Pickguard project

ChickenFingers

ChickenFingers

New member
I repeat, don't ever try what I did, way too much work!!! I decided to make a strat copy pickguard out of 1/16" diamondplate (or checkerplate). I traced out the stencil on the plate using the original, taped it off to protect the plating and went about cutting it out with a jigsaw, very hard, needed a scroll saw. Took a lot of grinding with a angle grinder to get it to roughly the size I wanted...aluminum sucks arse, it clogs sanding disk in no time flat. Next was drilling the holes...all 22 of them! :omg: drilling holes in this stuff is impossible with a drill... down to the tool shop, and I got a new drill press, ok, I needed one anyway..... despite the most carefull marking and double checking with the original I still managed to get one of the holes to not line up :grumble: but 21 out of 22 ain't bad I guess. :oo Oh yeah, those 22 holes I drilled, 20 of them now have to be chamfered to sit the screw heads :thumbsdow The only way I could figure out how to do this was to use a larger drill bit, and this doesn't do it like on the original, more like countersinks the heads, same idea I suppose. Anyhow, I'm about 90% done,
have to finish cutting out the pickup slots and then grind down the edges at an angle for that finished look.

Anyhow comments, or suggestions so far?

c3aad208.jpg

4b4a1c90.jpg
 
Re: Pickguard project

I disagree -- I think it looks awesome as rough as it is!

Put it on a black Strat and it will look SO metaaawwwllll...just screams "WHAT? YEAH mothafunka I SAWED A PIECE OF ALUMINIUM to hold my axe together!!" Which is way tough.

Needs Hot Rails too.
 
Re: Pickguard project

I agree with empty-pockets

or put it on a darker metallic color. Like charcoal frost or a matter blue or something like that.
 
Re: Pickguard project

ChickenFingers said:
I repeat, don't ever try what I did, way too much work!!! I decided to make a strat copy pickguard out of 1/16" diamondplate (or checkerplate). I traced out the stencil on the plate using the original, taped it off to protect the plating and went about cutting it out with a jigsaw, very hard, needed a scroll saw. Took a lot of grinding with a angle grinder to get it to roughly the size I wanted...aluminum sucks arse, it clogs sanding disk in no time flat. Next was drilling the holes...all 22 of them! :omg: drilling holes in this stuff is impossible with a drill... down to the tool shop, and I got a new drill press, ok, I needed one anyway..... despite the most carefull marking and double checking with the original I still managed to get one of the holes to not line up :grumble: but 21 out of 22 ain't bad I guess. :oo Oh yeah, those 22 holes I drilled, 20 of them now have to be chamfered to sit the screw heads :thumbsdow The only way I could figure out how to do this was to use a larger drill bit, and this doesn't do it like on the original, more like countersinks the heads, same idea I suppose. Anyhow, I'm about 90% done,
have to finish cutting out the pickup slots and then grind down the edges at an angle for that finished look.

Anyhow comments, or suggestions so far?

c3aad208.jpg

4b4a1c90.jpg
Click to expand...

yeah, order 1 from here for $50....

http://www.sharp-concepts.com/store.htm
 
Re: Pickguard project

I know you can order them for real strats, but this is a yamaha strat copy and it's slightly different from a real strat... which is why I should have picked a real strat to mod, because this yamaha has lots of differences, strat nuts are slightly wider and thinner, the bridge is same spacing but the 6mounting screws are spaced differently, etc, etc... it's going on a black body, and as someone mentioned, I just put in a hot rails in the bridge and a DZ fasttrack1 in the neck so it's good to go! :)

PS - Edges look rougher in the picture then it really is.
 
Re: Pickguard project

I have posted a new thred with my guitar projects and the finished result, but here's a teaser,pickgaurd was burnished with a wire brush tool, it gave it a pearloid look to it, simply stunning!!!

n686905130_786500_1472.jpg


n686905130_786491_9374.jpg
 
Re: Pickguard project

It's great! I always liked diamond plate pickguards. I like the black ones the best.

I ordered one from sharp concepts once for my RG but they made it a little bigger:eek13:...but I cut it in half and used only the lower part of it (like a Les Paul or something) and it looks killer!
 
Re: Pickguard project

I butchered it but it looks fine to me.....hehe. Sorry about my hands getting in the middle but you get the picture I guess.....

rg.gif
 
Re: Pickguard project

Metalblaze said:
I butchered it but it looks fine to me.....hehe. Sorry about my hands getting in the middle but you get the picture I guess.....

rg.gif
Click to expand...

I like that a lot! Oh another thing that was challenging was trying to make sure no screw holes landed on a diamond, drill bits tend to want to bend around them rather then go through them :grumble::grumble:
 
Re: Pickguard project

ChickenFingers said:
I like that a lot! Oh another thing that was challenging was trying to make sure no screw holes landed on a diamond, drill bits tend to want to bend around them rather then go through them :grumble::grumble:
Click to expand...

Thank you! Yep, I can imagine how challenging it could be. I was once working in a TV-Radio transmitter lab with similar work involved and that cooler drilling was a nightmare, especially when the broken drill stayed inside the aluminium cooler (oh man:smack:)......in your situation the final result worths it.;)
 
Re: Pickguard project

When I saw the 1st picture I honestly thought it was terrible, tonnes of sharp edges & a horrible colour, looked like scrap.

The final result blew me away though mate, you've done a great job, time well invested.
 
Re: Pickguard project

Great job. I'd think that was pro made. And it was ;)
 
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