Adventures in metal pickguards

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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smjenkins
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Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by smjenkins » Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:20 pm

I've always wanted a brown metal pickguard. I don't know why. For some reason the guards on desert sand Duo Sonics were brown in my head.

But then I look up pictures and it's a white guard and brown pickup covers, kinda like this.

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But that color scheme and the idea of getting a brown guard never really left my imagination. Through some amalgamation of data collection / privacy violation, Amazon decided to show me these cheap anodized JM guards and a lightbulb went off: I could get a few of these guards and powdercoat them brown.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W6 ... UTF8&psc=1

The guards finally showed up and it turns out they are a bang on hole-for-hole match for US JM guards. I then found a place online that would powdercoat them in any color from prismatic's selection for pretty cheap. So a few weeks later, at a total cost of about $70 / custom colored aluminum guard, I had this (shown with the anodized gold guard from my Japanese heritage JM).

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Here's a few before and after shots of two guitars I've put them on. I'm really excited about how these turned out. I'm not sure where the dark red guard will go yet.

Japanese Heritage JM
Before:
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After:
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Warmoth Partsmaster
Before:
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After:
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adamrobertt
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by adamrobertt » Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:16 pm

I love this. These look great!

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marqueemoon
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by marqueemoon » Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:14 pm

Nice! Now do a hammertone one. :freako:

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adamrobertt
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by adamrobertt » Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:25 pm

marqueemoon wrote:
Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:14 pm
Nice! Now do a hammertone one. :freako:
mmm that's a good idea

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rank
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by rank » Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:23 pm

This is giving me ideas...
We are merely moving shadows.

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smjenkins
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by smjenkins » Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:29 pm

adamrobertt wrote:
Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:25 pm
marqueemoon wrote:
Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:14 pm
Nice! Now do a hammertone one. :freako:
mmm that's a good idea
Damn. That is a good idea. Off to the prismatic site for research...

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Flurko
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by Flurko » Sun Feb 14, 2021 8:53 am

That's great ! I didnt think of brown anodized alu on my own transparent off-white jazzmaster, but this looks killer.

I also got an aluminum pickguard from ebay, I paid around 12€ + shipping for a silver colored one, it seems to fit american specs, I had to redrill some holes on my CIJ body but now it's done and I'm pretty happy with it.

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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by algeriet » Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:38 am

I absolutely love this. I'm going through a phase where I'm really into brown details on early pre-CBS Fenders. Creston Lee does a lot of brown details on his guitars. Really loved how this turned out. Where does one even take one's pickguards to?

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MKR
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by MKR » Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:43 am

that warmoth jazzmaster in the desert sand..... wow. such a nice looking guitar. :?

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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by smjenkins » Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:25 am

algeriet wrote:
Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:38 am
I absolutely love this. I'm going through a phase where I'm really into brown details on early pre-CBS Fenders. Creston Lee does a lot of brown details on his guitars. Really loved how this turned out. Where does one even take one's pickguards to?
I used Mail Order Powdercoating. Super fast turnaround and great communication. There's a local powdercoater I've used before for other stuff in Seattle, but they are considerably more expensive. Over 2x more.

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smjenkins
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by smjenkins » Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:27 am

MKR wrote:
Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:43 am
that warmoth jazzmaster in the desert sand..... wow. such a nice looking guitar. :?
Thanks. :) That was my first JM and now it's my favorite looking one.

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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by BTL » Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:37 am

I have never been a fan of plastic pickguards, but powder-coated aluminum? That's a guard of a different color!
Owner, Lowe Custom Guitars

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algeriet
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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by algeriet » Thu Feb 18, 2021 12:43 pm

smjenkins wrote:
Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:25 am
I used Mail Order Powdercoating. Super fast turnaround and great communication. There's a local powdercoater I've used before for other stuff in Seattle, but they are considerably more expensive. Over 2x more.

Thanks! I wonder how it'll look in time with wear from playing. Post updates!

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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by DeathJag » Thu Feb 18, 2021 12:50 pm

Yow! That guitar is beeee-yutifhaaaal! I have a pair of shoes with a similar color two tone. Sooooo awesome and unique! Never seen those two colors together on a guitar.

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Re: Adventures in metal pickguards

Post by smjenkins » Sun Mar 14, 2021 5:55 pm

So it turns out I wasn't dreaming my initial brown pickguard on white guitar idea! I saw a Duo Sonic like this in the Golden Age book today. This one is currently for sale at Mike & Mike's and is priced like they price everything.

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