Wooden pickguards?

[BenitoBassolini]

Has anyone ever seen/build/used a wooden pickguard? I was thinking of using 3 layers of veneer hickory, possibly staining the center piece. What do you guys think? Would it hold up to normal playing? This will be on a P-bass I'm working on.

 

[Jensby design]

I like wooden pickguards but I don't know about staining a veneer wouldn't that bleed onto the next laminate?I'd just use a different kind of wood.

 

[BenitoBassolini]

I meant staining it quite thoroughly so the whole wood is dyed that color... so when I put it together and cut it out, the middle will still be that color.

 

[Jensby design]

I like wooden pickguards but I don't know about staining a veneer wouldn't that bleed onto the next laminate?I'd just use a different kind of wood.

I said "onto" I mean into.The stain will leave kind of an oily residue that can bleed into the wood next to it (not very far into it but on a veneer )or maybe I'm just using the cheap stuff

 

[BenitoBassolini]

Ah, I see what you're saying. I'm not really an expert so I'll have to test it out and talk to my dad about it. Do you think it would hold up to normal playing and be good looking?

 

[Jensby design]

After God forbid reading the can I'm thinking maybe I didn't let it cure long enough.So throw it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 . . . wait now I'm thinking of pizza Yeah just wait 24hr or so.Thats what tests are for.If it does bleed over it can take a few days,at least thats my experience.Maybe it was the humid basement

 

[theroan]

I think they look cheap. imho

 

[jordan_frerichs]

i have made a small pic guard that turned out very well. it was for my friends hollow body gretch. it came with a crappy see through pic guard. i took a peice of blood wood, and just put the original pic guard on it, drew the shape, and rough cut it on a band saw, and carefully finished off the edges on the schools horozontal high speed sander. obviosly, the sander could not get into the spots where the pups would go into, so on those, i used the band saw, and let it slowly remove the waste wood. i didn't have it cuut into the piece, just "knibble" at the sides to the point that i could just clean up the area with a file. i did not have a small router that could angle the sides, but i took a sanding block, and tilted it and just did it freehanded. came out great

 

[BenitoBassolini]

i have made a small pic guard that turned out very well. it was for my friends hollow body gretch. it came with a crappy see through pic guard. i took a peice of blood wood, and just put the original pic guard on it, drew the shape, and rough cut it on a band saw, and carefully finished off the edges on the schools horozontal high speed sander. obviosly, the sander could not get into the spots where the pups would go into, so on those, i used the band saw, and let it slowly remove the waste wood. i didn't have it cuut into the piece, just "knibble" at the sides to the point that i could just clean up the area with a file. i did not have a small router that could angle the sides, but i took a sanding block, and tilted it and just did it freehanded. came out great

Sounds pretty good. I'll probably end up doing about the same process as this. I do have a router though, luckily, so the chamfer should come out nice.

 

[Thangfish]

I really like them if they are done well, and intend to put a flame maple guard on my Geddy... probably from Jeannie Pickguards
He saws 'em thin, splits and bookmatches them.
I defy anyone to say they look cheap.

Now I have seen some REALLY cheap looking ones on Ebay.
Looked like they were made from and old hollow luan door!



Here's a breath-taking one that was recently posted in the "burst finishes with maple fretboards" thread.

 

[TonyP-]

Here's a breath-taking one that was recently posted in the "burst finishes with maple fretboards" thread.

I never wanted a wood pickgaurd until seeing this one.

 

[tjclem]

That one is much nicer than the one I did here it is though....t

 

[Georynn]

I made one just tonight... turned out pretty good I'll get the camera and make a tutorial. Its not hard, I completed mine in just under an hour, but the stain hasn't dried yet...Pics tomorrow for sure...

 

[scottice]

TBC's come with them stock.

 

[theroan]

I really like them if they are done well, and intend to put a flame maple guard on my Geddy... probably from Jeannie Pickguards
He saws 'em thin, splits and bookmatches them.
I defy anyone to say they look cheap.

Now I have seen some REALLY cheap looking ones on Ebay.
Looked like they were made from and old hollow luan door!



Here's a breath-taking one that was recently posted in the "burst finishes with maple fretboards" thread.

I stand corrected, that looks awesome.

 

[Bassenstien]

 

[Guest043]

when i bought my jazz bass a while back i was thinking about a wooden pickguard. its white with a grey tourtise pickguard, so the pickguard (i think) really makes it look kinda nice. i did all sorts of photoshop jobs with cocobolo pickguards and stuff, but never made one. i might in the near future, though..

 

[Jensby design]

when i bought my jazz bass a while back i was thinking about a wooden pickguard. its white with a grey tourtise pickguard, so the pickguard (i think) really makes it look kinda nice. i did all sorts of photoshop jobs with cocobolo pickguards and stuff, but never made one. i might in the near future, though..

Go for it but you gotta post some pics.

 

[Barkless Dog]

Someone did inlaid wood pickguards into the body that were cool, violin basses with Darkstars maybe???

If it's real wood they look cool. I like the satin finished ones so they don't look like car plastic fake wood.

 

[neurotictim]

Alembic's got a few, but are they really pickguards if they're inlaid?

As posted previously, The Bass Company (TBC) has this covered, sorta.

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I actually own one of these, and it looks really nice, a good bass for the $.