Watch those old nitro guards everyone

[starjasmine]

I had Cris do a repro pickguard for my '74 Byrd over 20 years ago. Very nice - looks quite close to the original, down to the color and the multiple layers of binding.

When I acquired the guitar, pickup covers were deteriorating but the pickguard was intact. Replaced the covers (kept the originals) and never really did anything special with the case, but perhaps opening it daily did enough to get rid of any gas the case itself had absorbed. No problems with further deterioration of any part of the guitar.

Sadly, I placed the original pickguard inside a sealed plastic bag and stuck it in a closet. In hindsight, probably the worst thing I could have done with it. When I looked at it a couple of years ago, it had turned into a pile of chips.

If I had it to do again, I'd put the original pickguard in a cool, dark place with good air circulation.

Wondering whether those chips could be melted down and fashioned into a new version of the guard (which would probably also deteriorate, but... just curious. Anyone have any ideas about this?)

[wintermoon]

Wintermoon/ Nevershouldhavesoldit,

The hardware on my L5 looks fine. Even the pickguard looks good, but I see the degradation beginning underneath where the felt block is attached. Also, slight corrosion on mounting bracket - underside only. The guitar does exhibit a mild discoloration, but nothing that worries me.

I just noticed it recently - so it's likely just starting to show evidence. I'm not quite ready to change out the original Gibson case. This is a 76' Natual L5 purely acoustic - in dead mint condition, even the case is immaculate. It has an enormous acoustic voice with a beautiful nature reverb.

I'll try giving the case a mind cleaning as recommended.

Thanks guys.

I'll attach a couple of pics of guitar- anything which appears like a mark or scratch is just light reflections. This guitar came from a collector in the Nashville area - it was unplayed when I acquired it last year.







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Nice looking L-5CN, not a lot of them made by the time the 70s rolled around.
Can you post a top and bottom shot of the guard?
Whether it was from the current guard or possibly one that was on before it appears the fumes have darkened the top in that area a bit. A relatively common occurrence that shows up more on natural finish guitars. A little fret discoloration that fine steel wool can easily remove.

[QAman]

I only have a top pic of guard. It’s now with Cris Mirabella




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[wintermoon]

I had Cris do a repro pickguard for my '74 Byrd over 20 years ago. Very nice - looks quite close to the original, down to the color and the multiple layers of binding.

When I acquired the guitar, pickup covers were deteriorating but the pickguard was intact. Replaced the covers (kept the originals) and never really did anything special with the case, but perhaps opening it daily did enough to get rid of any gas the case itself had absorbed. No problems with further deterioration of any part of the guitar.

Sadly, I placed the original pickguard inside a sealed plastic bag and stuck it in a closet. In hindsight, probably the worst thing I could have done with it. When I looked at it a couple of years ago, it had turned into a pile of chips.

If I had it to do again, I'd put the original pickguard in a cool, dark place with good air circulation.

Wondering whether those chips could be melted down and fashioned into a new version of the guard (which would probably also deteriorate, but... just curious. Anyone have any ideas about this?)

Unless you plan on reusing the old binding the plastic bag, or better yet the trash is the best place for an offgassed guard, either intact or in chip form.

[Herbie]

In #16 above, I’m thinking of having the JS pickup installed on my L-5 along with a new pickguard. I’ve attempted to sand out the damage on the underside of the pickup, the edge of the pickup cover and a few spots on the U-bracket. It would be difficult to un-solder the two places on the underside of the pickup so the cover and U-bracket could be separated and the cover replated.

Question….if all of the green and red damage cannot be sanded out 100%, would their residue continue the corrosion process, in the absence of the offending pickguard?

Thanks!

Tom


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Normally sanding and steelwoolling and basicly any scratching of metal around the magnetic pickup is considered hazardous. Tiny metal particles go inside the pu and harm the windings.

So I’d suggest that try to find some other means to clean that throughly relic’d pickup!

Good luck!

[Jimmy Mack]

I've had 2. A '65 Johnny Smith, that just kept rusting the strings (every time I took it out of the case to play it, the strings had gone dead)

I bought a used L5 CES where the p/g was gone and the p/up covers were deteriorated. No problem, new covers and the guitar is SWEET.

[Archie]

I'd like to think, we just like looking at what we got!
It really is a shame to see guitars that some good honest people thought of as an investment, can just destroy themselves like this - inside of there own "protective" cases.
You know, a company that didn't take their customers for granted, would have put out an announcement about something like this. Telling customers any guitar that has a pickguard on such and such model purchased between the years xxxx thru xxxx should consider switching out there pickguards. Original owners are still covered under the lifetime warranty, but sebsequent owners can purchase a replacement here.. bla, bla, bla..
Unfortunately, that will never happen.
Shame.
The alternative is.. Play the crap out of them. And hang them on the inside of glass cases!
JD

Archtops are a work of art. They don't belong in cases, unless they're glass fronted.