SJ200 Pickguard

[celticbhoy]

Hi everybody - sorry to be a pain in the *** and ask about what is probably an age old question but:

I bought an SJ last year and she's not yet a year old. One of those beautiful intricate flowers on the pickguard has started to lose 'paint' ?? well let's just call it fading...............................I don't abuse it or play that much and I'm gutted to say the least!!! Anyone else had thesame problem?

OK, great guitar and I couldn't part with it, but after paying so much money to finally buy the guitar of my dreams, I find it very disappointing to see obviously superb guitar craftsmanship let down by **** final touches/cosmetics

I know I've read similar complaints from Hummingbird owners. Does anyone at the top take note?

Come on people - don't sit on the fence!

[ksdaddy]

Many of us have had problems with the J200 or Bird guards fading. It's one of those things that just "is". Supposedly the new ones are being made with a different process but a replacement pickguard for the J200 is a couple hundred bucks or more.

 

Flying completely in the face of what the experts have said "not" to do, I layered mine under many MANY layers of lacquer and so far no more fading flowers (or tumbleweeds, or dandelions gone to seed... or whatever they are).

 

[celticbhoy]

Thanks for your reply. I'd probably be pretty nervous but what did you use?

[guitarstrummer]

If you bought it new, it should be covered by warranty. I understand that Gibson has fixed the problem now.

[ksdaddy]

I can't, in good faith, advise anyone to do what I did, but here's the high points:

 

Bought a 1989 J200 with faded flowers. Thought it looked like crap.

 

Bought a NOS newer mustard-dot guard on ebay for $100. Started fading within a month.

 

Bought another NOS guard but the correct style. The person apparently didn't know what they had, since they had a buy it now price of $25.

 

I brushed on about 10 coats of minwax lacquer, letting it sit a couple or three days between coats. I then wet sanded and buffed it. It truly doesn't look any different, I just know it has a coating on it.

 

THEN I put it on the guitar. That was the key, really, I had the luxury of doing it on the bench so the rest of the guitar wasn't jeopardy.

 

I sold the mustard dot guard on ebay for some stupid amount of money, over $200 and almost what a new one would cost. Go figger.

 

It's been well over a year and no weirdness with the lacquer, no chipping or peeling. I can't say it will never happen, but if it does, I'm going tortoise shell next time. Screw the foliage.