# Cutting Pickguard Material - Need Advice



## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

Well, I've decided to continue the renovations on my Raven since the guitar plays so nicely. Here's a pic as a frame of reference:










A Bigsby B30 will be added and a set of mini humbuckers will be replacing the single coil stock pickups. The stock pickups on these guitars are an odd size, so I ordered matching 3-ply pickguard material from Bezdez for mounting purposes. It's here where I need some advice.

What's the best way to cut and finish the pickguard material, especially the the inner portion?

Thanks in advance.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

I find a template sander works best ,but i would make a template for those rings from MDF use your existing rings for the outside shape 
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=59448&cat=1,42500
or you could use a router with a template bit 
& i always used a razor blade & sandpaper to bevel the outside edges of pick guards


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

copperhead said:


> I find a template sander works best ,but i would make a template for those rings from MDF use your existing rings for the outside shape
> http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=59448&cat=1,42500
> or you could use a router with a template bit
> & i always used a razor blade & sandpaper to bevel the outside edges of pick guards


Making an MDF template first is a good idea. My only problem is that the best I have tools wise is a dremel.


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## YJMUJRSRV (Jul 17, 2007)

gone fishing


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

I find most pickguard material too soft to sand, ie, it melts at a low temp and quickly gums up everything and makes a mess.

I use a small (3/8" diameter) straight cutter with a 3/8" bearing, guiding on a template made from plywood, mdf, etc. 

if you take the time to cut the wooden pattern accurately (and you can certainly use a drill, saw, sanding drum, etc to shape it) the router will duplicate whatever you have.

To do a beveled outer edge, just use a 45 degree chamfer bit and again guide along your template.

Use some double sided tape to hold the plastic sheet to the pattern.

The plastic will machine clean and sharp. I also use a small metal de-burring tool to run around the edges to take the sharpness off. You can also use a sharp scraper to do this.

AJC


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

interesting post as I just made a pickguard for my Les Paul 60s tribute.

I ended up getting a large piece of LEXAN material from a local glass shop.
It only came in clear and my goal was black. Made 2 and painted one black. The clear looks amazing and the black not so amazing.
cut to shape with my jigsaw and filed down to specs. Fine sandpaper to smooth things out.

When I get a chance I'll post some pics. 
Try a "Lexan" Google.......pretty amazing stuff.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

Thanks for the info everyone. I should get all my parts in next week, so I'll post some pics as I go through the mods.

Stay tuned!


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

Since you are limited in your power tools, there's no point in making templates from mdf, plywood,etc. You'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Making pickup mounting rings requires extreme attention to measurement, slight variances will be noticable once the pickup is sitting inside the ring, (I've been there lol) so mark out your material very carefully. I would use a scratch awl or craft knife to mark the surface because as you work your material, pencil marks will have a tendency to disappear off the plastic if you rub on them at all. You can hog out the middle part with your dremel cutter, of if you have a drill, you can drill some out. I haven't worked this material my self, but I'm going to assume it can't be cut easily with a craft knife, so I would probably try to get close to my marks with a one inch chisel,(assuming it's soft enough) then holding the part in a vise, you will have to file down to your lines with a flat file for the sides and round for the corners. You could try putting a bevel on it with the files as well. Good luck with it, and let us know how it turns out!


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

One more idea came to mind. If you use a marking gauge you'll kill two birds with one stone. After you have your blanks cut out, use a marking gauge to mark out the inside lines. A marking gauge (if you don't know) is used to mark lines parallel to the edge and has a sharp point that scribes onto the material. Set the proper width on a test scrap first, then you'll be able to mark out your inside lines perfectly parallel to the outside edges.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

*Almost Done*

Making the new pickup rings to accommodated a set of GFS min HB 59's was a bit of a challenge but I managed to get it done. The Bigsby B30 was easy to install and it's all wired up. Just need to put it back together and do a set up.



















The HB's look black in the pics but they're chrome.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

*All Done!*

I'm going to throw up a video on my Youtube site in the next day or two to highlighting some of the details and provide a sound sample.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

*Sound Demo*

[video=youtube;QqAfGHZVcPA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqAfGHZVcPA[/video]


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Fajah said:


> Making the new pickup rings to accommodated a set of GFS min HB 59's was a bit of a challenge but I managed to get it done.


Can you elaborate? I mean, it would help others that perhaps do not have a router or access to one.

I am interested to know how you got it done!

AJC


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

ajcoholic said:


> Can you elaborate? I mean, it would help others that perhaps do not have a router or access to one.
> 
> I am interested to know how you got it done!
> 
> AJC


Sure, no problem. First thing I'll mention that this should be done outside for it gets a bit messy. I made them in my garage.

Tools needed:

1) At the very least, a Dremel with this cutting attachment:

Dremel cutting attachment

2) Hand drill

3) A couple of clamps.

4) Files: Large double cut and some small hand files. I bought a set of small files a few years ago at a hobby store. They come in a set and have all sorts of shapes for rounding etc. Great for fret work too.

5) Sandpaper - I used 220, 400, 800, 1000, 2000. I always have lots of grades on hand.

6) Pickguard material which I bought from Bezdez:

Pickguard material

Procedure: Note that the neck and the bridge were slightly different in size so each had to be made separately. However, the procedure was the same for both.

1) Using a blue Sharpey, I traced the outside of the existing pickup ring onto the back of the sheet of pickguard material. 

2) I cut the rough shape out and rounded the corners using the dremel. 

3) The edges were cleaned up with the large double cut file. I also beveled the edges with the same file.

4) One I had the shape done and matched to the old ring, I then drilled the matching holes out and countersunk the tops.

5) I then screwed the new pickguard ring to the guitar and traced out the placement of the pickup.

6) I drilled 4 pilot holes and cut the inside portion out using the dremel. I initially cut it for a tight fit and used the dremel to widen it out as needed. It's tedious work and you have to take your time.

7) I then used the double cut file to smooth things out, then the small files to finish the inside corners.

8) Now that I had the shape and filing done, I began the finishing. I used the 220 dry first to do the fine reshaping. I then wet sanded with the finer grades. I added a little dish soap to water for lubrication.

Once all the above is complete, then the protective film can be removed. They're not perfect but only I would really notice. All in all, I'm happy the way they came out considering that I don't have a shop with the proper tools.

Hope this helps.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Fajah said:


> I'm going to throw up a video on my Youtube site in the next day or two to highlighting some of the details and provide a sound sample.


Thanks for the demo of the pickups...you are getting some great tone there.

Just out of curiosity, were you putting your guitar through the Markbass head (as in the pic) and then adding delay and reverb? .....or were you using a different amp?
I'm asking as a few folks on a jazz guitar forum are using the Markbass heads for jazz guitar.

Again, thanks for taking the time to do the video.

cheers

Dave


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

greco said:


> Thanks for the demo of the pickups...you are getting some great tone there.


My pleasure Dave. Glad you liked it. I'm actually quite surprised as to how this guitar sounds now. I've owned it since 1969 and it never sounded this good although it greatly improved when I rewired it a few years ago.



> Just out of curiosity, were you putting your guitar through the Markbass head (as in the pic) and then adding delay and reverb? .....or were you using a different amp?


For the demo, I went through my Roland Cube 60.



> I'm asking as a few folks on a jazz guitar forum are using the Markbass heads for jazz guitar.


I'll give you a two part answer. First, I've tried playing though my bass rig only but I find that there's not enough top end for my tastes. I'm also concerned about the higher frequencies that guitars produce and the impact on my bass cab's speaker, especially at gig volumes. I'm aware that some jazz guys are using micro bass heads like the LMII. If I'm not mistaken, they're connecting them to guitar cabs. I don't know what makes/models they're using so maybe you could enlighten me on this.

Secondly, I do use my bass rig in combination with my Cube 60 when I'm not playing with a live drummer and bassist. I have those parts recorded in my loop station. Here's a pic of my setup for this type of situation:










What makes this possible is a simple mono splitter I bought at Future Shop:










The result is that the Cube 60 tends to pick up the higher end guitar frequencies while the bass rig picks up the lower end. All I do is balance the sound using the volume controls on each amp. If you're interested in what all of this sounds like, I can do up a video for you on the subject.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Fajah said:


> My pleasure Dave. Glad you liked it. I'm actually quite surprised as to how this guitar sounds now. I've owned it since 1969 and it never sounded this good although it greatly improved when I rewired it a few years ago.
> 
> For the demo, I went through my Roland Cube 60.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the response and for the pics. You asked about the speakers that the jazz guys are using with the LMII. It varies all over the map...but yes, they are all cabs for guitar.

Thanks for the offer to do the video...but it is not necessary, unless you have lots of extra time. 
I'm sure that you would rather be playing.

However, I would be interested in knowing your views on the cleans produced by the Roland Cube 60 (specifically, jazz tones).

Cheers

Dave


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

greco said:


> You asked about the speakers that the jazz guys are using with the LMII. It varies all over the map...but yes, they are all cabs for guitar.


Thanks Dave. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of specific info on the subject. 



> Thanks for the offer to do the video...but it is not necessary, unless you have lots of extra time. I'm sure that you would rather be playing.


No problem. Playing and practicing is good. However, if you do need a sound sample in the future, don't hesitate to contact me. It would be my pleasure to put something together for you.



> However, I would be interested in knowing your views on the cleans produced by the Roland Cube 60 (specifically, jazz tones).


When I was in the market for an amp, the first decision was whether I wanted to go tube or solid state. I was using a friends Fender DRRI at time with a full bodied archtop. It was great. Beautiful warm tone. But.... I didn't want the maintenance of the tubes or the weight. I then paid a visit to The Twelfth Fret. I tried Jazzkat, Henrickson, and Polytone. I wasn't crazy about any of them. I then tried the Cube 30 and 60. The Cube 60 with it's 12' speaker gave me the tone I wanted. Not to mention that it was small and light in weight. I don't use the modelling amps at all, only the JC Clean channel which is seperate (another feature I like). I use effects pedals because of the looping with the exception of some reverb.

Subsequently, two other jazz guitar playing friends of mine heard my Cube 60 and both bought them. One plays a tele (with an HB in the neck), the other plays a Sadowsky Jim Hall. So for a clean jazz tone in a SS amp, you really can;t go wrong with a Cube 60. One other note, some say that they like the tone of the Cube 60 as compared to the newer Cube 80X.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Fajah said:


> Thanks Dave. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of specific info on the subject.
> 
> No problem. Playing and practicing is good. However, if you do need a sound sample in the future, don't hesitate to contact me. It would be my pleasure to put something together for you.
> 
> ...


*Many, many thanks. This was exactly the information I was looking for !!*

I have an old (orange colour) Cube 60 with a new C Rex speaker (I put in the new speaker). 
It was abused by the previous owner(s) and has some "issues". I am concerned that it might just "give up" and I want to be ready, should something happen (Murphy's Law: because of my concerns, I am now sure that it will "outlive" me...LOL).

The model of Cube 60 that you have has been discontinued..AFAIK. 
I have a chance to get another old (orange) Cube 60 in good condition, but I wonder if I should look for one like yours. 

Again, thanks for the information.

BTW...this thread might interest you http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/14519-gk-mb-200-jazz-guitar-use.html

Cheers

Dave


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

greco said:


> *The model of Cube 60 that you have has been discontinued..AFAIK.
> I have a chance to get another old (orange) Cube 60 in good condition, but I wonder if I should look for one like yours.
> 
> BTW...this thread might interest you http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/14519-gk-mb-200-jazz-guitar-use.html*


*

Thanks for the link. Used Cube 60's like mine don't come up for sale that often although there's a couple available on Toronto Craigslist now. The old orange cubes are built like a tank. I had an early 80's Cube 20 for years.

If you decide to go with the newer Cube 60, ask the seller if they've had any issues with the input jack for that's the only weak point on the amp. All the jacks on the Cubes are made of plastic (including the nuts) and the nuts can break. The input jack, getting the most use and being on top, is the most susceptible. This might make for some good reading:

Roland Cube 60 Megathread*


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Fajah said:


> Thanks for the link. Used Cube 60's like mine don't come up for sale that often although there's a couple available on Toronto Craigslist now. The old orange cubes are built like a tank. I had an early 80's Cube 20 for years.
> 
> If you decide to go with the newer Cube 60, ask the seller if they've had any issues with the input jack for that's the only weak point on the amp. All the jacks on the Cubes are made of plastic (including the nuts) and the nuts can break. The input jack, getting the most use and being on top, is the most susceptible. This might make for some good reading:
> 
> Roland Cube 60 Megathread


Thanks for the heads up about the input jack and for the link to the megathread. 
It has been very helpful to me and is much appreciated.
BTW...I hope you don't view all this talk about Cube 60's as a hijack of this (your) thread. My apologies, if you do.

I have a newer version (traded in) Cube 60 being being shipped to the local Waterloo L&M from Scarborough for me to try.
Wish me luck ! 

Cheers

Dave


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

greco said:


> BTW...I hope you don't view all this talk about Cube 60's as a hijack of this (your) thread. My apologies, if you do.


LOL, not at all. You gave me some food for thought as well. I'm going to now try my Berg bass cab as an extension cab to my Cube 60  but will start another thread. 



> I have a newer version (traded in) Cube 60 being shipped to the local Waterloo L&M from Scarborough for me to try.
> Wish me luck !


That's great. Let us know what you think. Cube 60 megathread in the making.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

greco said:


> I have a newer version (traded in) Cube 60 being being shipped to the local Waterloo L&M from Scarborough for me to try.
> Wish me luck ! Dave


As it turns out, after the store sent me some pics, that this amp is a *Roland SUPER Cube 60*.
They had it advertised as a "Roland Cube 60" 
It seems similar to the old (orange) Cube 60's. No modelling, etc. 
There is some (very limited) info on the internet about them.
However, I was able to download an owner's manual.
This one is in very good condition and at a decent price.

I'll see how it sounds.

Looking forward to your findings re: Berg cab as an extension to the Cube 60.

BTW....Have you tried a guitar cab as an extension to your Markbass?

Cheers

Dave


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

greco said:


> BTW....Have you tried a guitar cab as an extension to your Markbass?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


Haven't tried that yet. I would probably have to go to a store to try. All my friends have combo guitar amps. I'm not sure how to hook up my LMII to a guitar combo amp and bypass the guitar amp's EQ.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Fajah said:


> Haven't tried that yet. I would probably have to go to a store to try. All my friends have combo guitar amps. I'm not sure how to hook up my LMII to a guitar combo amp and bypass the guitar amp's EQ.


You could go directly to the speaker(s) in the combo. You would need a length of speaker wire with 1/4 inch plug (for the Markbass) and 2 "slide-on" connectors for the speaker. I'm sure you have thought of this. I'd be happy to make this up for you, if you are not into soldering. PM me if you want to consider it. 

......or, you could just go to a store and try a cab, as you indicated in your post.

Cheers

Dave


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