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Thread: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

  1. #1
    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Does anyone know where to buy tortoise celluloid material to make a Gibson style mandolin pick guard-like the teens-20's type. I looked at the stuff at Stew mac but its to thin.

    Thanks
    Michael Lettieri

  2. #2
    Mandogenerator Mike Black's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style


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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Isn't there a better material they should be making this stuff out of now instead of celluloid?
    PJ Doland
    1923 Gibson Snakehead A

  4. #4

    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Quote Originally Posted by pjdoland View Post
    Isn't there a better material they should be making this stuff out of now instead of celluloid?
    For an attached pickguard it's not really a big deal to replace it when it inevitably disintegrates. Obviously gluing it onto a flattop guitar is a bad idea since they tend to shrink and rip the top apart (worst case).

    Stew-Mac has some "tortoloid" resin sheets that look... eh, kinda weird.

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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Most often i use a piece of acrylic (plexiglas) as the structure of the guard and cover it with thinner "tortoloid" material. Acrylic is available in many thicknesses.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    For an attached pickguard it's not really a big deal to replace it when it inevitably disintegrates.
    Celluloid doesn't have to "inevitable" disintegrate. I won't say it can last for eternity, but there's 100-year-old celluloid out there that's in fine shape, and also 30 year-old celluloid that's turning to powder. It depends on how well made it was originally. They added camphor to stabilize it, and I suspect some batches didn't get enough camphor.
    Steve

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    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Thanks for the replies, as luck would have it I found a nice vintage celluloid tray with an outstanding Tort pattern to it, its got the right thickness too.
    Michael Lettieri

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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    And that tray is worth $1200 to a collector on ebay.

  9. #9
    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Quote Originally Posted by Rroyd View Post
    And that tray is worth $1200 to a collector on ebay.
    Nope.only $15.00 and no Hazmat fees
    Michael Lettieri

  10. #10

    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Along with camphor and the quality of the camphor, one of the primary reasons that some celluloid plastic deteriorates and others don't is based on the manufacturing process. It used to be that the manufacturers wouldn't change out their water baths after every batch so each batch after the first one ended up having contaminants in it which promotes the deterioration. Modern day celluloid is manufactured under better control systems as well as the addition of stabilizers that increases the lifespan. I doubt you'll see the amount of deterioration of today's product in 90 years that we are seeing today.

  11. #11
    Registered User amowry's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Here's Bill tortoise. Nice stuff!
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    Registered User tnt2002's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Hi,
    I recently aquired a Gibby A with a pickguard that is deteriorating, the hardware is fine though and I've been thinking about replacing the pickguard (with the original clamp)

    Am I better off purchasing one the the blanks from axinc and trying to cut it myself, or is there a sutiable replacement? If I do it
    myself, how would I cut and shape it? I worry about using my dremmel, and it geting to hot (I hear nitrocellulose is very flammible)

    Tom

  13. #13
    Registered User Dan Cole's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Check out Cumberland Acoustic. Thier pick guards are great.
    Go Vandals!

  14. #14
    Registered User MANDOLINMYSTER's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    I plan I cutting mine celluloid material by hand with a coping saw, then finish sand, scrape, polish the edges.

    Cumberland does make great pick guards, but I enjoy the challenge of crafting things.
    Michael Lettieri

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    Café habitué Paul Hostetter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Darryl Wolfe makes really nice repro Gibson guards, the unbound ones and so on, mostly stuff that Cumberland doesn't make.

    Isn't there a better material they should be making this stuff out of now instead of celluloid?
    Not if you want to preserve the vintage look.

    BTW, I have quite modern, high quality tortoise celluloid that's gone to pieces just sitting there, in less than five years. Often acetone glues will set them off quickly, but these were virgin pieces from a well-known industrial supplier in New England.
    .
    ph

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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Paul, was that Deep River?

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    Café habitué Paul Hostetter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    No, it was Delmar. Deep River was really interesting! Too bad they evaporated!
    .
    ph

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  18. #18

    Default Re: Source for pick guard material- Gibson style

    Not to hijack the thread, but as I understand it there isn't any celluloid manufacturing in the US anymore. All the material is being bought in block form from China and being processed in the US including Delmar. There used to be a fair amount of manufacturing in Italy but it has since gone to a province in China. I put it in the same category as hockey pucks. A product that is so nasty to manufacture that you don't want it being done in your own backyard.

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