Should this pick guard be replaced now?

[HeyMikey]

I have someone asking be about a guitar I’m selling and thought I’d ask the forum.

Is this pick guard at the point where it needs to be replaced now? Is it at imminent risk of causing harm?

In this time period (1979-80) did Guild adhere the guard to unfinished or finished wood, and does that make a difference to the above question?

 

[gjmalcyon]

Why does the seller believe the pickguard needs to be replaced?

 

[fronobulax]

There are stories of pickguards shrinking and cracking the wood but I have no idea how to predict if it could happen. Presumably an interior inspection with a mirror might show there were/weren't cracks. This is rare enough that I have to wonder whether the questioner is a sincere buyer or just a tire kicker who likes to ask interesting questions and watch people squirm?

 

[HeyMikey]

I think he is legit as we’ve talked on the phone. He just trying to understand what work it might need since he isn’t local. Like me he has read some things about this on the interweb but just doesn’t know enough so is asking.

 

[HeyMikey]

Why does the seller believe the pickguard needs to be replaced?

Looking at the pic of how the guard has conformed to the rosette rings he’s concerned about shrinkage, doesn’t know enough about it, and if it is at the point where it needs to be replaced now or down the road.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I've never heard of a pickguard of this sort ever having o be replaced.

 

[geoguy]

I've had to replace a Guild pickguard that had shrunk, and was beginning to crack the spruce top. It had shrunk enough at the edges to expose a little unfinished wood.

If that isn't the case with your guitar, I wouldn't worry about it being maintenance that is immediately due.

 

[gjmalcyon]

Older celluloid pick guards shrink and crack tops - that happened to the wife's '51 O-15. By the time this guitar was built, the pick guard was plastic, right?

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

By the time this guitar was built, the pick guard was plastic, right?

One would think so.

 

[tommym]

I have someone asking be about a guitar I’m selling and thought I’d ask the forum.

Is this pick guard at the point where it needs to be replaced now? Is it at imminent risk of causing harm?

In this time period (1979-80) did Guild adhere the guard to unfinished or finished wood, and does that make a difference to the above question?

All of my early vintage Guilds had the ghosting of the rosette through the pickguard. I consider it a COA "certificate of authenticity" on the vintage Guilds. I never had the need to replace one that looked liked the one in the photo, and wouldn't think twice about purchasing a vintage Guild with a pickguard that looked like the one in the photo.

I don't recall if the finish was under or over the pickguard on the various models.

Tommy

 

[HeyMikey]

So is it safe to summarize that

By this time (late 70’s) Guild was not using a celluloid pick guard. This rosette ghosting is common and expected. If properly stored and humidified there shouldn’t should be the problems associated with celluloid guard shrinkage on some older guitars.

 

[davismanLV]

I'm not sure at what time they started lacquering and finishing OVER the pickguard and if this falls into the range of years they did that, I'd wanna leave it alone. Both my 1994 Guilds have been lacquered over the PG. Replacing it if the finish is over the guard seems like a whole can of worms I wouldn't wanna deal with.

 

[HeyMikey]

I've had to replace a Guild pickguard that had shrunk, and was beginning to crack the spruce top. It had shrunk enough at the edges to expose a little unfinished wood.

If that isn't the case with your guitar, I wouldn't worry about it being maintenance that is immediately due.

Do you recall what year and model this was, and if it may have not been properly stored?

 

[geoguy]

D66, from 1985.

It came to me with the shrinking guard. Prior owner had numerous nice Guilds, so i assume he knew to humidify during the heating season. He didn't notice the shrinkage until I pointed it out.

 

[wileypickett]

It sounds like you're thinking of taking off the pickguard as a preventative measure against future cracks. Can't tell if that's necessary from the photo, but obviously there is shrinkage happening. Maybe show it to a good luthier?

FYI -- As anyone has ever taken off a shrinking pickguard will tell you, once you remove the pickguard you'll have to replace it with a newly made one.

I've taken off a couple that were cracking the top -- 24 hours later I lined up the pickguard with its orginal footprint and discovered the pickguard had shrunk about 1/16" all the way around, which meant it would no longer fully cover the exposed wood.

Dan Erlewine has a video showing how to replace a Martin pickguard that was cracking the top, and notes the same thing.

The force of the shrinkage is very powerful!

 

[HeyMikey]

I pointed the prospective buyer to this thread. We’re hoping to meet up this weekend. Maybe get a new LTG member in the process.

 

[davismanLV]

p.s. - I really don't like pick guards. Even tho Guilds are very definitive...... there's hardly any scratches and covering up wood with plastic is just dumb. Unless you play like an animal i guess. Only even as much as I think I'm JAMMING HARD, it's on the strings. I'll show you a photo of the top of my black Washburn. It's 25 years old and you have to really LOOK HARD for the tiny little scratches....... so inconsequential.