I don't
have a workbench as such but will occasionally have to maintain my gear.
I snapped a high-e string & worked out it had been a couple of years since the old Guild had received any kind of TLC. So, off with the old strings & out with the 0000 steel wool, a rag & some fretboard oil...
These days I use Pyramid Bronze Phosphors, .012 - .052...
Almost as good as new but then I realised I really needed to do something about the pickguard. The adhesive had perished underneath the area by the last 2 frets & the guard was starting to lift & buckle. It would also vibrate slightly when I really dug in with my strumming. You can kinda make it out here...
So, I laid clear tape over the area, buffered up to the neck & then very carefully scored a line along the edge, at an angle so I was almost hitting under the guard. Then I carefully lifted the area off the body &, with as steady hand as possible, squeezed a little blob of superglue into the gap. I then carefully massaged it further down with a scalpel so it wouldn't squelch back out of the edge when I pressed it down.
I held it in place for half a minute & then carefully peeled the tape back off...
Pretty nerve-racking stuff as I know how quick drying & permanent superglue is. Any excess residue could have quickly solidified & looked awful. Fortunately it worked out fine.
Nothing mind-blowing & the guard is still unstuck deeper underneath but it no longer lifts up at the edge so should hold tight & remain flat for years to come.
By the way, all the rough white edges have always been like that, along the neck & around the guard. I made sure my light cutting didn't score the finish. I assume this is what 45 year old laquer looks like, possible from very slight shrinkage?
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.
