Jump to content

Shrinking Pickguard on old Yamaha acoustic


Recommended Posts

A friend brought over a great old 70s Yamaha FG-300 yesterday. As you can see the pickguard is shrinking and discoloring the finish, and it's a little grungy. I get the feeling playability is more important but would like to keep it as original as possible.

I don't know what to do, if anything, about the pickguard. I can remove it with a little heat, a spatula, and some patience. Is there finish underneath it? Will the discoloration be underneath it too? I could make a similar one to replace it.

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zD7YMMrgV97Cawh5A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No guaranties, but most likely the discoloration is from exposed adhesive after the pickguard shrank back. And there is very high probability that there is finish under the pickguard and all you have to do is clean off the adhesive--which is likely crystallized. On the down side, sometimes adhesives have solvents in them, that can attack the finish. That will mean the finish will be marred and probably discolored as well. Not a problem if you are going to cover it up with a new pickguard.

You might try using a little mineral spirits and see if you can clean up the exposed adhesive before removing the original guard.

SR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...