Spraypaint a pickguard? Anyone done it?

[keyboardguy]

Hi all,

I got to thinking; instead of buying a new pickguard , has anyone just spraypainted a one?

If so, can you just use enamel/Krylon ?
Is it sturdy? And how do you prepare it for spraying?

Seems like a cost effective method...

Mike

 

[speedkills]

Seems like a lot of trouble to save a few bucks.

I just got a brand new Fender pickguard for 19.99.

 

[MagicMan_841]

I've done it on my bro's P... it works ok if you prep the original pickguard with some fine sandpaper!! I used Krylon paint for plastics, it rules. The paint WILL scratch if you play pick-style, however.

 

[Beav]

There's a special paint designed for plastic called "Krylon Fusion." It's worked great for me. I've had mine done for quite a while. I try to be a little extra careful with it, but I've had no problems.

 

[BlackLake]

Krylon's the way to go...it's suitable for outdoor furniture so it's very durable. At our locan Canadian Tire there is a demo chair, it looks like a brand new chair. $6.99cdn / can

The prep instructions will be on the can, but I think it's just a clean surface needed.

 

[Green Mind]

Maybe use some spray on lacquer after, that what I did with mine but I used a brush, either way I liked the results.

 

[ErnieD]

I was just about to post this question here tonite but you did already, so cool. I think its a valid question. I know from replacing my white picgard of my black MIM Jazz 4, with a gray/blk pearloid, alot of drummers tell me they really like it, it actually matched one guys kit perfectly, he got a kick outa that. So anyway, I just made a trade for a 5 string MIM Jazz 5 and the cat, a TBer was cool to enclose the puppy bitten up white one in the shipping. So I have 2 white stock MIM jazz 4/5 string picgards and I was going to ask about painting one of em black. Now will fingernails from pulling/popping strings scratch the paint off pretty easily? Will the paint can tell me how to prep a plastic surface like these picgards?

 

[joeyl]

well, I used to live in a small tropical paradise before moving back to the US, and over there on Mauritius island, you can forget buying replacement pickguards unless you wanted to pay 3 times their price for shipping from the US, so I spray painted the one I had on my Jazz, bad mistake, even with the best preps, that thing will scratch even playing regular fingerstyle. After a while it does not look good at all, and I eventually tossed it and went without pickguard.
If you are in the US, you can get a pickguard for 10 bucks sometimes

 

[T-Bird]

Hi, Mike.

While PGs can be rattle-can coated the results are often less than desired.

The painted PGs that You see are most likely surface primered just like the plastic automotive parts that are painted. I used to paint cars for a living some 15 years ago and then the primer cost about 5 times the paint/volume and the usage was 1/2 volume primer/paint. That might have changed though.

The trick is to make a smooth transition layer between the two different kinds of plastic, IOW melt them partially together. I was going to try some solvents or special mixes to reduce the cost, but the prelimenary tests weren't encouraging at all and I also left that job and have concentrated on painting metal since as a hobby only.

You might be best off with a rattle-can plastic primer and a compatible top coat of Your choice. Then You just test it. The best place to buy/seek advice is a special car/MC paint shop.

IME the base plastic has to melt in order to paint a durable surface.

If You make one from scratch, do what the RC people do. Paint a lexan sheet from the underside with the RC-car paints.

Regards
Sam

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

The trick is to put a clear-coat over it.

 

[wdinc01]

Well, the rhythm guitarist in my band did this to his Squier Strat's pickguard. I can't really say that it doesn't work, it hasn't run off or anything as far as I can tell. So I would say that yes, spray paint works.

 

[hartke20g]

i sprayed this appliance epoxy on my truck's bumper (the end caps are plastic) without sanding it at all, and it's still sticking. the only thing that has scratched it was me accidentally scraping my 4x10 against it when it was wet. the major problem i see with this is that AFAIK it only comes in black, almond, and white.
i know this stuff is tough because i sprayed my 4x10 with it and the sharp edges of the old material (which are now painted) have actually scratched my dad's pickup's bed liner.

 

[keyboardguy]

Great suggestions folks !
I have 2 cheapo Chinese basses (That are excellent BTW) with boring white PG's.

 

[ErnieD]

appliance epoxy may be what I need to paint the white gard black, it will go on a MIM electron blue jazz 5er. Ibanezcollector was good enough to toss it in with our trade but he also installed a blue-acrylic-mirrored picgard on this bass before sending it to me. In just 2 days of use I already have a fingernail scratched area below the G string but it looks cool and I'll leave it on til I scratch it all up. I think the black gard will look sharp against the blue body.

 

[User364378]

i dont like the PG of my squier precision special (IM LEFTY!!) and buying is no option, money and lefty=no option XD
so im gonna spray paint it too the PG it tortoise red stuff, any tips?

 

[Senator]

I use Krylon Fusion and Krylon clear coat. Seems to work. Though, I don't paint it a solid color, so I can't tell you the results if you're going that direction with it.

On my last paint job, I made a relic'd/tie-dye sort of thing.

If anyone has a spare pickguard for a MIM 5'er the want to get off their hands, PM me!

 

[disasterline]

i have done it on an old squire white pickguard. its a black to neon pink fade. it looks great! i sanded the pickguard lightly, used a primer that works on plastic, then just used regular spraypaint. i then used some spray enamel or such to seal it.

 

[newbold]

Canadian Tire? niiice.

 

[depalm]

Seems like a lot of trouble to save a few bucks.

The truth!

 

[MattAT]

I did it and it was no trouble at all. Use Krylon Fusion paint.