What is the best loaded pickguard for Strat? We will help you find the right answer.
Getting a loaded pickguard for Strat is one of the simplest upgrades to change your instrument look drastically. Without altering the original components, you get the opportunity to change tone too. Though a pickguard is not an essential part, many guitar models do not even come with a pickguard while others do.
When you install a pickup of the same family along with a pickguard, do wonder, and you can experience a noticeable change. Here we have meticulously gathered some of the best-loaded pickguards for Strat so you can choose the one as your choice.
The 4 Best Loaded Pickguards for Stratocaster
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fender Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard (Top Pick) | Check Price |
 | KAISH Loaded Strat Pickguard (Close Runner-Up) | Check Price |
 | Musiclily 11-Hole SSS Prewired Loaded Pickguard | Check Price |
 | JIUWU HSH Loaded Pickguard | Check Price |
Fender Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard (Editor’s Choice)
It’s time to customize your guitar tone with Fender’s prewired pickguard made with high-quality components. This pickguard is made in the same factory where other iconic Fender guitars are manufactured. Installation of this pickguard is easy, and you need only to remove the old guard and solder the out jack and ground wires, followed by screwing the new pickguard.
Now you are ready to rock the world with incredible Fender sound. The bridge pickup and the middle pickup are wired to the tone control of the middle pickup, which is appreciable too.
The switch and pots are made of high-quality components, and installation is also simple. It sounds amazing. The controls of this pickguard are perfect and tight. These controls make its use simple. You can go with this product if you want easy to install a pickguard. Now you can remove your old pickguard, and you are all set to enjoy fantastic sound in no time.
What you get here is a clear and loud-sounding pickup with the richness and body of high-quality pickups. Unlike cheap options, you will not have hum or extraneous buzz and do not lack output power. It retains the uniqueness of design, and it is one of the best ways to get a leap in sound without an extra burden on the pocket. If you want to upgrade a quality Strat guitar, it is one of the premium options on this list.
Your favorite may not give you the best value or versatility, but this pickguard will not disappoint you. These are clear, crisp, and give you real bite and attack.
KAISH Loaded Strat Pickguard
Kaish loaded Strat pickguard has a protective plastic film that can be peeled off. This pickguard fits perfectly on American and Mexican Standard Fender Strats. It features a 5-way switch and 250K pots. Staggered pole piece pickups are high-quality vintage warm with Alnico 5 magnets and sound bright. This pickguard is sturdy and three-ply that are durable. It is simple to install as screw holes line up and align very well.
This pickguard works tremendously, and your guitar sounds similar as it should be. Everything fits perfectly with a tight and smooth fit around the neck. All the electronics work perfectly, and it is just a dropped in. This pickguard will make you happy, and this is a deal as it cost less than other pickguards in this category.
The pickguard is very well assembled with superb components and wiring. It will indeed become your favorite Strat-style guitars. The hole lines up, and it is perfectly lined up with bridge, neck, and routing. It is hard to get anything like this for this money and even more money. This is nice-sounding and bright with some dirt when required. It is extremely clear on an amp, too, that gets muddy, specifically in the midrange. This purchase will make you happy for sure.
Musiclily 11-Hole SSS Prewired Loaded Pickguard
Musiclily 11 Hole SSS prewired loaded pickup is made for American/Mexico standard Fender Strat, and it is a perfect replacement and upgrade option. 11 Hole prewired loaded pickguard features large back shielding, and it is a Strat-style pickguard. It includes pickguard screws and is installed in standard pickups. This component looks impressive, and you will get what you pay. This makes your Strat loud and sounds fantastic.
The hardware seems good and sounds clean. The volume, 5 way, and tone pots work fine and get crunchy clicks. You can get the pickups to play quietly, and sounds terrific. This pre-loaded pickguard perfectly replaces single-coil pickups and other electronics too. They sound great and are easy to install. You will like the middle pickup tone, and the controls are very responsive and give a real sound difference.
Hum is reduced, and the clean tone is warm and nice. It can be bright on the bridge pickup, which is a little higher. The quality is outstanding given the price, and the soldering and wiring are very neat. The pickguard looks unique and neatly cut and protected by a film.
JIUWU HSH Loaded Pickguard
JIUWU HSH loaded pickguard is a clean wired harness and sounds excellent. Volume and time knobs are noiseless, smooth, and effective. The tone seems to be perfect, with incredible harmonic overtones. The single-coil sounds impressive on the disco, similar to Dm chords. The humbuckers are clear and crisp. The response is good and lies between Ibanez stock ceramic pickup and Alnico 2 Pro. These are easy to install, and you may have to make use of new screw holes.
For easy soldering, leads are pre-tinned, and you have to make sure that the guitar cavity is shielded. At this price, this is much better. This loaded pickguard makes Strat sounds incredible. These are ceramic pickups and sound closer to alnico pickups.
It’s an occasional high-pitched note where you get this ceramic. Its incredible sound will mesmerize you.
The neck humbucker booms. Positions 2 and 4 have a middle position Strat sound.
The wiring is excellent. Soldering three connections does not take too long. In terms of money, you cannot beat this product. The humbucker mounting screws are big enough, and you can replace them with standard mounting screws. You will be surprised with these great-sounding pickups with a clean wired harness. At this low price, you cannot get this type of quality product. The neck position will surprise you with bluesy, deep, and full of tone.
How to Install a Loaded Pickguard?
Here we are giving you the procedure so you can easily install a loaded pickguard. Start this procedure by opening the box, and you can find a loaded pickguard with all goods along with an instruction sheet for installation. You can also see the well-wired setup.
First of all, take the existing pickguard off, and this is easy and nice with a six-hole Strat Bridge. A floating bridge helps to remove the tremolo springs, and losing the strings is also easy. Of course, you have to loosen the strings if it is set against the body. Now remove all the screws that hold the pickguard and lift the pickguard carefully away from the guitar’s body.
Maybe the wire length is not much that run to output jack, so better you remove the jack plate and de-solder the wire there before removing the pickguard. If your guitar has body ground wires, then de-solder the bridge and wires from the volume pot back. Now the pickguard must come away from the guitar.
Now get the loaded new pickguard and solder the body ground wire and the bridge to the volume pot back. Next, run the white and blackjack wires, and you have to connect these wires to the sleeve lugs and the tip on the output jack.
Now place the output jack plate and the pickguard back in their respective spots and screw in all the screws. Finally, place the bridge springs again in place, and once you tune up your instrument and get ready to rock the world.
It takes fifteen minutes to upgrade the Strat sound and replace switches and the pots with only quality parts. After that, you only need a screwdriver, solder and soldering iron, and something to place your bridge springs back. Most of the models of loaded pickguards are simple to install.
Thus, if you have a Strat with pickups that you do not like anymore and electronics that you might feel are not up to the mark, you do not have to think anymore as new models of loaded pickguards will help you out.
Best Strat Loaded Pickguard: Final Thoughts
When it comes to tone output, pickguards are overlooked by many people. However, the fact is that installing a set of new pickups on your instrument can change the guitar tone drastically. If you lack experience, then installation of new pickups is problematic.
The advantage of getting a prewired pickguard is that it comes with tone pots, a switching system, and volume. But, also, you need to get the one that keeps your guitar protected. From our list, our favorite is Fender Prewired Stratocaster Pickguard, as it is simple to install and the controls are tight and smooth.