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My Wesmo's guard is cracked in several places, though not falling apart. I have a link somewhere for one of the 2 or 3 guys who will make a nice bound replacement (around $300, if I recall), but I want to use a block of felt to support the lower end of the guard this time, which was not present on the guitar when I bought it 25 years ago.
I can't seem to find this stuff on any luthier supply websites, and the closest thing I've found is some thick felt wool pad used for embroidery/needlepoint work that I would have to cut down to a small cube and only comes in natural cream colored wool. Any ideas for a supplier of this stuff?
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02-24-2024 10:03 AM
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felt aside, just get an all parts guard for $70
Originally Posted by yebdox
Last edited by wintermoon; 02-25-2024 at 11:15 AM.
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Buy a new pickguard they are on ebay and various places google Gibson L5 pickguard. I can't make them that cheap myself. One way to so this is to get a large new cleaning sponge like this QEP Sponge | Google Shopping. Then cut it to fit they work great. Will not cause and damage to finish and keep guard firm but not interfere with top and sound. They are also go for finding and stopping various vibrations that can at times come from tailpiece or bracket. Originally Posted by yebdox
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That sponge is polyurethane foam. Aren't we supposed to avoid contact between PF and a nitrocellulose lacquer finish? Originally Posted by deacon Mark
Last edited by jazzshrink; 09-14-2024 at 05:38 PM.
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Thanks for the ideas, guys. The other archtops I've had over the years always seemed to have a wool like cube glued to the back of the guard, I assumed the composition was important to prevent interaction with the lacquer. I will investigate further.
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Felt. Readily available at any hardware store under the guise of chair/lamp base/furniture glides, adhesive on one side, available in various shapes, sizes, colours and thicknesses.
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I've used these - -I've cut them to the shape I've needed, stacked them, etc.....The adhesive side attaches to the underside of the p/g, and the felt / carpet side rests on the top....no finish damage at all...... .Is this what you meant ? Originally Posted by yebdox
https://www.acehardware.com/departme...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I wouldn't be comfortable using anything containing plasticizers, they may seem ok but I've seen old guards w sponges etc that reacted w nitro. Some new sponges may be made of different material, make certain you know what the material you use is made of and potential damage before using.
ps if you want a repro L5 guard, a forum member recently bought one that he can't use. If interested pm me and I'll give you his contact info.Last edited by wintermoon; 02-25-2024 at 11:48 AM.
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Those felt pads used for furniture are not usually the size you want. Those are usually up to 1/8” think and the size of the block is closer to 3/4” thick. I’ve also been interested in getting one, as they really to help the pickguard feel more stable. That’s not a huge deal to me because I don’t rest my hands on the guard but I also struggled to find something that came in that size. I think what you’d want to do is get a felt sanding block and then cut it down to the size you need. I’m pretty ignorant about cutting felt so I don’t know if that’s a possibility or if it would just make a mess. Seems like it would require a very sharp blade and precise cutting angles.
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for those wondering this is what the op is referring to
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I've used hard foam for a long time with no finish issues. I use it just because I have it on hand, not because I prefer it. Felt is probably preferable, but I've never had the hard foam cause any problems. It's easy enough to cut to shape with a scalpel or other sharp tool. It comes as packing material for many devices, electronic and not. I'm not necessarily recommending it, just saying that it has been working okay for me, on newer and older guitars with nitro finishes.
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I have used the felt furniture pads for years without any finish issues -- sometimes you need to stack two or three of them for height -- and have also used the similar cork pads. Both work.
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I don't trust modern products up against my nitro finish. Just no way of knowing. I'm using balsa wood when I need a simple pad. Cork seems a good idea as well. You can get cork rings used for fishing rod construction from many places. (yes.. DIY fishing rod construction from blanks is a thing)
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I think some finish reactions are exacerbated due to less than optimum environmental conditions.
That said I've seen old guitars w cork, strips of sponge and other materials under guards and floating pickups that reacted w the finish.
No matter what you use just keep tabs on it to make sure it doesn't damage your instruments.
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Thanks guys... I'm inclined towards the felt, have thought about the furniture pads (I use those all the time for other projects) but I doubt that they are wool or natural fiber, plus there is the stacking thing. I will likely purchase the wool sewing pad and see what I can do with a new exacto blade and a steel ruler and see if I can keep all 10 fingers intact.
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Originally Posted by yebdox
Not sure about cutting a sewing pad, but I used a pair of scissors on the furniture pads and it was easy. ( Think fingernails ? )
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Too bad Gibson wouldn’t tell you where they get those nice felt blocks.
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Just Google thick felt. You can cut it w an exacto knife. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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On my old Kay, when I made it it's current pickguard, I used a stack of sticky velcro circles to made a pad. I used only the "wooly" sides, not the plastic velcro "tooth" sides.
Probably not the hack job you want to use on an L5, but hey, it worked.
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If it has to be thick, I would cut a block to near the proper thickness and top it off with a piece of adhesive backed felt that is often available at hobby stores. It comes in white, so there will be no color bleed. Not sure if it's wool though, probably polyester I would think. Mark Campellone uses it to adjust the height of a floating pickup, and I have had it on mine for two years, I don't see any signs of a problem.
You could email him and see where he gets it.
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When I need to cut something tough, trauma shears are my go-to. They will cut through thick felt easily and neatly. I have a bunch of them left from when I was flying EMS, and there were boxes of them at the base. They were considered PR giveaway items, and the hospital nurses always asked for them. They will cut through jeans, boots, almost anything, with relative ease. My wife uses them for trimming roses and other plants, and I keep them in my toolboxes and all over the place. After years of use, they're all still very sharp. I know they're not readily available to most people, but if you ever get the chance to acquire some, by all means do so. They're probably available on the interwebz somewhere, but I haven't bothered to look because I have a dozen or so already.
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Don't think 'felt' is actually 100% wool unless it says it is. Those furniture pads are likely to be acrylic.
This might work? Amazon.com
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Here's what I'm looking it... forgot it was grey, rather than cream....
Amazon.com
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You might find with you're looking for if you search saxophone and brass repair supplies.
They are called felt disks or bumper guards depending on how think they are.
Felts
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those might work, but they are very small.... 3/8" diameter. Was hoping to find something more substantial, but thanks for thinking of it, I would not have thought about that as a source! Originally Posted by gggguitar
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