Removing a pickguard--how easy?

It's very simple: use a small blow drier on the low heat setting setting to warm up the plastic to soften the adhesive, and gently peel the pickguard off. It's not a fast procedure because you use just enough heat to soften the adhesive--but not so much heat that you damage the existing finish.  You follow with naphtha or mineral spirits to remove any remaining adhesive from the finish.  Any other solvent, e.g., acetone, MEK, etc., will damage the finish.  Look on YT for the procedure.  

Now that that's out of the way...

If looks are important to you, chances are pretty good that there will be a shadow or 'ghost image' of the pickguard in the wood.  Not on the wood, but in the wood.  As wood ages, it darkens as the result of oxidation, UV exposure, and other processes.  Wood that's been beneath a pickguard for more than a year or two will be lighter than the surrounding wood because it has been protected.  It's often called a "sun tan," so if tan lines are your thing, have at it 

This contrast is often quite prominent, even on a guitar that's been stored in its case.  There's nothing you can do to remove the sun tan  because it's simply the result of natural aging of the wood.  It cannot be sanded off or bleached out.  Older guitars (80s and before) exhibit this quite spectacularly because UV inhibitors in guitar clear coats were not in widespread use.   More modern finishes tend to slow the darkening of exposed wood. 

It does, however, fade over time; the fading is actually a darkening of the lighter portion.  It never really catches up, but it does soften the contrast.

Cheers!

Are you also planning on replacing the bridge to allow for lefty stringing (new bridge, bridge plate, refinishing, if necessary, etc.)?  A rightly bridge strung lefty leaves a lot to be desired, IIRC.    I take it a new nut is planned for, too?

Of course, if you are playing Jimi-style, all that doesn't matter.

There's really no need to replace the entire bridge. The thing to do is fill the saddle slot with a matching wood and then rout a new slot for lefty stringing.

It's a pretty simple operation because all you do is mirror the original location of the saddle slot.

Ragtop, probably a 150.

Good point, funkyk.  Matching the arc of the pickguard to the arc of the rosette is critical.

Measure the removed pickguard for thickness and order a sheet of the same material or something really close to it. Use the original pickguard as the pattern for the new one, mirrored of course. 3M makes a super thin, clear film that's double-stick and is the stuff most makers use to hold pickguards on guitars.

When you get the new pickguard shape cut out, carefully polish all cut edges smooth and add a very small "ease" (radius) all the way around the top of the pickguard for a smooth hand feel.   Polish it to a mirror shine with plastic polish.



When all pickguard shaping and polishing is complete, clean the back of the pickguard with iso alcohol and wipe dry.  Peel one side of the adhesive film and carefully apply it to the back of the pickguard, slowly rolling it on and pressing it into place to prevent capturing any air bubbles between the film and the pickguard.

Next, place it on a cutting mat or smooth cutting board and use a sharp X-Acto knife to carefully trim around the pickguard to remove the excess film.

Last step is to clean the guitar surface with iso alcohol, wipe it dry, and peel and stick the pickguard into place.

This all sounds complicated, but if you can color inside the lines, you can do this stuff!

Here's a lefty on Reverb (I have no connection with this sale or seller):

reverb.com/item/35502404-guild-d-150l-left-handed-dreadnought-spruce-rosewood-acoustic-guitar-w-case

Thanks, Lefty Rev Mikey. Maybe I'll jump on that 150L. I have a lefty Larrivee that I love to pieces but it's a cutaway and I want a proper dreadnought. I'm also looking for a lefty SG and have to be judicious on my spend.

I removed the p/g from my Eastman E20P this afternoon. I used a hair dryer, and the p/g came right off; but it left a bunch of adhesive residue behind. So I spent about an hour cleaning it off with Ronson lighter fluid. I was about cross-eyed by the time I was done, despite having both the front and back doors open and a 35 degree breeze blowing through. Gotta be careful with that stuff.

However, the top is clean and shiny, can't tell there was ever a p/g there. I'll send the factory guard to Taylor at Holter Pickguards to use as a template and he'll make me one of his outstanding beveled guards in tortoise. It will dress up this fine little guitar real nice.