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Thread: first attempt at a pickguard

  1. #1
    Registered User CeeCee_C's Avatar
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    Default first attempt at a pickguard

    Hi all -

    Here's my first attempt at making my own pickguard. The 'guard itself is ebony. The binding is maple.

    I used two 3/32" alignment pins and a central countersunk 2-56 socket head machine screw.

    All that's left to do is to seal it with shellac.

    It's not perfect, but I'm reasonably happy with the result.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    CeeCee, Self-appointed Supreme Arbiter of All that is Good, Just, and True
    1 Spousal Unit, 4 cats
    1919 Gibson A1, Girouard custom F5, Collings MF, Northfield F5-S, Eastman 815, Eastman 514, Eastman 315, JBovier ELS-VC electric mando

    The difference between theory and practice is smaller in theory than it is in practice. anon

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  3. #2
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    looks great!
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

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  5. #3
    Rush Burkhardt Rush Burkhardt's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    That's a great look, CeeCee_C, and appears to have a sturdy mounting point! Congrats!
    Rush

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  7. #4
    Registered User Denman John's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Just wondering why you drilled 3 holes instead of 2. Did you install the pick guard to hide finish blem?
    ... not all those who wander are lost ...

  8. #5
    Registered User CeeCee_C's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Quote Originally Posted by Denman John View Post
    Just wondering why you drilled 3 holes instead of 2. Did you install the pick guard to hide finish blem?
    The two outer holes are for the alignment pins. The center hole is threaded 2-56 for an allen head machine screw that holds the pickguard to the mandolin
    CeeCee, Self-appointed Supreme Arbiter of All that is Good, Just, and True
    1 Spousal Unit, 4 cats
    1919 Gibson A1, Girouard custom F5, Collings MF, Northfield F5-S, Eastman 815, Eastman 514, Eastman 315, JBovier ELS-VC electric mando

    The difference between theory and practice is smaller in theory than it is in practice. anon

  9. #6

    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Looking good, CeeCee! Very ingenious mounting method! I'm guessing there must be room under your fretboard for a #2-56 threaded insert?

    One thing I thought odd though, why shellac? I've had pretty good luck with sanding the guard to a pretty high grit (1000 or so) and buffing it. Of course, that would require access to a buffing wheel and compound. It turns out pretty good though. I've had people call me to make sure the ebony pickguard I sent them wasn't plastic! The thing about shellac, or any top coat, I see the pickguard as a wear item. Not that it will wear out, but it may need "refreshing" from time to time. Just wondering if shellac would look "scratched" after being flogged by picks or fingernails over time.

    Great job though! Your miters look Spot-On!

  10. #7
    Registered User CeeCee_C's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Thanks, Steve -

    I'm using shellac on Lauri Girouard's recommendation. It's because the binding is maple and not plastic. I want to seal it so that it stays clean.

    and i'm not using a threaded insert. I'd been planning to do so, but some of the older and wiser heads on this forum suggested that the wood was hard enough to tap directly. It seems to hold fine. Of course, one has to fight the temptation to over-tighten.

    As a friend of mine used to say "Tighten it until it gets loose again, then back off half a turn."
    CeeCee, Self-appointed Supreme Arbiter of All that is Good, Just, and True
    1 Spousal Unit, 4 cats
    1919 Gibson A1, Girouard custom F5, Collings MF, Northfield F5-S, Eastman 815, Eastman 514, Eastman 315, JBovier ELS-VC electric mando

    The difference between theory and practice is smaller in theory than it is in practice. anon

  11. #8

    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    That makes sense. Don't worry about the threads not holding. I use #5-40 hardware on our mandolin bridges (the threaded posts) and I tap the bases just like they are a piece of metal, so the posts know where to go when we screw them in place. No failures to date!

  12. #9
    Registered User Mike Conner's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Looks good CeeCee. Good ideas to borrow on the pickguard mounting!

  13. #10

    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    No need to use shellac unless you really have your heart set on it. My preferred method for sealing ebony pickguards (did a few thousand over the years) was tung oil. Just wipe it on with a rag, let it soak in for a minute, and wipe off the excess. Do that twice, and buff it out vigorously with a soft cloth. It will take on a very nice luster and help protect the ebony and maple, and the tung oil will be absorbed better than shellac would. Just my two cents. There's more than one way to skin that cat, as they say. Whichever method you use, be sure to seal up both sides of the pickguard. That will help prevent cupping and twisting down the road.
    If you want it to look nice and glossy ignore my tung-oil advice, and rub some walnut oil on it, then put it on a buffer, if you have access to one. It'll shine up wonderfully.

  14. #11
    Butcherer of Songs Rob Zamites's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Your work is fantastic! I feel like a 10 thumbed dolt when I see the work many do here!
    =============================
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    "Doubt begins only at the last frontiers of what is possible." -- Ambrose Bierce

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  16. #12
    Registered User CeeCee_C's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Rob -

    Thank you.

    I've been making stuff of one variety or another for a very long time. My father was a great role model. He taught me to plan every step in advance, work slowly, stop when I'm tired and as part of stopping when tired, know when to walk away.
    CeeCee, Self-appointed Supreme Arbiter of All that is Good, Just, and True
    1 Spousal Unit, 4 cats
    1919 Gibson A1, Girouard custom F5, Collings MF, Northfield F5-S, Eastman 815, Eastman 514, Eastman 315, JBovier ELS-VC electric mando

    The difference between theory and practice is smaller in theory than it is in practice. anon

  17. #13
    Registered User Rob Grant's Avatar
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    Default Re: first attempt at a pickguard

    Looks good CeeCee. Nice bit of craftspersonship. Why I reckon it looks strong enough to stand on!<G>
    Rob Grant
    FarOutNorthQueensland,Oz
    http://www.grantmandolins.com

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