Painting pickguards

[MetalHeadMat]

Hey guys, I'm customizing my friends old Jay Turser just for the hell of it, and I have to switch out the pickguard for the pickup I'm using (I'm swapping the 3 single coils for a bridge humbucker so I'm using an old pickguard I found in my "shop".)

It has a bunch of sticker goo on it, but mainly it's scratched up from some tool trying to sand it. The other day I found some spray paint specifically for plastic, and I was wondering if I'd be able to just spray paint over the pickguard?

Also pics will be up when more is done

[Jacksonguy666]

I have no clue. But why was it sanded in the first place?

[MetalHeadMat]

I have no clue. But why was it sanded in the first place?

I think someone tried to sand off the goo on it, instead of using goo gone

No it was not me.

[atdguitars]

Krylon for plastic or Testors Lexan paint will stick to it.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sanding a pickguard, if it's done properly. What is the condition of the pickguard? What I mean is, how heavy are the scratches/what grit was used to sand it?

The reason I ask is, if the scratches are too heavy to sand out and polish then it may be too far gone for paint as well. Paint isn't magic and won't cover any really heavy scratches. If it's just been sanded with some 600, then clean it up with Goo Gone, and work your way up to 2000 grit and polish it with some plastic polish. It will look good as new if you work at it.

If you just want to do a slop job on it to get something reasonable looking then maybe hit it with a thin coat of some kind of flexible automotive filler such as what's used on urethane bumper scratches before you paint it.

[Grandturk]

Is it a strat pickguard? Why put any time into it at all when you can just buy a new one?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Is it a strat pickguard? Why put any time into it at all when you can just buy a new one?

Good point!

I was assuming this is some weirdo pickguard where you can't buy a replacement easily but I'd just as soon spend $25 for a Strat pickguard as opposed to sand/prep or anything beyond wiping the sticker goo off of it if that's the case!

[Grandturk]

Good point!

I was assuming this is some weirdo pickguard where you can't buy a replacement easily but I'd just as soon spend $25 for a Strat pickguard as opposed to sand/prep or anything beyond wiping the sticker goo off of it if that's the case!

I was just imagining you spending 4-5 hours sanding and buffing a rare $2 Jay Turser pickguard only to scratch it with your ring while remounting it to the guitar.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I was just imagining you spending 4-5 hours sanding and buffing a rare $2 Jay Turser pickguard only to scratch it with your ring while remounting it to the guitar.

No, I have learnt my lesson.

I hold everything with barbecue tongs now.