L5 pickguard

[jimmihawk]

Hello all

Has anyone had the pickguard on your L5 disentigrate?I have a 1977 tobaccco sunburst .I am on my second pickguard supplied by gibson .The original one and one they sent me in about 89 and it is junk now.Gibson has agreed to send a new pickguard to any Gibson warranty repair center in Fl. where I live and they can install it.The guy at Gibson- Daryl Mosley is a very nice guy and has went out of his way to help me.The only problem is the 2 centers I have contacted are iffy as to work on a Guitar like that.I told them for God's sake it's only a pickguard replacement .So now I am waiting

for a call from the third center.One would think a Gibon repair guy would be skilled to do any work on a Gibson.Has anyone had similar trouble like this?George Gruhn at Gruhn's guitars in Nashville told me it's called "Gassing ,and to remove the pickguard because it will destroy your gold plating that surround the pick guard.Any info much appreciated.Gibson lists this Guitar for 14,500.00... Yikes. I bought mine new for 1,200.00 in 78. Take care.Jimmy

[L5Larry]

Yes, the off-gassing of old pickguards is typical, but two since '77 seems a little extreme. I have a 1947 L-7 with only slight deterioration of the pickguard, although I did remove and replace it a few years ago.

 

Refitting and replacing the pickguard is about a 30 minute job for someone that knows what they're doing and has done it before. This is not a job for Little Billy down at Guitar Center, who can change a set of string on a pointed headstock guitar in no time. This is a job for a real "luthier", it actually takes an instrument maker to do it properly.

 

Since these guitars are each hand built, the pickup notches aren't even in a exact specific spot, so the notches may have to be modified (that was an issue with the new pickguard on my 1990 L-5, replaced due to autographs, not deterioration). The other, and most important issue is glueing the mounting block for the bracket to the bottom on the guard. You must use the correct glue or it will chemically react with the celluloid (or whatever the plastic is), and almost cause instant deterioration of the guard. I suspect your current replacemnt guard started it's deterioration in this area (am I right).

 

There are also issues with the pickguard fitting properly from the bracket mounting block, across the top of the pickup surrounds, to the spacer at the fingerboard end. Even Gibson seldom gets this right, due to the way they DON"T properly fit the pickup rings (surrounds). But since your job is just a refit, that should not have to be addressed, unless it was wrong from the factory in 1977 (which IS very possible).

 

I would play hardball with Gibson on getting the new pickguard either sent directly to you, or have one of the "authorized" shops inspect your guitar, requisition the part, and then hand it to you for installation by "others". Someone who works on violins or other tradition type stringed instruments would be very qualified for this type of work. There are very gifted and qualified luthiers out there, you just have to search hard.

 

Another option, although completely out-of-pocket, is get a repro pickguard from Allparts (they sell great repro's, better than most Gibson originals, that's what I used on the L-7), and have someone custom fit and mount it to your guitar.

 

I'd be glad to do the job for you, but your in Florida and I'm in Missouri. Good luck, keep us posted.

[sok66]

The nitrocellulose those old guards are made of is very bad about "off-gassing", which means as they age they release corrosive gasses from the plastic. This attacks the gold plated parts, metals, the finishes, etc. It's why some guitars that have been stored away for years an years look so bad when the case finally gets opened. They also shrink as this occurs, which is why so many of them are warped & even crumbling. Best thing to do is get it off the guitar and into a landfill somewhere.

 

There are quite a few outfits that make replacements, but it looks like if you want the real Magilla from Gibson you'll have to play their game. Not sure if they still use nitro or not, hope not.

 

FYI, I found a guy in Ohio, Tony Dudzik, aka "The Pickguardian" who can make virtually any pickguard and can even make one out of the original nitro. Do a google, he's on the web. He did a really nice vintage Strat replacement tortoise guard for me a few years ago.

[jimmihawk]

Hey L5 Larry.. I was born and raised in St.Louis Mo.That is Florissant.Thanks so much for the info.I found a pickguard on a site that looks really good for 75.00 and it does not have the notches yet is the exact same shape and size of the L5. Mine is the kind without the block glued on the underside.Mine has the hole with a screw to a bracket.I think I will buy one and do the nothces and screw hole.George Gruhn has a luthier at his shop that offered to make me one and even yellow the white binding etc. to make it look vintage.He wants 275.00, I will not go that route for sure.

 

I also want to thank You sok66 .I will ask Tony Dudzik about his prices .Chow.

[sok66]

Yes' date=' the off-gassing of old pickguards is typical, but two since '77 seems a little extreme. I have a 1947 L-7 with only slight deterioration of the pickguard, although I did remove and replace it a few years ago.[/quote']

 

JMHO from a bit of observation, the guards that haven't shown as much deterioration are on guitars that don't spend a lot of time inside their cases. Many of the vintage instruments just don't get played and sit sometimes for years at a time without the case ever being opened. It's one of those things where doing the right thing, that is keeping the guitar in its case and not on a stand or hanging on a wall somewhere, works against you. I've seen a few of these guitars that have major hardware, electronics and finish damage from those guards. Vintage Fenders with tortoise guards are also affected.