Installed a pickguard on my LP without drilling

Digieditny · Mar 12, 2019

I feel like this might bring down a bunch of hate on me but i wanted to share anyway in case there might be a problem I don't foresee.

No drilling... Maybe I'm nuts. I wanted to try my crazy idea first before I went on to drill. Bought extra pickup rings, glued pickguard to the rings and installed on guitar. I also, cut and sanded down the screws so all there was left was the head. I glued those on and added a felt pad below them so it wouldn't scratch finish. The screw heads were necessary to make it looked believable. Now it looks like the pickguard is drilled into the body but no holes were made. Ya the metal bracket is not there... So maybe it's not that believable!

zacknorton · Mar 12, 2019

That’s a Pretty good idea.

Digieditny · Mar 12, 2019

zacknorton said:
That’s a Pretty good idea.

Thank you! I've thought about it for days. Even if it didn't work, I'll only be out a couple bucks and no damage to the guitar.

El Gringo · Mar 12, 2019

More photos please so I can see the underside of the pickguard and a close up please ?

Nate2351 · Mar 13, 2019

Mounting off the pickup rings, clever. I have never understood why Les though drilling into the finish was the best idea.

edselman · Mar 13, 2019

What kind of glue did you use? The only problem I see is that the glue may not hold and you may mar the top of your guitar when the pick guard breaks free.

PaulD · Mar 13, 2019

Nate2351 said:
I have never understood why Les though drilling into the finish was the best idea.

Well as the guitar was mainly designed by Ted McCarty I doubt Les Paul had anything to do with the decision. Mounting the pick-guard with screws almost certainly would have been the "best" idea, it is quick, simple, cheap and secure and any alternative method would be unlikely to be any of these. I can't imagine why anyone designing the guitar would have considered that a different method would be preferable. They were never intended to be removed

S a m · Mar 13, 2019

One step farther: No glue!

My #1, Eastman El Rey 4, sporting a home-made zircote pickguard:

citson · Mar 15, 2019

Great idea OP, and it looks great too! Congrats on the guitar :salude

AJCR · Mar 18, 2019

Nate2351 said:
Mounting off the pickup rings, clever. I have never understood why Les though drilling into the finish was the best idea.

What, like the other drillings for the trussrod cover, tuner mounting screws, pickup rings and jack plate.

Unlike most armchair critics, Gibson actually did a bit of thinking about the likely use for their guitars. As screws are a time tested method for anchoring things you want attached reliably, they went for the logical method.

Installed a pickguard on my LP without drilling

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