the leads off)

Step 2: Uninstall the existing pickguard

Next, simply unscrew all pickguard screws and put in a safe place. The pickguard should wiggle free and lift out of the guitar.

The Tremolo Claw ground is still attached to the pickguard. Do not pull the pickguard out forcefully. Identify where this wire is, as well as any other wires that may be connected to the electronics.

These are generally Ground connections.

Cut or unsolder any of the ground connections holding the pickguard in the guitar. You will need to solder these connections back on the new pickguard.

If you have enough slack in the Ground wire from the Tremolo Claw, it may be easier to simply unsolder / snip the ground connection off at the Volume Pot than running a new Ground connection to the Tremolo Claw.

We give you a second Ground wire to ground the tremolo claw. You may snip this wire off and save it if reusing your existing Tremolo ground.

With all the Ground connections removed from the pickguard, you may now remove the existing pickguard from your guitar.

Step 3: Install your new pickguard

With the old pickguard out of the way, we can now proceed to install the new pickguard! It’s a good idea to lay the pickguard down to make sure everything fits and the holes line up. If the mounting holes do not line up, mark the new location and drill a 1/16″ pilot hole for the new screw location. This is a simple, non-invasive way to make sure the new pickguard fits perfectly.

Here’s how to wire up the new pickguard:

Prewired Strat Pickguard Installation Guide — Each pickguard comes with **One White** and **Two Black Wires**. Here’s where they go. The Black Wires can go either place as they are simple ground connections.

If you chose to keep the existing String Claw ground, you don’t need to run that ground wire to the claw. Simply solder your old String Claw ground to the casing of the volume pot, and clip the Black wire off the pot.

Install the Jack to the Jack Plate, wire it up, screw everything back in, and plug the guitar in before stringing it up to make sure everything works.

If, while testing, you experience no sound, stop. Contact Us with photos of the installation so we can take a look and see what went wrong. Do not spend money on a luthier or tech without contacting us first.

Final Step: Adjust Pickup Heights

Finally, adjust the height of your pickups to the appropriate height. We have a whole guide for you to follow here. Here’s a cheat sheet to get it up and running quickly:

Correct Pickup Height Starting Point When Holding E Strings down at Highest Fret