Pickguards-60's flat-tops.

[mike carne]

I bought a 60's Epiphone Bard 12-string on eBay at Christmas.Only slight fault was the pickguard was lifting.Took it to my friendly neighbourhood luthier,who loved the guitar and suggested(as I expected) double-sided sticky tape.

 But when I lifted it enough to get the tape in place the plastic wrinkled- it looked worse & wouldn't stay stuck down.Anyway,now I have located some sheet torty plastic to change the pickguard on my Epi El Dorado(68 screw on-missing) & would like to change the one on the Bard also.

 I have changed loads of pickguards on newer guitars ,but these older ones were "cemented"to the top and the finish applied afterwards.

 I'm a picker,not a luthier & I'm not looking to refinishing the top or any other costly options-the old guard will obviously be easy to remove & the replacement will not be self-adhesive,so any advice/suggestions welcome.

[Paul Hostetter]

You can use the standard 3M doublestick film to attach the new guard to the wood left exposed by the old guard, as along as it's reasonably smooth. Just make your edges real clean.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Check Frank Ford's website : there's a lot of informations on glued and double-taped pickguards works.

[mike carne]

Thanks-did check it out-took me two goes to find the pickguard section-what gold dust!
And a minefield?

[Paul Hostetter]

Frank Ford has a website?

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

frets.com
Extraordinary.

[Mark McLean]

Terrapin guitars have a big range of replacement pickguards for all sorts of old guitars, or they will custom make them. They are all self-adhesive.
http://www.terrapinguitars.com/pg2009/acoustic/index_acoustics.html
If you want to cut your own then that 3M film like Paul says is the way to go.

[mike carne]

The large sheet of torty plastic was ordered by my local music shop for me .Expensive,but just what I wanted-authentic looking,self-adhesive and protective film.I put a huge pointed pickguard on the el dorado( a la '65 even tho' mine's a '68) & a standard Epi replacement on the Bard.I read Frank's guidelines,but like I wrote,I'm a picker not a Luthier.Funny thing is the Bard turned out better-even though the original guard was cemented onto bare wood.Frank recommended varnishing the bare wood & I think that would have been better if I'd had the right varnish,right brush & more patience!
The Eldorado turned out OK too,but Frank's suggestion of clamping the pickguard for an hour or so would have been good,but I just don't have the equipment.
I'm pleased with the results-neither guitar is a mint collectible-but Frank's advice is sound if you have the gear!