jellybones
Wholenote
Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Dec 4, 2020 18:38:13 GMT -5
How hard is it to pull the pickguard off an acoustic guitar and clean up the wood beneath it so that there's no residue? I am a lefty and looking at a righty Guild acoustic which I would restring and set up lefty. I plan to remove the original pickguard and add a lefty pickguard instead. But before I do, I'd like to know if there are any concerns in doing this. Thanks for the insights.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Dec 4, 2020 21:55:00 GMT -5
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.
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jellybones
Wholenote
Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Dec 5, 2020 0:28:42 GMT -5
Thanks, Geno.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Dec 5, 2020 9:23:22 GMT -5
Cheers!
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Post by Ragtop on Dec 5, 2020 10:50:22 GMT -5
I asked the same question recently on another forum. I was directed to YouTube, as suggested by Peegoo. I found several vids that demonstrated the procedure. A couple were very good, and made it look easy enough with a hair dryer and a couple of simple tools.
The secret, I think, is to take your time. And use the hair dryer to get the p/g warm, not hot.
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jeffscott
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Rickenbacker Guru..............
Posts: 137
Age: GOF
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Post by jeffscott on Dec 5, 2020 21:15:57 GMT -5
How hard is it to pull the pickguard off an acoustic guitar and clean up the wood beneath it so that there's no residue? I am a lefty and looking at a righty Guild acoustic which I would restring and set up lefty. I plan to remove the original pickguard and add a lefty pickguard instead. But before I do, I'd like to know if there are any concerns in doing this. Thanks for the insights. 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.
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jellybones
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Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Dec 5, 2020 22:22:55 GMT -5
Yes, I’m probably going to replace the bridge. Although, in my experience, restringing lefty but using a righty bridge isn’t that big of a deal depending on string gauge.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Dec 6, 2020 8:56:22 GMT -5
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.
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Post by Ragtop on Dec 7, 2020 6:16:32 GMT -5
jellybones, which model Guild is it?
I'm a big Guild fan, would like to know.
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jellybones
Wholenote
Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Dec 7, 2020 8:11:38 GMT -5
Ragtop, probably a 150.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Dec 7, 2020 19:12:47 GMT -5
Dealing with the bridge is going to be a much bigger operation than the pickguard. In our shop, whenever we price it out for people the resulting answer is usually "just buy a lefty". You've got the nut to think about, too.
+1 on everything Peegoo said on the guard part. I would add that procuring a new Guild guard, especially in lefty, could be very difficult. In fact, I wouldn't expect to be able to find one. Getting a generic guard to look right can be hard, too. I've gotten the hang of getting pickguards on just fine, but I've seen it done awfully many, many times. Lots of things to consider, but hte biggest thing is to keep an eye on where the guard sits on the rosette - it should be in perfect "orbit" around the sound hole, or else it will scream "done at home" from 50 yards away.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Dec 7, 2020 22:45:23 GMT -5
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!
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Post by Lefty Rev on Dec 9, 2020 17:14:39 GMT -5
If that's the case, I'd just look for a lefty version (or something similar - several of the GAD/Chinese made Guilds are available as lefties, especially dreadnoughts). You're going to go to a lot of work and still have a guitar with some residual "righty" features, like fretboard dots. I say all this as a fellow lefty player. For this model, I just don't think it's worth it, unless you've played it and it's the best sounding guitar you've ever heard...or you got it for free and have no financial investment yet. Otherwise you're gonna be upside-down in it, having something that will be hard to resell. Only other issues with removing the pickguard would be if it had no finish under it you might accidentally remove wood (I'd assume this model DOES have the gloss finish under it). And, I just removed the pickguard on a satin finished Larrivee using the hair dryer method, and it did remove a little, nickel/quarter size patch of that satin finish.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Dec 10, 2020 17:43:49 GMT -5
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Dec 10, 2020 21:00:24 GMT -5
Looking at those pictures reminded me of something about Guilds - the classic bridge design is asymmetrical. It is taller on the bass side than the treble side, so the saddle reveal above the top of the bridge looks a bit different on Guilds than other guitars. You can see it in the photo gallery with the closeup just behind the bridge. It looks like the treble side is higher than the bass side, but they're likely the same height.
If it were to be filled and rerouted for lefty I suspect that it would work okay, but another point in favor of just buying a lefty out of the gate.
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Bopper
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Motor City USA
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Post by Bopper on Dec 11, 2020 9:45:07 GMT -5
There's always this strategy...
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Post by hushnel on Dec 12, 2020 13:20:10 GMT -5
I took the pick guard off my Martin 00-15 and the 000-15S. I only play them with my fingers. I’d rather see the mahogany than The plastic pick guards. Didn’t have any problem removing them, exactly as Geno described, you can’t tell they ever had pick guards, just lucky I guess. Could have something to do with the mahogany.
I’m kind of grateful that I never had the opportunity to play left handed, I’m as left handed as they come. I was 7 or 8 when I started playing, even though it was guitar I wanted to learn I was started on the violin, in the public school system, I guess it was cheaper than Dad shelling out bucks for private guitar lessons. The Orchestra leader, who dad rented the violin from, explained that right handed instruments are well suited to lefties in that all the fingerboard work is left handed, the relative ease of bowing compared to fingering would make it easier for me. I. Believed it, seemed logical, it still does. When the guitar was played in it’s inception most of the work was done with the right hand at the strings with relatively less work on the fingerboard. Thing change.
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jellybones
Wholenote
Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Dec 13, 2020 18:30:43 GMT -5
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.
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Post by jefe46 on Dec 13, 2020 21:06:07 GMT -5
RONSON LIGHTER FLUID DRIPPED IN BETWEEN THE GUARD AND THE TOP. PULL SLOWLY.
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Post by Ragtop on Jan 3, 2021 18:58:16 GMT -5
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.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jan 3, 2021 22:11:29 GMT -5
Outstanding! Good to hear you took your time.
Operations like these are often boogered up by someone that gets impatient, and they end up kicking themselves for getting in a hurry.
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Post by bluzcat on Jan 19, 2021 10:25:58 GMT -5
Mine curled and lifted on my 25 year old Seagull SM6, so ordered a replacement from them. They no longer have black, so tortoise it was (which I don’t mind). Although it was from the manufacturer there’s still a very slight visible “suntan“ around the periphery as it seems their pick guards have gotten just a bit smaller.
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