Removing a pickguard from a 1968 Gibson SJ Deluxe

[Philip Secrist]

I have a 1968 Gibson SJ Deluxe guitar that has a broken pick guard that the fellow who brought it to me would like replaced. I have been able to get most of the pick guard loose by carefully going around and under it with a small spatula, but it is stuck pretty good around the sound hole and doesn't want to budge. Any suggestions on how to free it?  Would this pick guard have been glued on with hide glue? If so, some heat? Thanks in advance for you help!

[Christian Johnson]

Heat usually works.  Use a hair dryer on low setting.  Don't get it too hot.  It's probably alaphatic resin (tight bond).  Go slow; don't pull up spruce fibers with it.

[Philip Secrist]

Thanks Christian, I go it off with the blow dryer technique. Now I need to glue on a new one? Any suggestions? See above post.  Thanks!

[Philip Secrist]

Well, I got the pick guard off without tearing up too many spruce fibers. Any recommendations on what to use to glue on a new one?  Should I use titebond since it is bare wood and then clamp it flat using an inside and outside caul?

[François Laforge]

Gibson and other manufacturers from that period had the pickguards glued-on directly to the the wood(no finish underneath). They used acetone as the "bonding agent/glue". The soundhole rings usually weld together with the pickguard because the acetone is a solvent for both.

 

 Titebond is good if you're using the original pickguard, taking advantage of all the little wood fibers that might still be attached to the pickguard. If you're making a new pickguard, use the pickguard adhesive sheet from StewMac (item#:4597). If it's bare wood underneath the pickguard, you'll have to seal/finish it.

 

There's two types of pickguards that Gibson used in  the 1960's: celluloid(glued to bare wood) and another thicker material(forgot the name for it) that may or maynot be glued to the bare wood...

 

Post pictures please!

[mike carne]

If it was a '68 the pickguard would have been screwed on.If it's De Luxe it's '71 or after & you may as well use self-adhesive.