Anyone cut their own pickguard?

[loudandclear]

I am considering making a custom pickguard for my lakland 4-94 and know that there are a few companies who will make them from templates but a bit unsure about this and considering buying a blank and having a go myself - just wondered if anyone has done this - if so how? what tools did you use? and what were the results?
advice gratefully received
cheers

[neilb]

I wouldnt bother my friend, be more convenient and probably cheaper to get it done. How many plates are you considering cutting? One?

Doesnt justify the grief.

Not only will you need to get nice smooth curves, but you need to get the angle of the cut right to if you want a "chamfered" edge.

You can get a plate cut from a template for about £40-£50 all in. Be a better job too no doubt.

[OldGit]

Jon Shuker does pickguards
[url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/"]http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/[/url]

Also have a look through the spare part suppliers thread
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=248"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=248[/url]

[loudandclear]

thanks neil - I kinda thought that might be the case - it is only for one so I guess ill get drawing then! thanks for the tip on shuker aswell og that may well be the option I take

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I have made a few from white pearloid blanks from brandoni. - I think a blank sheet big enough for a precison or maybe a couple of smaller pgs was around a tenner.

The ones I did were for a '71 fender musicmaster bass (which I had sprayed lilac as it was bought stripped) and a squier mini strat. I drew around the original pg onto the protective film on top of the sheet using a fine permanent marker, then drilled lots of holes closely around the line and for pickups & pots. I used a mini hacksaw to get as close to the line as possible cutting between the holes and then smoothed off the edge and put in a slight bevel where needed with files and abrasive paper. It took ages so what I saved in cash I spent in time, but it was good fun and satifying and my kids know that I made the pgs just for them. If I had the correct tools they would have come out looking less "homemade" I'm sure, but they look OK and suit the instruments.

[The Burpster]

Yep I have done 3 now, its quite time consuming but deeply satisfying looking at the result knowing you have created it!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4324&hl=teaser"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4324&hl=teaser[/url]

[Lfalex v1.1]

Cut 'em with a router with a 45degree bevel bit in it.
Bingo. No need to angle your jigsaw.
Clamp it to a bit of chipboard or MDF on a workmate so it won't skid.
Use a template if need be, and leave the protective sheet on it to prevent scratches from the soleplate.
Good thing about routers is you can set the plunge depth very accurately, and it'll cut through scratchplates like a hot knife through butter!

[loudandclear]

Burpster - nice result looks good - might be tempted after all - how did you do it? falex thanks aswell for the advice

[Bassassin]

Not done a scratchplate yet, but I was rather pleased with my Rick-alike TRC for my Kasuga Rick copy:





4mm acrylic sheet, drew the shape with a fine-point marker onto the protective film & cut out the rough shape with a jigsaw. Then I filed to an accurate shape, removed the film and rounded the top edges with successively smoother grades of sandpaper. Screwholes were drilled ([i]very[/i] carefully - acrylic's quite brittle) with a Dremel type hand tool, and the surface abrasions polished out with metal polish. The logo's just printed onto some thin mirror-finish card.

I'm quite into the idea of making custom scratchplates for some of my odder planks, so I'm considering investing in one of these:

[url="http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=20397&ts=00878"]http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...97&ts=00878[/url]

And this place does generously sized (29x44) 3-ply pearl & plain blanks for not a lot of money:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRIC-GUITAR-SCRATCHPLATE-PICKGUARD-3PLY-UNCUT_W0QQitemZ160163411412"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ELECTRIC-GUITAR-SCRA...emZ160163411412[/url]

I'm visualising my Yamaha SBV500 with a red or blue pearl plate. :wub:

Burpster - your Blazer looks stunning!


Jon.

[The Burpster]

Thank you guys..... It plays better than it looks........

Well worth the investment!!!



L&C---- PM me I'll give you quick break down.....

[Kiwi]

I would really like a customised black scratch plate for my beat up strat - reason being that I don't like the 5 way selector switch. I'd much rather have three on/off switches for the pickups so I can select the bridge humbucker and neck single coil for a funky tele rhythm work AND still keep the out of phase neck and mid coil sound for funky strat soundz.

Would anyone be interested in making me one?

[The Burpster]

Yep but it´ll cost ya.......

[Roger Jeannie Pickguards]

[quote name='loudandclear' post='68335' date='Oct 1 2007, 07:33 PM']I am considering making a custom pickguard for my lakland 4-94 and know that there are a few companies who will make them from templates but a bit unsure about this and considering buying a blank and having a go myself - just wondered if anyone has done this - if so how? what tools did you use? and what were the results?
advice gratefully received
cheers[/quote]

I make lakland Basses pickguards and have a couple custom templates made up.

contact me @ [email protected]

Or look on my ebay store.

[url="http://stores.ebay.com/Jeannie-Pickguards-and-Guitar-Parts_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQdptZ0QQfclZ4QQftidZ2QQsclZ0QQtZkm"]http://stores.ebay.com/Jeannie-Pickguards-...Z2QQsclZ0QQtZkm[/url]

Roger