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Who makes your custom pickguards? I was gonna order a 5-ply from a seller on eBay for my DC Special but it turns out he's a unhelpful dick. Haven't had any luck finding the same type anywhere else. Not gonna pay an arm and a leg for a vintage one that might not match my modern guitar either.

Here's what CyaNitrate suggested to me when I was inquiring about him decorating a pickguard for me in an odd shape. He suggested making my own.

CyaNitrate wrote:If you came up with a shape, like out of cardboard to where it looked how you wanted, you can get pick guard material blanks and make them yourself. Or I could. I've done it a hand full of times, and could pimp the shit out of it! Or you know, just leave it black. But, since you're doing the build, I highly recommend trying your hand at it. I think both stew Mac and guitar fetishist have blanks. Mock it up in cardboard, trace it, cut it out with a coping/jeweler's saw, and then give it a bevel, either with a knife or sandpaper, or both.

CyaNitrate wrote:http://www.guitarfetish.com/Uncut-Pickg ... c_224.html

Cheap too

Hmm, not a bad idea. But, they don't have 5-ply

StewMac has some 5-ply.

Oh, forgot to look there. Just did. One sheet costs as much as a custom guard. This is getting head scratchy now. I'd like to try but I'll be losing money if I don't get it right.

Think Warmoth has blanks as well. Did a pickguard for a Mustang out of one. I'm hardly handy, but managed to do an OK job with the original pickguard as a mold of sorts. Pretty fun work.

http://www.pickguardian.com The did all he guards for my Rics, also they did that silver one for a mustang bass

I just ordered another pickguardian guard. Tony is very helpful. I'd love to DIY but beveling the edges, countersinking the little holes, routing the big holes.. I don't have the quipment for that

http://www.terrapinguitars.com/ is another option.

I want to say that they were good to work with when I had a custom job done for my JM (different outline; I sent them a vector drawing and some money and they sent me a pickguard), but that may have been pickguardian.

Tone-Guard for that brass and aluminum gooooooooooooooood-time feeling.

Pickguard Heaven too maybe?

I got an e-mail back from Pickguardian early this morning. So far he's amenable and affordable. 1 week turn around. Yeah I don't have ANY experience cutting guards, angling edges or countersinking holes and this is going to be my main guitar. Even the original Gibson guard on it has a bad cut, the edges are angled then rolled off and the countersunk screw holes aren't deep enough.

Terraping is a good deal more expensive for the same basic guard from Pickguardian.

Tone Guard is sweet. Not gonna go aluminum but that reminds me I'll have to shield the new pickguard seeing as this is a P90 guitar. EDIT: I do like that Tone-Guard has a template for my pickguard on their website though and it 99% matches the original

I've almost gone with Pickguard Heaven before but having such a convoluted ordering system has me worried. They're just a bit more expensive than Pickguardian though. I was actually looking for them at first but couldn't find their website.

Oh, I also have a friend who got back to me and said he'd cut me one. He's okay at it but his curves get a little jagged sometimes and he said he probably cant get the vintage 30 degree angle...

I cut one for my Yamaha SGV years ago using the original for a template to make another template out of nice plywood. Cut out the plywood with a coping saw and cleaned it up with sandpaper.

Dremel doesn't work well (need something that doesn't get hot so a good laminate trimmer with a router bit). I lined the template up on the guitar and drew lines for pickup placement (as mine were changing, went to a p90 and teisco), got them at the correct angle, and cut them out with a drill and coping saw. Then I used the dremel (which, as I said was a bad idea) and cut a nice bevel. Used 400 and higher sandpaper to clear out the mars and bumps. Looked really nice. Cut like four of them for different combos of pickups. Drilled the holes using the original as a template and took a countersink with depth set to countersink. Gotta be careful with the sandpaper because it will put some scuffs on the front finish. I think I did a 5-ply w-b-w-b-w pearl or something. I also only did the bevel on the outsides. Around the bridge, neck, and pickups were all straight cuts.

Really not as cheap as it could be if someone has the stuff to cut one for your guitar, but this wasn't a common guitar. There wern't as many options back then either.

With no tools, to do it right would cost 200+ and take some trial and error (I got much better at it obviously the more I did it...but I could fit 2 pickguards per sheet if I set it up right).

Personally, if I ever had to do it again, I would go with aluminum or copper or something.

waltdogg wrote:Oh, I also have a friend who got back to me and said he'd cut me one. He's okay at it but his curves get a little jagged sometimes and he said he probably cant get the vintage 30 degree angle...

for DIY with a bevel - what you do is make a template out of something put double stick on the back of your guard stock and cut it out with a router, then switch bits to a chamfer bit and do your bevel… that's about it.

Tools I don't have and money that I could just spend on a properly made replacement. I think I've made my decision. I just need to stop being lazy and go buy an envelope. I'll have Pickguardian cut me one, then after I get the original back with the new guard I'll still send it to my friend just to see what he can do.