How to authenticate a vintage Gibson L-5 or L-7 pickguard

[DMgolf66]

Hey Folks, just picked this up the other day at an estate sale. Was wondering how you would authenticate that this is indeed a Gibson PG?

[DMgolf66]

[wintermoon]

Likely is a Gibson guard but the reinforcing strip and mounting block are offgassing so kinda useless unless you remove them.
Not an L5 guard though, it's black plastic, L5 guards are tortoise shell celluloid like the added strip/block.
Probably a postwar ES-150 guard.

[ThatRhythmMan]

Likely is a Gibson guard but the reinforcing strip and mounting block are offgassing so kinda useless unless you remove them.
Not an L5 guard though, it's black plastic, L5 guards are tortoise shell celluloid like the added strip/block.
Probably a postwar ES-150 guard.

Likely is a Gibson guard but the reinforcing strip and mounting block are offgassing so kinda useless unless you remove them.
Not an L5 guard though, it's black plastic, L5 guards are tortoise shell celluloid like the added strip/block.
Probably a postwar ES-150 guard.

Agreed, that’s exactly what it looks like.


Now the mounting bracket taped onto the back of it is not correct for that guard though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[icr]

A couple L5 pickguards for comparison:

2003 L5 CES:


Prewar L5:

[icr]

Personally I'd just use that as a template to make a new one. If one scrapes the usual 4 ply black material that Stew Mac sells at a shallower angle, it will show more white and simulate the look of the original. Like this replica here: