I've really grown to like the looks of the one-piece pickguard on these. It kind of reminds me of the 1983 USA Fenders except they were single-ply; at least this is a 3-ply pickguard. This is a really vibey bass in a cool color and very solid construction, too. The finish is clean with no chips and just a few scratches on the back of the bass which I may have already rubbed out by the time you read this. Great tone and no residual noise or scratchy pots. It has a great neck and the frets look virtually brand new as well. At this price and weighing 9 1/2 lbs it won't break your back or the bank! Comes with a decent gig bag.