Rickenbacker Guards - construction?

porge · Post by **porge** » Sun May 29, 2005 4:31 pm

OK - this might sound like a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway.

A few years back I made a plexiglass repacement guard for a Guild I had (I have three guilds at the moment), but tracing it, making a template out of ply, rought cutting the plexi, using a router and a bearing bit to clean it up with the template, sanding it baby-bum smooth on the edges, then lining by hand, and painting with black paint on the back. Turned out great.

With Rickenbacker guards, do you think I could do the same to make a gold guard set for my recently purchased black-part 330/6MG? Is this how gold gaurds are done with Rickenbackers??

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun May 29, 2005 5:29 pm

Rick guards are made of clear 1/8" acrylic, and painted gold on the back. Use fast-drying paint and then let it dry for a few DAYS. Don't tighten the screws too tight or you'll make marks on the back side of the guard as the paint flattens out from the pressure.

porge · Post by **porge** » Sun May 29, 2005 6:14 pm

Ahhh! Sage (Mmm....sage!) advice indeed!!

Would it be best to seal the gold back with something? Is any chance it could react with the finish on the body?

porge · Post by **porge** » Sun May 29, 2005 6:25 pm

Paul,

Do you think that painting ground paint over the gold would work and be cool with the finish underneath? Or shoud I stick thin fiber washers (from my motorcycle parts bin) to 'raise' the bottom guard up .5-1mm?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sun May 29, 2005 7:16 pm

Just go with my suggestion. You can't seal the back with anything, and fiber washers will show as circles around the screws even if you don't tighten the screws down too much--they concentrate the pressure into little rings instead of spreading it out.

Most important is to let the paint dry a few days, and gently tighten the screws. It'll work--trust me. I've done four of these recently.

It won't react with the body fin as long as the gold paint is dry.

porge · Post by **porge** » Mon May 30, 2005 4:15 am

Cool...II'll let them cure for a week to be sure...when I get around to them!

qmoder · Post by **qmoder** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:45 pm

So who in our opinion makes the best replacement guards Jeff of fabgear or pickguardian? I want gold ones now for Montezuma Ric.

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:11 pm

Here's my 25cents worth. Use .125 clear acrylic, cut to rough size, drill and countersink all necessary holes. Using a pin router with 1/2inch carbide double flute bit and a 1/2 inch pin, place plastic on template, route to size and pickup hole. Sand and buff edge, send P.G's. over to paint shop, remove the paper from back side, apply 2 coats of Standard Brands Gold Lacquer, let dry, apply 2 coats of clear lacquer to preserve the gold. Let dry, peel off front paper and it's ready to place on instrument. This is how we made them back then, this is how I still make them today in my shop.

porge · Post by **porge** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:25 pm

Cheers Dale - appreciate the inside info. This is how I'd planned it. thanks for the tip on the buffing - I had thought of it ith the guild one, but after I'd painted it...I got eager to get it on the guitar

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:54 pm

Is Standard Brands still in business? The one near the Rick plant is long gone...

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:21 pm

You know these things eh Paul. We got alot of our finishing supplies from Std. Brands. That's where the Fullerplast came from and a secret item that went onto Many Ricks from the Mid 60's thru early 70's. I know that Std. Brands on South Main street just up the road aways from the Kilson st. plant closed down many years ago. I think they have all closed thier doors or went out of business. We had one in N.E. Portland until a few years ago. I'll check to see if any are still around unless someone replies to this that may know. How bout it Mr. Mondello, any in the Seattle area?

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:23 pm

You know these things eh Paul. We got alot of our finishing supplies from Std. Brands. That's where the Fullerplast came from and a secret item that went onto Many Ricks from the Mid 60's thru early 70's. I know that Std. Brands on South Main street just up the road aways from the Kilson st. plant closed down many years ago. I think they have all closed thier doors or went out of business. We had one in N.E. Portland until a few years ago. I'll check to see if any are still around unless someone replies to this that may know. How bout it Mr. Mondello, any in the Seattle area?

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:24 pm

That's weird, this message posted twice.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:27 pm

Hiccoughs?

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 4:21 am

Well I tried a search for Standard Brands Paint and up came a long list with Standard Brands Paint at the end of the list. After clicking on their logo, up comes a calendar porno site with lots of naked girls posing on various months. So I don't think that is it.