20_Gauge Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I took the pickguard off two of my masterbilts with nothing but my fingernail and some gentle tugging. Left a bit of residue but not much. Good deal, mean. I don't think they'll be much issue. In fact when I bought my guitar I had to return the 1st one they sent me because the pickguard was curling up(prob'ly because of heat it encountered during shipping), so I know it can "easily" come off. Update: My Lighter Fluid order/shipment got screwed up somehow. The Amazon retailer I bought it from either packaged it wrong or addressed it wrong, either way USPS has listed it(in the tracking info) as "Undeliverable as addressed" & "dead mail". Workin' on contactin'em & see if I can get a refund. Will just go to Walgreens & get a bottle of Ronsonol, prob'ly what I should have done in the 1st place. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackWater Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Saw the result of a pickguard removal from a Gibson EJ200 by the owner, who had more money than sense, not a pretty sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 Saw the result of a pickguard removal from a Gibson EJ200 by the owner, who had more money than sense, not a pretty sight. Yeah BlackWater, hearin' stories of mod's like this goin' horribly wrong are the reason, that & scrapin' up the $50 to get the new 'guard, I'm kinda hesitating. :unsure: Disastrous results from attempting this might be rare, judging from others who've posted in this thread, but it'd be my luck I'd be the rare exception. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Yeah BlackWater, hearin' stories of mod's like this goin' horribly wrong are the reason, that & scrapin' up the $50 to get the new 'guard, I'm kinda hesitating. :unsure: Disastrous results from attempting this might be rare, judging from others who've posted in this thread, but it'd be my luck I'd be the rare exception. 20 So what's the status? Did you remove the pickguard? Did we talk you through the process for nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 So what's the status? Did you remove the pickguard? Did we talk you through the process for nothing? My mod projects are slow goin', mainly due to cash flow. I'm currently in the process of mod'ing my Worn Dot Studio, waitin' on the inlays I've ordered for it. Y'all's advice won't be go unheeded. I'm still plannin' to swap the 'guards on my EJ, it's just that it's not gonna be done as soon as I hoped. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 Hey y'all, I finally($90 later) got my J-200 style pickguard, it looks awesome(pic attached). It completey covers the original 'guard EXCEPT for an are between the bridge & the soundhole(the new 'guard doesn't wrap back around the 'hole). This is fine w/ me, I like the way it hugs the bottom of the hole. Here's my question before I proceed: when I remove the original pickguard & apply the new one, will the that li'l are that's not covered be noticeable? Does Epi's leave a distinct "tanline"? The surface of my guitar is not bare wood, it has what looks like a gloss over it if that makes a difference. Edit - Sorry, forgot to add the pic. You can see the exposed original 'guard. Thanks 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Hey y'all, I finally($90 later) got my J-200 style pickguard, it looks awesome(pic attached). It completey covers the original 'guard EXCEPT for an are between the bridge & the soundhole(the new 'guard doesn't wrap back around the 'hole. This is fine w/ me, I like the way it hugs the bottom of the hole. Here's my question before I proceed: when I remove the original pickguard & apply the new one, will the that li'l are that's not covered be noticeable? Does Epi's leave a distinct "tanline"? The surface of myguitar is not bare wood, it has what looks like a gloss over it if that makes a difference. Thanks 20 The short answer is that yes, the newly bare area will be noticeable. Just how noticeable depends on the age of the guitar. The older it is, the more noticeable it will be. And the only way to find out is to take the pickguard off. Over time, the exposed area will begin to darken and the difference won't stand out as much. But it will always be there. Again, Frank Ford talks about pick guards and suntans: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Pickguards/PeelGuard/peelguard.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 The short answer is that yes, the newly bare area will be noticeable. Just how noticeable depends on the age of the guitar. The older it is, the more noticeable it will be. And the only way to find out is to take the pickguard off. Over time, the exposed area will begin to darken and the difference won't stand out as much. But it will always be there. Again, Frank Ford talks about pick guards and suntans: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Pickguards/PeelGuard/peelguard.html Thanks for the link, dh. The 2 examples he should were helpful. I believe my guitar is a li'l over a yr old(my memory sucks haha) & the original 'guard is kinda transparent(I can see through it), so I think if it has a tanline it'll be closer to the pic of the 5 month old Taylor. A slight shadow like that in just that li'l area won't boher me, it should blend in in no time. I'm gonna prob'ly take it off tomorrow(or definitely Fri) or at least peel up that end to look at what's there. I haven't got Nahptha yet but can I go ahead & remove the 'guard & then just clean/remove the leftover adhesive when I get some Nahptha or should I wait(to remove the 'guard) until I have Nahptha so I can immediately remove the adhesive? Thanks 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Might as well have the naphtha on hand and do everything in one operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizardb Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Early on in this discussion I saw reference as to whether the finish is Poly or Nitro. My Epi Hummingbird Pro is a Nitro finish. Don't know which is used on various models or when they started using a Nitro finish. Incidently, what brought this up--I ordered a stand, just the black tubular type with foam covers on the metal. Tag said not to use with a guitar with a Nitro finish. There is a chemical reaction between the foam and the finish that destroys the finish. I sent a email to Epiphone and they very quickly confirmed that the Hummingbird Pro had a nito finish. I know this gets a little of this original topic but I thought I would pass it along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Might as well have the naphtha on hand and do everything in one operation. 10-4, dh! 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Early on in this discussion I saw reference as to whether the finish is Poly or Nitro. My Epi Hummingbird Pro is a Nitro finish. Don't know which is used on various models or when they started using a Nitro finish. Incidently, what brought this up--I ordered a stand, just the black tubular type with foam covers on the metal. Tag said not to use with a guitar with a Nitro finish. There is a chemical reaction between the foam and the finish that destroys the finish. I sent a email to Epiphone and they very quickly confirmed that the Hummingbird Pro had a nito finish. I know this gets a little of this original topic but I thought I would pass it along. Thanks for the info, wizard. Well my Epi EJ Artist must have a Poly finish because my guitar is/has been stored on one of those Tubular stands since I got t(over a yr ago) & I haven't noticed any change in the finish on the neck(where itcontacts the foam on the stand). I feel really confident now because it was stated earlier that the Poly finishes ar really tough & hold up well during this process & withstands the heat that's used. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 While a poly finish is fairly hardy, any finish will, over time, react to a stand or a wall hanger if that is where the guitar is kept all the time. That is among the reasons why it is best to keep a guitar in its case when it isn't being played. The foam on most stands will, after awhile, start to soften a nitrocellulose finish. I learned this the hard way. You wind up with wavy, hazy little smudges in the finish where the foam comes into contact with the guitar. It is difficult, time-consuming (and usually expensive) to fix. If you use stands at a gig, sticking the guitar on them for a couple of hours at a time isn't going to do much damage. But if the guitar is kept on a stand 23 hours a day, you'll have problems. Same goes with wall-hangers. If something is rubbing against the finish constantly, it is going to have an impact on the finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 While a poly finish is fairly hardy, any finish will, over time, react to a stand or a wall hanger if that is where the guitar is kept all the time. That is among the reasons why it is best to keep a guitar in its case when it isn't being played. The foam on most stands will, after awhile, start to soften a nitrocellulose finish. I learned this the hard way. You wind up with wavy, hazy little smudges in the finish where the foam comes into contact with the guitar. It is difficult, time-consuming (and usually expensive) to fix. If you use stands at a gig, sticking the guitar on them for a couple of hours at a time isn't going to do much damage. But if the guitar is kept on a stand 23 hours a day, you'll have problems. Same goes with wall-hangers. If something is rubbing against the finish constantly, it is going to have an impact on the finish. Thanks for the info, dh. Hey 1 more thought popped into my head, I don't know if it'll be an issue or not but when I remove my pickguard wil the porion of the rosettes/rings under it be affected/pull up? I don't think this'd be an issue 'cause it looks/feels like they're under the clearcoat finish but I figured it be safe to at least ask to cover all my bases. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 The rosette won't be affected. It is securely glued in. Or should be. You're over-thinking this. Just get the hair dryer and naptha and a clean cloth and take the darn thing off, already.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 The rosette won't be affected. It is securely glued in. Or should be. You're over-thinking this. Just get the hair dryer and naptha and a clean cloth and take the darn thing off, already.... Ok cool, I didn't think it'd be a problem. Guilty . 10-4! 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 Ok finally made it to ACE today & picked up a small bottle of Ronsonol Lighter Fluid(pic attached), is this the stuff? I've looked on the 'net & seen some 5oz bottles of this that states "Contains Light Petroleum Distalletes" & others that say "Contains Nahptha", everything eslse on the labels is the same. I wouldn't think they'd make 2 different formulas, is this just different wording? 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Naptha is a light petroleum distillate. There are several that go by different names, but you'll be ok. Here's the MSDS for the "new" Ronsonol: http://secure.cooperbooth.com/datasheets/160606.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Naptha is a light petroleum distillate. There are several that go by different names, but you'll be ok. Here's the MSDS for the "new" Ronsonol: http://secure.cooperbooth.com/datasheets/160606.pdf Thanks, dh. Yeh, I did some searchin'(after I posted the pic & question) & found this exact MSDS but wasn't sure how current it was. Ok now knowing I have the right stuff, I'm plannin' to knockout this 'guard swap tomorrow 'cause I got a new Acoustic P'up & wanted to install the new 'guard before installing the p'up. Pics to follow. Wish me luck. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 You'll do fine. Just take your time. Don't rush it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 You'll do fine. Just take your time. Don't rush it. Thanks for the vote of confidence, dh! Don't worry I don't think I've ever rushed anything in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Done! Y'all were right, that was a pretty simple process. I don't know why I was so scared, oh wait, yes I do........it's my guitar & I'm altering it. Luckily when I removed the guard & the adhesive(which came off in 1 piece, lucked out there), there was absolutely no discoloration(see pic). Here's the finished product: Looks awesome in my opinion. Couldn't be happier how it turned out. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I'm glad it turned out ok. I've seen many a guitar ruined by amateurs removing a pickguard. (Just kidding....) And the new pickguard looks great, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 I'm glad it turned out ok. I've seen many a guitar ruined by amateurs removing a pickguard. (Just kidding....) And the new pickguard looks great, too. Yeah me too, I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs 'til it actually started comin' up. Thanks, dh. Thanks for all the coaching. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20_Gauge Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Here's a pick of with the new p'up: 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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