J-45 Pickguard Replacement

[Wilco]

I have a 2014 J-45 that I purchased brand new, and would like to change the pickguard. There are a few reasons for this: 1. It's not installed in the proper position, in my opinion. It covers the entire side of the rosette. 2. I feel that it's a bit too small for my liking anyway, and would like to replace it with the 50s style "batwing" guard. 3. The batwing looks cool as hell.

 

First off, would this void the warranty if I did it myself? Secondly, I've read and seen a number of ways to remove a pickguard – some people apply heat and pry it off with a thin palette blade. I've also read about soaking uncoated dental floss in naphtha (lighter fluid), and working it underneath the pickguard. This seems like the safest way to do it from my standpoint, as it would be my first time in doing this procedure.

 

Any thoughts on removal and warranty issues?

[Boyd]

You might find this discussion of pick guards interesting: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/124095-batwing-for-j-4550-of-appropriate-era-does-not-fit-j-15

[CAMELEYE]

I used naptha (lighter fluid) and many Q-tips.

Then, when it's off, I continued with the naptha on some paper towels to clean up any residual glue on the back of the guard and on the top where the guard was.

The original guard may be a bit curled at this point so it can be flattened by ironing under a piece of cardboard (watch the heat settings on the iron!)

Lots of uses for the old guard ... on a beater, given to a friend ...

Good luck, it's not really very difficult.

[Wilco]

I take it that you used many Q-Tips because you kept soaking them and applying to the pickguard underside glue little by little as it's raised up? What did you use to get under it, and raise it initially? Thanks for the tips...yes, I'll try this myself too.

[jrplefty]

I have removed a couple of pickguards and what has worked for me is the combined us of a hair dryer and dental floss. I use the hair dryer for directed heat and the dental floss as a scraper. I believe I used the medium setting on said hair dryer. Afterwards cleaned the top with naptha to remove the little bit of remaining residue.

 

To answer your first question, I'm not sure how this affects the warranty if at all.

 

Best of luck and enjoy the batwing

 

JRP

[blindboygrunt]

Soak floss in naptha.

Saw it back and forth.

 

TA DA!

[62burst]

These are good to combine with a string change. With the strings off, small towels can be placed in the soundhole, and the lid from a suitably sized jar can be filled with a small amount of naphtha and rested on the towels. This makes it easy to keep the floss soaked with the naphtha. Keep the pickguard as flat/low as possible when working; it will surprise you how thin the 'guard is.

 

If not enough patience is used, a tear in the adhesive film may occur during removal of the backing tape. This will cause a bubble when the guard is set in place. Buy an extra or 2 just in case. 3M adhesive sheets will cost much less on eBay than from StewMac.

 

When you go to set the guard in it's new position, you have one chance to get it right. (Even though you can lightly hover over the top to finesse it's location before final placement. There are different approaches (tricks) to getting the guard in the desired position: the "hinge" method, where a hinge is made using tape to locate one side of the p/g, then flopping over against the rosette. I had tried making a cutout (white paper in pic) from tracing the guard, but ultimately just marked some of the important points I wanted to locate with masking tape. 'Also made handles/ loops with tape to put my fingers through to hold the guard as it was being lowered into place:

 

 

Some need to/want to change the contour to match the rosette; some are closer than others, some (esp sunburst owners) say "good enough". Contour differences would stand out more on a natural top.

 

Good luck.

[Wilco]

Thanks for all of the replies here...very helpful. I'll proceed with the floss/naphtha solution accordingly.

[CAMELEYE]

Yes, Wilco, many, many Q-tips.

I get started by letting some naptha soak from a Q-tip under the leading edge of the pointed end of the guard, near the fingerboard.

That allows me to get a fingernail under the edge and pry the guard up just enough to get more naptha into and under the guard at that point.

Then while applying slight upward pressure on the lifting guard, gradually the Q-tips can be inserted under the guard and the whole process moves along slowly from there.

I'm with 62burst on the "hinge" method of applying the new guard. If you go with a longish batwing, you may need two hinges.

[Dave F]

I picked up a guitar a couple years ago that did not have a pick guard.

 

When I added one, I measured the rosette ring, turned a ring slightly undersize to accommodate the sticky backed emery cloth then resized the radius of the guard.

 

I thing it fits perfectly even though I have never considered myself concerned with that.

 

As shown at the bottom, my J200 Custom looks like the pick guard was machined right through the design to fit the ring. That's the way it came from the factory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[62burst]

Geez, Dave. What kitchen would be complete without a lathe?

 

Nice job on the True Vintage. Someone saved you the trouble of getting the old pickguard off of the top, as the TV's seem to have the 'guard sitting on the rosette. But where did you get that replacement p/g? Looks factory.

 

As far as the OP's question about jeopardizing the warranty- the answer that is usually given here on the forum would say that the claim would only be denied if your modification has a direct impact on the issue in question.

 

One thing about the batwing-type guard; since it comes up against the fretboard extension, placement is going to be easier, just get the thing centered over the rosette/soundhole:

 

 

 

"You call that a batwing?"