mking Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Do/did the original J-45 banner guitars have the fire striped or tortoise pick guards? Do any of you know a good source for the authentic looking fire striped pick guards? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars68 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Do/did the original J-45 banner guitars have the fire striped or tortoise pick guards? Do any of you know a good source for the authentic looking fire striped pick guards? Thanks. The original Banner J-45s had tortoise guards. I have a J-45 from 1942, which was the first year of production. My guitar has its original guard and it's tortoise. Tortoise replaced the earlier firestripe of the J-35 and AJ etc, but as the war progressed, Gibson switched back at times to firestripe. This was probably due to shortages. The absolute best source for authentic looking firestripe guards is here: http://www.firestripepickguards.com I have two of these replicas on modern Gibsons and they look great. One thing to be aware of is that in the old days the guards, which are semi-transparent were applied to bare wood, before the sunburst was sprayed. This look is almost impossible to replicate today by applying the guards on top of the finish. To get as close as possible, I painted the back of my guards, matching the transition in the burst from light to dark. It is a very easy job, if you like that kind of thing. A very crude paint job is all you need, then you apply the adhesiece sheet on top of the paint. You can see one of my guards on the photo page in the link above, a 2007 AJ. Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Hi Mking. What's the status of your top now? Are you getting rid of a guard that's toast or do you have a restored top with no guard? A pick guard free top is a beautiful thing if you have that option. Otherwise, Lars' link is a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 Hi Mking. What's the status of your top now? Are you getting rid of a guard that's toast or do you have a restored top with no guard? A pick guard free top is a beautiful thing if you have that option. Otherwise, Lars' link is a good one. I have a 2007 J-45TV and while the pickguard that came on it isn't ugly, it just doesn't look as authentic as those on the real banner J-45s. So I was wondering if I were to replace it, which would be most accurate. A firestripe or tortoise guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Yep, the early ones were tortoise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 A few years ago I bought a used J45TV that did not have a guard. I found a nice new one and scuffed it up so it would look older. I also reworked the radius around the sound hole before I put it on. I think it turned out nice, I no longer have this guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 A few years ago I bought a used J45TV that did not have a guard. I found a nice new one and scuffed it up so it would look older. I also reworked the radius around the sound hole before I put it on. I think it turned out nice, I no longer have this guitar. Very nice indeed! Now my second thought is, since the pickguard is not positioned as they were back in the day, next to the white ring/rosette and covering part of it, I wonder if the pickguard on it now has left a footprint and a replacement will have to go in the same wrong position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Both -- here is our 43 J-45. Willi Henkes data base shows the distribution. Best, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 A few years ago I bought a used J45TV that did not have a guard. I found a nice new one and scuffed it up so it would look older. I also reworked the radius around the sound hole before I put it on. I think it turned out nice, I no longer have this guitar. This pick guard looks just like the one on my 1947 LG-2. Anyone know where I can get a tortoise guard this good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Guitargal. Nashville! Call robin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 16, 2016 Author Share Posted August 16, 2016 Guitargal. Nashville! Call robin... Do you mean Guitar Gallery in Nashville? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayoubengal1954 Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Do you mean Guitar Gallery in Nashville? Yes, Sal was referring to this place: http://www.guitargal.com/collections/pickguards You may check out this as well: http://www.lmii.com/products/mostly-not-wood/pickguard-material/tor-tis-pickguards/tor-tisj-45 Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mking Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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