Backplate Won't Come Off

[Jovu]

You don't know where the suction cup has been!

[Zaneus]

My Charvel did this too. It's really an easy fix. Just get some sand paper (or the green rough side of a sponge like i did) and sand away at the paint that overlaps on the lip of the cavity. Works fine after that.

[srommes]

Plunger.

[Musician78]

That's the best idea yet. It needs to be one of the heavy duty ones though.

[shreddermon]

I've had this happen on a couple of guitars. If the backplate is stuck to the paint in the cavity, you're pretty much screwed. Only the small screwdriver technique will pry it loose. And many times, you'll lose paint and/or clear inside the cavity in the process of prying it loose. (Saving grace: who give a f**k about the inside of the cavity - you won't see it with the plate back on.)

However, many times, it's not stuck to the paint. It's that the cavity was routed too small and/or the wood/paint/clearcoat has expanded just slightly enough relative to the aluminum cavity plate to wedge it in there too tight. Wood and metal do not expand/contract at the same rates, ya know?

ALWAYS try this first: get a medium size ziplock bag and fill it with ice. Flip the guitar over and set it down on it's face. Put the ziplock bag on the aluminum backplate, and let it sit there for a good half-hour or more. The cold will make the metal plate contract, relative to the wood. If it's only wedged into the cavity too tight, it should come free once cooled and contracted. If it was stuck to the paint - well, you were screwed either way - and are probably gonna peel a chunck of it, despite the cool-down trick anyway.

Good luck.

[Chad]

It's hard to see in the pic with all the dust and everything, but this guy is removing the backplate off of his Jackson guitar...

[Newc]

HEY! I said no photos of me dammit!

Anyone try a hair dryer yet? Maybe that'll loosen the grip of the paint/primer/whatever it is enough?

[alanhindle]

Sorry to ressurect an old thread but I've just had cause to remove my backplate. I didn't care for poking screwdrivers or other hard objects in to places they shouldn't go so I used a narrow gauge (50) guitar pick to flip it out from one of the edges. Before I did this I also scored around the edge of the plate with the pick. I didn't lose any paint in the process.

Alan