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#1
11-29-2020, 06:19 PM
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Tips for Removing a Pickguard?
I've removed one, from a 40-year old Yairi, and it didn't go perfectly. I pulled some wood fibers off along with the pickguard. That was a poly finish.
Now I've got a 2019 Eastman E20P, and am thinking about swapping out the factory p/g with a nice Holter custom tortoise p/g. The factory p/g is actually pretty decent, but you can't beat a Holter. And this one has a 2-year old nitro finish. Got any tips for me? I've got a can of Ronson lighter fluid and my wife might loan me her hair dryer. Thanks!
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2002 Martin OM-18V 2012 Collings CJ Mh SS SB 2013 Taylor 516 Custom 
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#2
11-29-2020, 07:03 PM
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Many people recommend lighter fluid. I have removed quite a few with a hair dryer, but you have to be careful about using too much heat. Good luck.
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#3
11-29-2020, 07:06 PM
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Quote:
I use a hairdryer, and an old credit card. I warm up an area at the edge and slowly work the credit card under the guard. The key word is slow. Try not to over heat any given area of the surrounding wood - at least be mindful of the heat on the wood. After the guard is off use the lighter fluid to clean up the residue.
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Barry My SoundCloud page Avalon L-320C, Guild D-120, Martin D-16GT, McIlroy A20, Pellerin SJ CW Cordobas - C5, Fusion 12 Orchestra, C12, Stage Traditional Alvarez AP66SB, Seagull Folk Aria {Johann Logy}:
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#4
11-29-2020, 07:25 PM
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I've used a hair dryer and dental floss with good result. Then naphtha to get any residual glue off. Since the new pick guard will go over where you took the old one off, generally you don't have to be absolutely perfect.
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Mike Current Inventory: Martin 000-18 - Golden Era Martin 000-42 Martin D Jr. Martin 000-15SM Bourgeois JOM M J Franks 000
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#5
11-29-2020, 07:38 PM
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Quote:
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“The tapestry of life is more important than a single thread.” R. Daneel Olivaw in I. Asimov's Robots and Empire.
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#8
11-30-2020, 01:00 PM
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How worried to I have to be about that nitro finish getting too warm?
The guitar is a 2019, so I can assume it was finished 1 to 2 years ago. Has that nitro pretty much cured by now?
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2002 Martin OM-18V 2012 Collings CJ Mh SS SB 2013 Taylor 516 Custom
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#9
11-30-2020, 05:10 PM
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I've changed several pick guards, including many Eastman guitars. The key is to go slow and don't force anything. I use the hair dryer and dental floss method and never had any issues. The newer guards from Eastman seem to use a lot more glue, so it seems to take longer, leave more glue for cleanup, etc.
I haven't had any concerns with the Nitro getting overheated. I think the common concern is that the bracing glue could get loose, if overheated. I heat in a fanning motion for a little bit, work a small section, let things cool a bit... and keep repeating. I start at the neck side of the guard and work back parallel to the wood grain until I get close to the end. And then, I work perpendicular to the wood grain, so the end doesn't "rip" off any wood, when it lets go at the end.
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"It's only castles burning." - Neil Young
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#10
12-04-2020, 07:53 PM
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On the Eastman I did the pickguard swap on I used the hairdryer method, sweeping it. I didn't use any dental floss. I just put a guitar pick under the corner to get it started and pulled with one hand and swept with the hair dryer with the other. If I was pulling too hard on the pickguard the whole guitar would lift up so I let gravity do the work. It came up pretty easy for me, although the guitar was pretty new.
The worst part was after it was off. For several minutes I wondered if I'd made a big mistake. I had so much glue left over it took about 30 minutes of goo gone and napatha to get the glue off the top.
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