Taylor Plug & Play Loaded Pickguards – Introduction
Swapping out pickups has long been a part of electric guitar culture. From humbuckers to single coils, different pickups (and switching positions) give players a range of distinctive tonal flavors, and part of the electric experience is modifying, or “modding,” a guitar to suit one’s personal tastes. The problem is that swapping pickups typically involves soldering, which not everyone feels comfortable doing.
We’ve made it easy. Instead of soldering, Taylor electric pickups use a simple pin-and-socket connector that makes for a true “plug & play” experience. For our SolidBody Classic, we offer seven different loaded pickguard options that allow you to swap out the pickup/pickguard unit in minutes with a Phillips head screwdriver.
We factory-install our Style 1 HD mini humbuckers on all Classic models. From there, each of our seven loaded pickguards features a different pickup configuration. Choose from mini-or full-size HD and HG humbuckers, our noiseless single coils, and hybrid humbucker/single coil options. There are also four different pickguard styles to choose from: black or white pearloid, tortoise shell, and black, allowing you to also change the look of a Classic.
Easy pickup swapping might appeal to someone who plays a variety of styles — maybe a player who gigs in a couple of different bands, like a country/blues band and a hard rock band. He might use the Classic SC (single coil) for one band gig and then swap out for a loaded pickguard with two HG humbuckers to get a crunchier sound for the other. With the loaded pickguards, swapping pickups back and forth is a breeze. It lets you mod your guitar in minutes to give it multiple personalities without having to buy a whole new guitar.