When I first started making guitars, I wanted to make every part myself, except for the strings and the tuners. While many of the items I crafted worked well, making plastic pickguards gave me quite a challenge. It seemed that I would get the inside radius wrong (see Figure 1),

Figure 1

or I would keep trying to perfect it to the point that the pick guard would become undersized (see Figure 2).

Figure 2

I began to think, "There has to be a better way to make pick guards." How can a piece of plastic be held firmly in place during a machine trimming operation? There can't be a hole in the pick guard itself although it would be convenient in the fabrication process. How about holding the plastic with metal or wood clamps and then routing it and sanding the edges? No, the clamps would get in the way of the router.

Then my thinking moved to the possibility of using a vacuum as a hold-down mechanism for the plastic blank. Not having a vacuum pump at hand, I decided to experiment with my shop vacuum as a vacuum source and found that it was strong enough to hold a sheet of plastic firmly in place. To arrive at my basic shape, I bought a pick guard from one of the guitar supply houses and traced it, modifying the inside radius to suit my needs. With the knowledge that my shop vacuum would serve my purposes, I developed the fixture shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Notice that the fixture has a large hole in the side where the vacuum hose fits snugly. (See Figure 4.)

Figure 4

When the vacuum sweeper is turned on, it sucks air through the holes in the top of the fixture. When a piece of plastic slightly larger than the pick guard is placed over the top, the plastic literally snaps into place and stays put during the machining process (see Figure 5).

Figure 5

With the plastic piece held firmly in place, a router with a flush trimming bit may be used to trim the plastic to the proper pick guard shape and size (see Figure 6).

Figure 6

The jig assembly is good for many cycles. I've made at least 50-60 guards with the fixture shown. The flush trimming router bit has a bearing at the end of it that rides or follows the vertical surface of the pick guard fixture. The cutter bits of the router blade are probably .003" less in diameter than the bearing, and the cutter bit of the router bit never touches the contour of the fixture. The cutting portion of the router bit only touches and cuts the oversize pick guard blank. Eventually the bearing that rides on the vertical wood surface will groove it, but it should last a very long time. You would have to make a new fixture for each pick guard shape, however.

When the trimming is finished, the piece may be removed from the fixture by lifting up a corner of the plastic, releasing the vacuum force. (See Figure 7.)

Figure 7

Feel the edges for rough spots and sand with fine sandpaper until the edges are smooth. This will take very little effort now that the plastic has been cut cleanly by the router. (See Figure 8.)

Figure 8

To attach my pick guards I use a spray adhesive available at most hobby shops. And now, you can make as many close-fitting pick guards as desired (see Figure 9).

Figure 9

Bill Ashby

Bill Ashby is a retired engineering Safety and Training Director living in Springfield, Missouri. To enquire further about his dreadnought and parlor model guitars please call or email:

Ashby Guitars
(417) 889-9656
billashby@sbcglobal.net

EDUCATION:

BS degree in Industrial Technology from Missour State Univ.
MA degree in Educational Administration from Univ. of Iowa


WORK:

McDonnell Aircraft Co.--Design draftsman and trainer in drafting procedures 9 years
Scott Community College--Instructor and Dept. Head of Mechanical Engineering Tech. 7 years----Supervisor of adult Industrial and Business courses 8 years
Boise-Cascade Packaging which became Graham Packaging--Technical Specialist and Training Supervisor 4 years--Technical Troubleshooter and trainer 2 years--Mgr of troubleshooting and training group 5years--Corp. Safety and Training Director 4 years

Ashby Guitars--11 years

INTEREST IN GUITARS

I started playing guitars when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I learned by playing with my dad who was a good fiddle player. Guitars have always been fascinating to me from the playing part as well as the building of guitars. I even made an electric guitar while I was in Korea, from an old Gibson neck (found in the trash) and a piece of 2 x 12 lumber. I used an add-on pickup and it worked fair.

In the late 50s, I made a better electric guitar from an old neck and a solid body that I contoured. I also made the pickups from purchased magnets and used fine wire from a couple of car coils for the windings. Biggest problem--the pickup always had a slight buzz that I couldn't fix. I used it until we moved from St. Louis to Iowa and I almost quit playing for several years.

When we moved back to St, Louis, I started taking lessons from Mel Bay at the Kirkwood store. My interest was hooked again and I still have the interest. In the late 80s I ordered a guitar kit and made a classical guitar. It took me a year to make it. I was traveling on the job 50-60 percent of the time. That started me thinking, I'm going to need something to do when I retire. I have always had an interest in woodworking and why not combine that with my interest in guitars. That way I'll have something to do when I'm not golfing.

So here it is, 11-plus years since I retired and I've made 48 guitars. I think the ones I'm making now are pretty good. However, I thought the first few were good when I made them, but honestly I often wish I could get the first 10 back and destroy them. It makes me wonder, "Will I be wishing I could retrieve the guitars I am making now 10 years from now"? The first guitars played well and sounded good, but I just didn't do enough of the nitpicking needed to make a guitar a real class act. The "picking" is just part of the business. Making guitars is fun, challenging and it makes you think. I like it.