Prewired Split Blade Pickguard
Customizable, Prewired Noiseless Tone
$450
New & Improved Design
Premier Pro Upgrade Available
Our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard is the perfect product for anyone who wants the noiseless Strat tone, instantly. We use the finest materials available: from CTS® Pots, USA-Made Pickguards, and CRL® Switches. With easy installation, you can be sporting a new look and the best tone you can find – all with our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard.
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Our Pickups, Your Personality, No Hum.
Want to learn more about our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features
At Fralin Pickups, we’re always trying to make you sound better. With our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard, you can rest assured that you will have the best sounding pickups available, with the highest quality parts on the market. Customize your pickguard exactly how you want it, and we’ll make it to your specifications. Don’t sweat about installation – it’s super easy to install. All you need to do is solder a few wires, screw it in, string it up, and you’re off rocking!
Look & Sound:
We use the finest-quality USA-made pickguards available. These are standard 11-hole Stratocaster pickguards. This model will fit most Mexican-Made and USA-Made Standard Stratocasters®. We have them available in the following styles and colors:
Available Pickguard Colors
These are the colors available for our Pickguards.
Note: All of our Tremolo Covers (Backplates) are available in these finishes as well.
CHOOSE YOUR PICKUPS
With the Prewired Split Blade pickguard, you can choose any combination of pickups you would like, depending on what sound you are going after. Our most popular sets are calibrated sets – all three of the same output. However, if you wanted a higher-output bridge, you can do that too.
Vintage Output and High Output sounds best on 250K pots. Blues Output and Super High Output work best with 500K pots. We don’t necessarily recommend mixing Blues and Vintage – they will seem sound noticeably different. See below for a handy chart:
Wiring
Customize your pickguard’s wiring by selecting between two powerful wiring options. Select between Fralin Pickups Wiring and Standard Stratocaster® Wiring.
Fralin Pickups Wiring features an intuitive layout: a Master Volume, Master Tone, and a Blender Pot. The Blender Pot delivers incredible versatility by allowing you to combine the Neck and Bridge, for Telecaster-type tones, and more. Fralin Pickups wiring is Lindy’s favorite way to wire a Stratocaster.
Standard Stratocaster Wiring delivers a classic take on the Strat – a Master Volume, Neck & Middle Tone, and a separate Bridge Tone. This wiring allows you to select multiple cap values for a bit more tone versatility.
Custom Requests can be made using the “notes” field.
FAQs
- How long will my Pickguard take? Since we’re building it from scratch, give us about one to two weeks to put it together. We will always try to get it out beforehand.
- Can you wire it up without the Pickguard? As it turns out, No. Simply purchase an inexpensive pickguard, and you can pull out all the wiring once you receive it to put it in your own pickguard. It’s just too time-consuming and unsafe to ship without a solid pickguard holding everything together.
- Can I return my Pickguard? No. Since these are so custom and made to order, all pickguard sales are final, and not available for exchange or return.
- What Pots should I use? Most of the time, 250K Split Shaft pots will work best for guitars with single-coil pickups and plastic knobs. With Vintage Output & High Output Split Blades, you may like 300K pots for additional brightness. If you have metal knobs at home, go with Solid Shaft Pots.
- What if I don’t see exactly what I want? Use the “Notes” field on the checkout screen to type in any special requests. Use this field to describe how you want it wired as well if you want anything customized. We’ll make it to your specs.
- What does a Magic Cap do? Our Magic Cap is a very low capacitance tone cap. It doesn’t roll off highs as much as it seems to boost the mids. This really works well on the bridge pickup only.
- What does a Blender Pot do? Our Blender Pot takes the place of Tone #2, and it allows you to blend between the Neck and Bridge. You can get all 3 pickups on with a Blender pot.
- Why don’t I see Ground Jumper wires between all my parts? Our pickguards have a metal shielding that connects all of the metal parts together, thus we don’t need to use jumper wires.
Installation Instructions
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
Premium parts. Pro results.
Upgrade our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard with the best pots in the industry.
We are thrilled to announce the latest upgrade to our Prewired Lineup: Emerson Custom’s Premier Pro Pots! Our partnership with Emerson Custom guarantees that your next Prewired Pickguard, Control Plate or Harness will feature the highest-quality pots available in the industry.
At Fralin Pickups, we are committed to sourcing the best parts, and when it comes to pots, Emerson Custom’s Premier Pro Pots are the finest we have ever used. These pots boast a sturdy build quality, a custom audio taper, and exceptionally tight tolerances. You can confidently upgrade, knowing that each pot is reliable and built to last a lifetime.
Need Guidance?
Contact our Prewired Craftsman Directly
Builders Love Our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard
These are just some of our talented builders that use our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
46 Genuine Reviews for Prewired Split Blade Pickguard
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Love the noiseless split blade pickups I put into a newer Mexican Strat. I ordered them prewired in a Tortoise pickguard with Lindys blend control. I spoke with Lindy awhile back and he recommended them. Been using his pickups since 1990.
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Easy to install and really gave me the kick of inspiration I needed.
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It is working very well.
The “blend” feature is a smart idea. Perfect experience.
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Wow! Just, wow! I ordered a complete pickguard set up with Vintage Split Blades, Blender pot, and treble bleed circuit, and it sounds incredible! The first time I called, I talked to Lindy, and followed his advice. My Strat has much more volume, balance, fullness, and tone now. I did a side by side with my other Strat that still has the same Fender noiseless pickups this one had, and what a difference. I will be getting a set for my other Strat too. Customer service is excellent. Highly recommend Fralin pickups.
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My new Lindy Fralin pickups have completely transformed my Strat! Honestly, it’s not even close—these are hands down the best sounding, buzz-free option for a Strat. If you’re serious about getting the most out of your guitar, do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time or money on anything else. A lot of people try to save pennies, but in the world of pickups, you really get what you pay for. The Lindy Fralin pickups are the real deal—everything about them just sings. The clarity, depth, and response they provide are like nothing I’ve ever experienced with other pickups. Plus, they deliver on that coveted Strat tone without the usual hum or noise, which is a game changer for anyone who plays in live settings or records often. I absolutely love them and can’t recommend them enough. If you’re looking for that premium, high-quality sound, Lindy Fralin pickups are the only way to go.
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Excellent sound!! Exceptional build quality!!
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NOTES ON COLOR:
- Please note that while we strive to provide the most accurate color representation possible, different computer monitors, manufacturer dye lots, and other circumstances may prevent the color from matching perfectly.
- Since we cannot guarantee color matching, we cannot provide a return to you if you are unhappy with the color matching of our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard.
HARNESSES:
- Our parts and wire lengths are designed to work seamlessly with our Prewired Split Blade Pickguard. Due to various guitar and instrument designs, we cannot guarantee that our parts will fit properly, and due to this, we do not offer Wiring Harnesses.
