Cutting a pickguard... Advice?

[skullfxr]

I need to hog a SSS for HSS on a old charvel. I don't want to pay $60 from greasygroove. Has anybody done it with success? Advice? It will be getting HSS EMG's that I have sitting around.

 

[napalmdeath]

Tedious, to say the least. I gotta think there's cheaper ones out there, already cut. Try Ebay and Reverb.

 

[SpiderWars]

I've only enlarged pickup rings/holes and I drew the outline using Sharpie and sanded the last bit to get it perfect and and straight. You can cut the bulk of the center portion with a Dremel cutting wheel just leave plenty for sanding. Then rubbing alcohol to remove the Sharpie (use silver Sharpie if pickguard is black).

 

[GreatRedDragon]

Have you looked at Dragonfire?

 

[mnemonic]

Depends what tools you have access to. I’ve done it with a jigsaw a couple times but lines are never that straight. A coping saw would probably work if you don’t have or don’t want to use power tools, then clean it up with a file and then sandpaper.

To get the best results a router with a template bit works great. I did the below with a router, and clamped some pieces of plywood to the workbench to act as a template.

https://i.ibb.co/ScsnjfQ/76-AAF95-B-B15 ... 2-AF63.jpg

I wanted it tight, but my router bit left the corners too round, so I sharpened them up a bit with a small sanding drum on a power drill (clamped the drill to the table so I could move the pickguard around it). Since that bit was free-hand it kinda looks it...

The hardest part is marking out the cut-out on the pickguard, getting it the right size and perfectly centered under the strings is important. You don’t want a crooked pickup route.

 

[skullfxr]

I have any tools I need baring a CNC. loll

The problem is the pattern for that guitar they don't have and that's why it's $60+ and I was quoted that by the guy at greasygroove. Its an early 80*s Charvel. And I actually like the color as is.

I think I will drill the corners and cut the middle and finish with a file and sand paper

 

[cardinal]

I've had reasonable results by tracing the old guard onto the new material and cutting by hand with a Dremel. It's slow (usually I make several shallow passes with a routing bit) and takes a steady hand.

 

[skullfxr]

I've had reasonable results by tracing the old guard onto the new material and cutting by hand with a Dremel. It's slow (usually I make several shallow passes with a routing bit) and takes a steady hand.

Alright I will do my best in the next few days.

Wish me luck lol.

 

[stratjacket]

I was trying different pickguard on Fender I recently purchased, found a guy on Reverb who cuts them out of maple. I bought an unfinished one that is pretty cool for $12. May want to give him a try, maybe he can make one to size for you.

https://reverb.com/item/25758671-ra...ard-for-stratocaster-plus-guitar-case-sticker

He had a couple YouTube videos as well. He was good on comms and shipped fast and seemed eager to do anything else for me. Father and son shop.

 

[paulyc]

Warmoth.

 

[PBGas]

I need to hog a SSS for HSS on a old charvel. I don't want to pay $60 from greasygroove. Has anybody done it with success? Advice? It will be getting HSS EMG's that I have sitting around.

Greasy groove is really not all that great, so you would be doing fine on your own! I got one and they really do not have the correct measurements at all for a Floyd cut with the HSS setup. It is completely wrong on their templates. With the deeper cut Floyd, they have it paired with the wrong humbucker opening and middle single coil position. I compared it on all of my Custom shop strats and sure enough...wrong setup.

I contacted them a week ago and they haven’t gotten back to me. Chalk one up to never getting my business again. The guards I have gotten from Warmoth have fit perfectly. That being said, check stratosphere for some as well.

The only trimming I have done on mine was to cut a small u shape for the truss rod access at the heel.

 

[PBGas]

I was trying different pickguard on Fender I recently purchased, found a guy on Reverb who cuts them out of maple. I bought an unfinished one that is pretty cool for $12. May want to give him a try, maybe he can make one to size for you.

https://reverb.com/item/25758671-ra...ard-for-stratocaster-plus-guitar-case-sticker

He had a couple YouTube videos as well. He was good on comms and shipped fast and seemed eager to do anything else for me. Father and son shop.

Thx for this! Going to contact them and see if they can help me out as well!

 

[skullfxr]

I need to hog a SSS for HSS on a old charvel. I don't want to pay $60 from greasygroove. Has anybody done it with success? Advice? It will be getting HSS EMG's that I have sitting around.

Greasy groove is really not all that great, so you would be doing fine on your own! I got one and they really do not have the correct measurements at all for a Floyd cut with the HSS setup. It is completely wrong on their templates. With the deeper cut Floyd, they have it paired with the wrong humbucker opening and middle single coil position. I compared it on all of my Custom shop strats and sure enough...wrong setup.

I contacted them a week ago and they haven’t gotten back to me. Chalk one up to never getting my business again. The guards I have gotten from Warmoth have fit perfectly. That being said, check stratosphere for some as well.

The only trimming I have done on mine was to cut a small u shape for the truss rod access at the heel.

thats really good to know.

for now i am going to hog out this bitch and see how it goes. i will take my time. pics will be up late tonight.

 

[skullfxr]

Turned out perfect. Drilled the corners to match radii of the EMG, cut with a Dremel, then fitted and shaped up with a file and sandpaper.



I will let you know when the guitar rewire is done and when it is reassembled
It could be a few days.