Personalised JV-52.

[frenchie]

I`ve had my JV-52 for three months now, and I`m a tinkerer at heart. I love the tone of this guitar, and it is so versatile, strums like a big zingy jumbo, lead lines are clean and precise, and it fingerpicks like an F-30.

But changes have been made. First up I swapped out the Micarta? saddle with a nice piece of bone. Next up, I replaced the plastic bridge and end pins with Ebony ones. This had the added advantage of making the guitar a little warmer, with a bit more zing in the treble strings. Then I polished up the guitar to more of a gloss finish with T-cut, elbow grease, and polish.



Next up I had a custom TRC made ALA Bonnie Raitt style, by Philadelphia luthier tools. They did a very good job too. I have also changed out the gold kidney bean tuner buttons for some nice Ebony ones.





Now all of the above changes (Except the gloss finish) are easily reversible, and I have, all the original parts.

But now I am toying with doing something a little more drastic! I have made a second pickguard (There will be gasps from many, I`m sure!) from ABS the right thickness, which I plan to mount using 3M super 77, (suitable for Nitro finishes) apparently you can vary it`s bonding power, by how long you leave the sprayed guard before mounting. I would obviously gloss nitro the guard before doing this. Here is a photo to give a rough idea of how it would look. Ideally I`d like one of those removable pickguards, but they only seem to be available in clear, unless some one knows otherwise.





Opinions welcome. As I say, I am still in two minds about doing this.

Steve.

 

[FNG]

I say don't add the second pickguard.

 

[killdeer43]

I'll second the NO vote (if we're allowed) on the second pickguard.
Looks too much like Marlo Thomas/That Girl.

Great looking Guild, :encouragement:
Joe

 

[wileypickett]

It's your guitar. But since you ask for opinions:

If this model had been made with double-pickguards as an option you wouldn't be doing anything too outrageous by adding a second pickguard, as with the Richie Havens D40s. People occasionally add a second pickguard to them and that seems in keeping with the spirit of that model.

Or if you're thinking of adding the second pickguard in order to protect the top from your wild Pete Townsend-style full-arm windmill thrashing -- OK, go for it.

Otherwise, as FNG and Joe suggest, I'd leave it as is. It's already beautiful, and to me, the natural wood is way prettier than a plastic pickguard any day.

There are also practical reasons against doing this.

You added special bridge pins to enhance the look, right? They also enhance the sound -- at least to your ear. If that improvement, subtle as it surely is, is detectable to you, how might doubling the area of the top covered by pickguards affect the sound of the guitar? Anything added to the top will affect, however subtly, the top's ability to vibrate.

Secondly, if you get tired of the pickguard and decide to remove it you risk harming the the finish when trying to pry it loose.

IMO.

 

[wileypickett]

BTW, I'm the guy with the JV72. While it sounds fabulous, it's not in nearly as nice shape as yours. Congrats!

 

[Walter Broes]

an extra pickguard doesn't make a guitar sound better, but I have to admit I like the way it looks.

 

[F312]

The pick guard would look better in your drawer IMO.
Ralph

 

[killdeer43]

The pick guard would look better in your drawer IMO.

Good one! :encouragement:

Joe

 

[dapmdave]

Gasp!

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Great job on the upgrades. And it looks like you took the time to match the shape of the original pickguard very closely.

As I am sure you are aware, the pickguards used to be glued (or rather "fused") into the raw wood of the top, then lacquered over when the top was sprayed. Considerations of reversing the addition of a second pickguard aside, you may have a difficult time achieving a mirror-image appearance when applying your new pickguard to the surface of the lacquer. It could stand out a bit glaringly as an addition, even if you "pre-finished" it. The height would be off, though minutely, and the edges would have a distinct appearance. Now, if you were to "melt" it into the existing lacquer... (never mind)

It is attractive, however, and if you can pull it off you will have a most unique guitar, for sure.

 

[frenchie]

Thanks guy`s for the response`s. I think I already knew that the other pickguard was a move too far, and the great majority of replies have only confirmed that. The pickguard is going in the drawer Ralph!

I see the light.

Steve.

 

[jcwu]

Is it too late to vote? I also vote no.

 

[davismanLV]

I think you've done some really nice upgrades and nothing that would make me go, "OH NO!!" .... until you got to the second pickguard. I don't like double pickguards anyway, but if they're standard on a guitar I can live with one. But this guitar is too pretty to muck up with extra stuff that it really doesn't need. Love the new "satin" finish. I vote HELL NO on the pickguard..... :encouragement:

 

[frenchie]

I hear you Tom & Jason. there will be no second pickguard, I have seen the light.

Steve.

 

[walrus]

Since you have already seen the light, I will keep my opinion to myself!

walrus

 

[billymo]

Did I see somewhere is this thread that you wanted to sell this JV-52 to a good home to a Guild lover ? Single Pickguard is ok, double pickguard, that'd be ok, no pickguard, that's fine.... (maybe you'd be interested in 1 of those great deals on the super Guild Orpheums on ebay!) :eek-new:

 

[adorshki]

Did I see somewhere is this thread that you wanted to sell this JV-52 to a good home to a Guild lover ?

LOL!
Billy I was just thinking of you when I saw Frenchie's mention of how he "glossed up" the top!

an extra pickguard doesn't make a guitar sound better, but I have to admit I like the way it looks.

Although I agree with Walter that I like the way second 'guard looks, (it's just "different"), there's been some debate here before about whether or not it might actually "dampen" top vibrations a little bit.
It was actually one of the more popular options in the '70's, and Ms Raitt has a double-'guard F50 herself.
I call it "the. tuxedo look". :wink:
And when I picked up my Richie Havens D40, I made sure they didn't forget the extra 'guard which was provided for the owner to mount or not at their discretion.
Funny thing, the tortoise shell of the upper guard doesn't match the bottom one, but I mounted it anyway. (That's it in my avatar)
Never thought it might mute the top a bit 'till I read about it here.
Sometimes I wonder if that might be one of the reasons it's actually the "sonic runt" of the litter, but bear in mind it's also got a UST (so does Bonnie's) so it may be irrelevant or even help in the amplified application.
Hows that for "pros & cons" ?
nthego:

 

[chazmo]

Steve, that is a lovely guitar, and like almost everyone else I didn't think your mods were questionable at all until the 2nd pickguard came into the discussion. Well, personally, I'm glad you chose not to do that.

Pins, saddles, nuts, TRC, tuners / buttons are all easily reversible mods, and I don't consider them sacrosanct. Keep the old stuff in a bag for the next owner, just in case.

I have an old Martin 12-string that had a pickguard replacement done, and the prior owner(s) kept the pickguard in the case. That kind of makes me laugh. In this case, pickguard shrinkage is very common and necessary replacement; it's not like I'd ever put the original back on.

 

[killdeer43]

Shrinkage you say? ....cue Seinfeld fans! :chuncky:

Joe

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I like the looks of the double pick guard but you would want to get two that are both make from the exact same material.
I did this to my Crafter 12 string.
I called the company and ordered the second guard from them direct.
I like the way it turned out, but I always liked the very recognizable Guild F50R that John Denver played.

If you get the guard from Guild, it will already have a self adhesive back, ready to use on it.