Full F-5 Pickguards

[Andrew B. Carlson]

My knuckle marks are getting on my nerves again. I have always like the look of pickguards on f styles too.

In reading through many threads and shopping online, it looks like there are 2 levels of guards in general. I'm wanting a full bound tortoise guard. Darryl's and Cumberlands are both the Cadillacs, at around $150.00 and just gorgeous. I don't really need an exact Loar replica guard though. Then the Mandolin Store and Siminoff have nice looking ones at around $80.00 with minor differences in the hardware.

I'm thinking maybe since I'm not putting it on a high end mando (my KM-1000), I want to go for one of the $80 ones. Any opinions about the two cheaper ones?

Or if someone has a used Cadillac guard....lemme know!

[carolinamark]

A lot of folks like these.
http://www.hillcountrystringworks.com/pickguard2.html

[f5loar]

I put one on my 1000 the cheap one and my 900 and 1500 the Cadillac Brougham. These deserve the full Gibson look IMO. They both do the job but you'll look better in the Cadillac.

[Monrovia]

The Stew-Mac versions are beautiful, and even less expensive.

[f5loar]

I forgot you could still get those. They are nice and at a real nice price to boot! That would be my choice on the 1000. I must ask if you will attempt to put it on yourself? If so you will need 4 hands.

[Andrew B. Carlson]

I've read that it's not recommended to install unless you really know what you're doing. So I'd rather not chance it. You got a pic of your 1000 with the guard? My imagination only goes so far.

[uncle ken]

I installed a CA guard recently, not an easy thing to do. I used a drill press for the holes in the guard. I clamped it to a piece of wood to keep it steady. To drill the holes in the side of the fingerboard, I attached a bit to the end of a dowel rod. You can't get a drill close to that area. I clipped the heads off brass nails to make the pins. It takes some patience and you wouldn't want to screw anything up as it would be an expensive mistake.

[uncle ken]

I installed it low to match the height of the scallop.

[f5loar]

No photos of my 1000 PG but you can see it in action on this youtube video. If you didn't know it was a 1000 you swear it was a newer Gibson MM. I put a Gibson shaped truss rod cover on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-zPwvvvAxs

[evanreilly]

I had Lynn Dudenbostel make me a replica of the A-5 pickguard and install it on my KM-900. Installation is not a D-I-Y project. It took Lynn the better part of two hours to correctly position the pickguard and attach it.

[G. Fisher]

No photos of my 1000 PG but you can see it in action on this youtube video. If you didn't know it was a 1000 you swear it was a newer Gibson MM. I put a Gibson shaped truss rod cover on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-zPwvvvAxs

Which mandolin are you playing on Rawhide?

[mandroid]

Stew Mac has plastic sheet stock too, for the fuller DIY experience..

Hand tools Jeweler's saw and Blades to cut it out..

[Andrew B. Carlson]

For the support piece of hardware that screws into the treble side outer binding, it was tortoise shell color on loars right?

[mandroid]

Cumberland Acoustics made an unbound tort plastic one for my mock tort bound Czech 'F5'
the piece that goes into the rim is also the same stuff..

[Andrew B. Carlson]

Looks like the cheaper ones don't have the tortoise piece on the support bracket. That would have to be remedied. Bright white or shiny black just don't do it for me.