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Pickguards


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OK, so I have this project a 450 that I've been working with on and off since, I think, forever. Well now that the weather's cooled down and it's not 100% humidity every day I figure I can finish the clear coat on it and after that all I have left is mounting the electronics.

Don't have a pickguard. oops.

I've got an old 550 pickguard but the mounting holes are wrong. I could get a custom one made, I guess, but I figure it'd be not terribly hard to cut one out myself. So I ask you, suggestions on materials, sources for materials, how the heck do I figure out where to put the mounting holes.

danke

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Well the only solution I can see in order to make sure you get the screw holes drilled through the guard correctly is to mark them on a piece of clear Lexan that is laying on top of the body.

You can get 8x10 sheets of Lexan at Lowe's for under $3

Then lay the old guard directly over the Lexan aligning it to the body and draw out the other features.

Cut it out using a 45 degree router bit around the outside if your going traditional or you can get away with using a scroll table top saw. Be sure to use a lower speed setting since the plastic will melt. If you use the table saw method you can always smooth out the edge's by first sanding them with 320 then 600 and a quick flame polish using a blow torch.

Beware of the torch method you only need to kiss the edge's with the edge of the flame and then only quickly............

If you need regular pick guard material check out this page and let me know what you want, I'll cut you a deal :D

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I'll peruse it when I get off work. I know that Warmoth has some material that would work perfectly. Just a quick glance shows that they've got some stuff I might want, tho. that being said, my old guitar teacher used to cut me deals on WD stuff too (that's how I got the blue PG for my 550) and since I've known him for almost 20 years I have to ask him first. It's a friend thing....

thanks for the tips, tho.

ever try to make a wood pickguard? just curious.

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Yes as a matter of fact I have. I used the veneer I sell and layered it like plywood with the grain runnng different ways. At the time I didn't have a good quality sroll saw so I pretty muched botched the job around the tip pieces (you know where the sharp corners go).

Anyway I know B. Hefner Company makes a fine quality set out of different exotic woods.

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