Is it OK to remove my pickguard from my Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst?

Question

Is it OK to remove the pickguard from my Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst, and If I do or am OK with doing it, If it does get scratched up on the finish when the pickguard is removed, how can I repair or cover up the scratches on it and how much does the treatment or materials to cover/repair cost???

PLEASE ANSWER!

Answer 1

I don't see any real problem with removing the pickguard. Of course, it's there for a reason: to protect the finish from wear. If you remove it, you'll almost certainly get some scratches there. Repairing a finish is tricky, and with a sunburst (silver to black) it's going to be harder. If you're lucky, they'll just be surface scratches that you can buff out with polishing compound. If or when you put the pickguard back on, it'll probably *hide* most of the damage to the finish.



Here's a suggestion: Make a *clear* pickguard!! The pickguard looks like it would be pretty easy to reproduce. Remove the black one and trace it onto a piece of plexi-glass. If you can't scavenge the original mounting brackets, they'll be easy to recreate with a trip to a hardware store. The plexi-glass will eventually show scratches, but it will be less visible than the black one you have now....and you can always make a new one.

Answer 2

Yes you can remove your pick guard with ease (and a screwdriver). The question you have to ask yourself is do you want to sell the guitar? I have guitars that I've had for thirty years but some I've sold after a week. If you wish to sell your Gibson it's probably best not to remove it as it could get scratched which some people don't like or you could loose the plate which could be worse. If you're happy with the guitar and it plays well and gives you the sound you want you won't want to sell it. If that's the case take off the guard and it doesn't really matter if it get scratched - a scratch on the body doesn't change the sound and it won't make it any different to play. You appear to prefer the look of your guitar without the plate so take it off if you intend to keep the guitar. If you may sell it leave it on. Don't be too precious about your guitar, once it's gigged a bit it will pick up plenty of scratches, wear and scuffs by accident. Good luck and happy playing.

PS repairs to the paintwork on a guitar are best done by a proper luther (guitar builder) it's not worth doing it yourself and making a mess of the look and the sound of an instrument. This can be an expensive process and leave you without your main guitar for a while.

Answer 3

Do you actually hit the pickguard when you play? If not, then the body won't get scratched. If you're wondering if you could do it youself, of course. You just need a screw driver.

Answer 4

If you're worried about the finish getting damaged I'd leave the pick-guard on!

Answer 5

Hmm... Sorry Joshy I'm not good with guitars.



<3 courtny