Painted pickguards?

[quadperson]

Does anyone have any pics of guitars with matching painted pickguards? I have a Fender Strat that I am thinking about having painted...but I don't want to have a solid color pickguard. Does the paint stick well to the pickguards? Thanks.

[Jim Shine]

Re: Painted pickguards?

The paint wears off rather quick. The best way to get a matching pickguard is to have a clear pickguard painted on the rear and protected with some sort of a backing as the paint likes to bond with the guitar paint after a while so when it is removed for whatever reason, it will chip off the plastic and show through the top.

[sully]

Re: Painted pickguards?

i'll get a pic, but i was at the paint shop yesterday, and my paint guy did a pickguard in a diamond plate pattern... turned out pretty cool. not sure how durable it would be over time, tho.

sully

[mm2002]

Re: Painted pickguards?

I think the painted pickguard will probably be just as durable as the painted wood...no?

[quadperson]

Re: Painted pickguards?

I guess to make a long story short...I really want a yellow/white/black bengal graphic guitar and the USA strat is about the only guitar I have worth an expensive paint job. I have an old Tracer in bright yellow, but I can't see putting that much into a Peavey. And my Jackson Dinky isn't worth that much either...it's an Indonesian but it plays great, I put an Invader in it and it rocks...but...anyway, you get the picture. I guess it's time for a new guitar. Has anyone here painted a bengal themselves?

[Jim Shine]

Re: Painted pickguards?

Originally posted by mm2002:
I think the painted pickguard will probably be just as durable as the painted wood...no?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Its not that simple. There are some things that can create problems like pickguard material and type of finish. If the finish and material do not melt into each other you will have flaking problems. Finish seeps in and anchors itself to wood. Sanding scratches alone in a pickgaurd will not give the best adhesion.

[etaeniura]

Re: Painted pickguards?

I have seen paint made specifically for plastic (like patio chairs and the such)at AC moore, and probably at other craft stores or hardware stores as well. That might be worth looking into. Also, if you go to a hobby store that sells radio controlled cars, you should be ablr to buy sheets of LEXAN, a very strong flexible clear plastic. If you made TWO pickguards, and painted the back of one, you could sandwich them together and protect both the body finish and keep it from flaking off.

[sully]

Re: Painted pickguards?

Originally posted by quadperson:
Has anyone here painted a bengal themselves?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">ohhhhh peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeete!!!!!!!! heeeere petey, petey! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

sully

[mm2002]

Re: Painted pickguards?

Originally posted by Jim Shine:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by mm2002:
I think the painted pickguard will probably be just as durable as the painted wood...no?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Its not that simple. There are some things that can create problems like pickguard material and type of finish. If the finish and material do not melt into each other you will have flaking problems. Finish seeps in and anchors itself to wood. Sanding scratches alone in a pickgaurd will not give the best adhesion. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That is true, I was thinking durability as far as the finish itself but I didn't think about the adhesion. In automotive refinishing we use an aerosol adhesion promoter on plastics. Something like that may work on a pickguard but I guess it would depend on the material it's made from.

[Jack Napalm]

Re: Painted pickguards?

I have a painted pickguard on my very first guitar. A cheap Kramer strat that has been heavily modified over the years. The pickguard was painted around '89 if I remember correctly. It has a chip missing which is very hard to see in the picture just above the right hand side of the middle pickup. Luckily it is right in the eyebrow. It also has a bit of paint missing right on the edges of the pickups.


This was painted by an airbrush artist that was doing work out of a mall in Tampa, Fl. So what ever paint he was using on T-Shirts and Jackets is the same paint he used on this.

Of course this guitar has not seen years of abuse. About '90 I bought a Peavey Vandenburg and I played that 95% of the time. Until I bought my RR5 three years ago. My Kramer has spent most of it's time either on a guitar stand or in the case.

[quadperson]

Re: Painted pickguards?

Thanks for the info guys, now I'm really confused/ I hate top-routed guitars!!! Only thing is, I got this one for a song, and I can't bear to let it sit in the closet. Maybe I'll get a sheet metal pickguard and a humbucker.

[Outlander]

Re: Painted pickguards?

I have an old epiphone coronet pickguard that I changed the color on.It was white on a cherry wood guitar.I just sanded it lightly one direction and then the other and sprayed it black with model car paint which is designed for plastic.It worked great and has never chipped or peeled.Clean the p/g very well!
Get some replacement guards and experiment.