Pick Guard Material

[Steve Clarkson]

Someone asked me to make a pickguard out of a Tortoise pickguard material. Couldn't find anything very close at Johnsons....but a Google search shows tons of different colors of plastic for pickguards. Are these all PVC? Does anyone have a supplier for these types of plastics that is a little cheaper than what I found on ebay ($25 + $10 shipping for 12"x 9")?

Thanks!

[Jeremy Brown]

yes some pick guards are PVC. I have done alot of pick guards and there is almost no way to tell just by looking at it. I have been told the cheaper made pick guards are all pvc. I have held a PVC and an non PVC one side by side and couldn't tell the difference.

About the only way I found out was doing a light pass on engraving a corner, if it turns orange/tan color, its pvc.

when doing a pick guard, I recommend mounting it to something using the screws that you normally use to attach to the guitar. The tend to bow or curl.




This one is entirely made by me, cut out with the engraver. these are terrible pictures, I know.
I made two, one is just blank and the other has the Gibson logo engraved on it along with Les Paul's signature.

[Rob Patterson]

There is a place called Stewart-MacDonald (google it) that sells guitar building supplies. Not sure if their pickgard material is PVC or not but you can check them out.

[Steve Clarkson]

Thanks Rob!

[Larry Bratton]

Just as a matter of information..regular acrylic Rowmark engraving stock won't work?

[Steve Clarkson]

It will......it's just that they are looking for this specific pattern.....Rowmark is pretty limited once you google all the various pickguard material available out there.

[Jeremy Brown]

you can try these people too
warmoth (google it)

[Steve Clarkson]

Thanks Jeremy.....it seems like alot the material on that site is made out of celluloid.......anyone know if celluloid is laser safe?

[Dee Gallo]

I've engraved on celluloid many times - it works easily and cleanly. Never cut it, though. It can't contain PVC, it's an "all natural" plastic from the 1869, made from cellulose and camphor. The famous tortoise-shell combs were made of this and would make a great pickguard, I would think.

cheers, dee

[Steve Clarkson]

Thanks Dee!

Now I just have to find a source that has it reasonably priced!!!

[Mark Giese]

I was looking through the grizzly catalog and they had some material in the back for pick guards, don't know if it is what you had in mind.