L5 Hollowbody Pickguard

[seagulc]

Hey guys, do you know of any websites that sell a pickguard which will fit the L5 hollowbody from Warmoth? Warmoth doesn't appear to sell pickguards for this body type. How could I figure out which dimensions I need?

Also, is the installaton for a pickguard difficult? Will I need to drill into the body?

Also if anyone knows of a website who sells wooden pickguards that would  be great.

Thanks very much.

 

[seagulc]

Nobody has any info about this..? Even if I had the proper dimensions I could order an ES335 pickguard or something similar, but I have no idea what will fit on the L5.

 

[Soylent]

Would this work for it?

http://www.allparts.com/store/pick-guards-for-gibson-reg-style-guitars-pg-9815-023,Product.asp

 

[seagulc]

It could, I looked at that site already. The thing is from what I've read the Warmoth L5 body is pretty different from an actual Gibson L5 so I'm not sure if that pickguard would be the right dimensions. Thanks for the help anyways though.

 

[Soylent]

Lol I tried, didn't want you to think you were being ignored!

Luke

 

[dbw]

That pickguard is designed for a carved top.  It may work anyway... some people have used Gibson Les Paul pickguards on their Warmoth LPs.  Be prepared to do some sanding because it might not fit out of the box.

 

[Unwound G]

Part of the fun in building a custom guitar is also to fabricate or design you own parts and layouts, especially the pickguard.

One way of knowing if a pickguard will indeed look good with your L5S is to copy or draw out a shape on a cardboard and cut it out.  Let the cut-out sit on the body and fine tune the curves and bends by snipping off or adding bits of cardboard to the shape that will most appeal.  Also you can adjust the pickup positions as some Warmoth bodies are not retrofitted to other brands.  You can also decide if you want the pickguard to be flat on the body or have it slightly raised like on some carved top bodies. 

Custom designed pickguards can be ordered once you have finalized the cut-out shape.  You can then choose the material you wish the pickguard to be made from.

One of these makers is Terrapin Guitars ( http://www.terrapinisland.com/estore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65&sort=20a&page=2 ).  For a truely personalized build, you can actually cut it yourself using simple tools like a Dremel or a handheld jigsaw by ordering blank sheets from Warmoth which has a good selection in stock.

 

[seagulc]

Thanks for the info Unwound. I guess it's more of a custom thing, I saw lots of L5s on this forum with pickguards so I thought a site may sell them already made. Do people generally drill the pickguard holes themselves? Is that difficult on a finished body?

 

[Unwound G]

I downloaded the short ES335 pickguard template and made a cut-out.  It fits the Warmoth L5S body including the humbucker positions without any modifications..

To drill pickguard holes on the body is easy but a lot of care has to be taken.

Firstly, you have to mark a precise point where you want the screw with a center punch hole starter or a thin sharp nail tapped lightly on the painted surface.

Next, use a small and fine drill bit to drill a hole to the depth of the screw.  The drill bit should be much smaller than the pickguard screw thread diameter.

Graduate to a slightly bigger drill bit and widen the hole so the trick is really drill the hole in stages rather than do it one off to accomodate the pickguard screws.

Hope it helps.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

The drill bit should be 1/16''

 

[theklanch]

I can make you a pickguard out of wood if you send me a template.  PM me if you are interested.  I can also do them in plastic pickguard material, but frankly I don't like working with it.  The stuff gets messy and stringy when you use a router spinning at 25,000 RPM.  I would be happy to make one for you..........

 

[seagulc]

Thanks for the info guys. I don't think I'm going to go for a pickguard, I want to avoid drilling any holes and the whole reason I chose to have a pickguard was due to having only 1 f-hole (so that Warmoth will drill control holes for me) I'll keep you in mind though theklanch.

 

[OzziePete]

Even if you got an exact fit pickguard, you'd have to drill some holes. Even the Strats and Teles don't come complete from Warmoth with pickguard screw holes. If you take it easy, and in steps as described above there shouldn't be any problems with the finish.