I need a replacement pick guard for my 1954 M-75. The original warped. I flattened it acceptably with heat (hair dryer) and placing it between plates of glass under a weight. But on reattaching it to the guitar I found that the pick guard has actually shrunk a bit. I suppose I could cut a new one myself from some b/w material, but if someone on this forum has one to sell I would consider it. Thank you.
M-75, 1954
- Thread starter Dr Jazz
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BradHK
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Welcome! I love aristocrats and we would love to see some photos!
These pickguards all shrink and warp over time. You can have another one made but I have been unable to find a new pickguard material that looks like the original. Is it that yours won’t fit around the pickups or just that the mounting holes no longer match the ones in the body? If you just need to match up the holes, this is what I did to get my original shrunk pickguard to fit on my 1954 Aristocrat with no modifications:
I made an adapter out of brass that screws into the original hole in the body then has another threaded hole that matches the location of the hole in the pickguard. A machine screw is cut short so it is just long enough to go through the pickguard and thread into the adapter. Once the pickguard is mounted everything is invisible and the height is the same as the original felt washer. Here is a photo of the adapter installed on the guitar before the pickguard is mounted.
Here it is with the pickguard mounted. You can tell it has shrunk but I think using the original looks more appropriate than a reproduction.
These pickguards all shrink and warp over time. You can have another one made but I have been unable to find a new pickguard material that looks like the original. Is it that yours won’t fit around the pickups or just that the mounting holes no longer match the ones in the body? If you just need to match up the holes, this is what I did to get my original shrunk pickguard to fit on my 1954 Aristocrat with no modifications:
I made an adapter out of brass that screws into the original hole in the body then has another threaded hole that matches the location of the hole in the pickguard. A machine screw is cut short so it is just long enough to go through the pickguard and thread into the adapter. Once the pickguard is mounted everything is invisible and the height is the same as the original felt washer. Here is a photo of the adapter installed on the guitar before the pickguard is mounted.
Here it is with the pickguard mounted. You can tell it has shrunk but I think using the original looks more appropriate than a reproduction.
Hello BradHK. Thank you for your advice. Sounds like a good plan and your results look good. I'll try to get you some photos of my guitar. I do not have an iPhone, but my daughter does and occasionally helps me with tech.
My other Guild is a 1971 D-35. The guitar has significant "bear claw" on the top. It has been referred to as a "banjo killer". I once encountered Richie Havens and we discussed the D-35 and D-40. The D-40 was a cosmetic upgrade of the D-35, same woods and construction. Havens famously was loyal to the mahogany/spruce sound of those Guilds.
My other Guild is a 1971 D-35. The guitar has significant "bear claw" on the top. It has been referred to as a "banjo killer". I once encountered Richie Havens and we discussed the D-35 and D-40. The D-40 was a cosmetic upgrade of the D-35, same woods and construction. Havens famously was loyal to the mahogany/spruce sound of those Guilds.
Blues&BebopFan
Junior Member
My dream guitar!! So beautiful !
@BradHK don't hesitate to post more pictures!
I was wondering if there is other things that might happened with time ? Did you guys had to change something else on your aristocrat ? Want to be fully ready and aware of what to do the day I'm finally able to put my hands on one
@BradHK don't hesitate to post more pictures!
I was wondering if there is other things that might happened with time ? Did you guys had to change something else on your aristocrat ? Want to be fully ready and aware of what to do the day I'm finally able to put my hands on one
Hello Blues&BebopFan. The M-75 is a great guitar for blues and bebop! I played mine as I was transitioning from a flat-top player to styles that demanded more jazz articulation. But I still wanted that hollow-body feel (M-75 has that). It is one of the best guitars I've played. I've only "retired" it since I've acquired an "American Dream" by American Archtop, which is a full-body, floating pickup guitar. And that's why I did not notice the warping of the pick guard. But if I had it out every day, it still would have warped.
The warp probably resulted because the pick guard is black plastic over white. The black apparently shrinks more quickly than the white, causing the pick guard to warp up like a ski-jump. But it did flatten when I treated it as I described above.
Other than that, the only problems I notice are plastic related. The binding (ivoroid plastic) has shrunk, most noticeably in the tight curves at the waistline of the guitar. This is a relatively easy fix for a professional luthier. Also, the heel cap has shrunk a bit and separated from the heel of the neck. Similar repair. We've learned a lot about plastic since 1954.
But the M-75 still plays great! Really, it is a jazz archtop, reduced in body size. No problem with feedback unless perhaps you play at extremely high-volume, though I have not tested it in those situations.
I live in Pennsylvania, USA. Some years ago I was performing at a club along the Delaware River. I went to the men's room and there were snapshots of a women's band playing in very revealing costumes. Two of the guitar players played M-75s! What a riot!
That's it for now. All the best to you.
--Dr Jazz
The warp probably resulted because the pick guard is black plastic over white. The black apparently shrinks more quickly than the white, causing the pick guard to warp up like a ski-jump. But it did flatten when I treated it as I described above.
Other than that, the only problems I notice are plastic related. The binding (ivoroid plastic) has shrunk, most noticeably in the tight curves at the waistline of the guitar. This is a relatively easy fix for a professional luthier. Also, the heel cap has shrunk a bit and separated from the heel of the neck. Similar repair. We've learned a lot about plastic since 1954.
But the M-75 still plays great! Really, it is a jazz archtop, reduced in body size. No problem with feedback unless perhaps you play at extremely high-volume, though I have not tested it in those situations.
I live in Pennsylvania, USA. Some years ago I was performing at a club along the Delaware River. I went to the men's room and there were snapshots of a women's band playing in very revealing costumes. Two of the guitar players played M-75s! What a riot!
That's it for now. All the best to you.
--Dr Jazz
Hello M-75 fans.
After flattening my pick guard and finding that it had actually SHRUNK, I decided to have a new one made. I live in eastern Pennsylvania, not far from Nazareth, home of Martin Guitar. An acquaintance is a retired Martin guy and very experienced in guitar repair. He was able to fabricate a new pick guard to (almost) the exact specs of the original. I say "almost" because the new pick guard material is b/w/b rather than the original b/w. One really cannot see the difference unless one looks with a flashlight and a magnifying glass. It is still thin like the original.
The repair included fixing the shrunken binding. That involved removing the binding from the waistline toward neck. It turns out that on the bass side there was a remainder of binding under the neck. This excess (about 1/4 inch) allowed the binding to be reattached with no patch showing. On the treble side there was no excess binding, so we "blended in" a tiny piece of fresh binding near the neck that matched the color of the original. Again, unless you look with a flashlight and a magnifying glass, you'd never see it.
The (original) loose heel cap material was easily glued into place. We made no attempt to disguise the shrinkage, which is very slight.
We must keep in mind that as these guitars age they will require certain repairs. Any violin (and there are many over 100 years old and still in active use) has had numerous fixes over the years. One cannot be "purist" about these things. Keep the repairs honest and close as possible to original condition.
--Dr Jazz
After flattening my pick guard and finding that it had actually SHRUNK, I decided to have a new one made. I live in eastern Pennsylvania, not far from Nazareth, home of Martin Guitar. An acquaintance is a retired Martin guy and very experienced in guitar repair. He was able to fabricate a new pick guard to (almost) the exact specs of the original. I say "almost" because the new pick guard material is b/w/b rather than the original b/w. One really cannot see the difference unless one looks with a flashlight and a magnifying glass. It is still thin like the original.
The repair included fixing the shrunken binding. That involved removing the binding from the waistline toward neck. It turns out that on the bass side there was a remainder of binding under the neck. This excess (about 1/4 inch) allowed the binding to be reattached with no patch showing. On the treble side there was no excess binding, so we "blended in" a tiny piece of fresh binding near the neck that matched the color of the original. Again, unless you look with a flashlight and a magnifying glass, you'd never see it.
The (original) loose heel cap material was easily glued into place. We made no attempt to disguise the shrinkage, which is very slight.
We must keep in mind that as these guitars age they will require certain repairs. Any violin (and there are many over 100 years old and still in active use) has had numerous fixes over the years. One cannot be "purist" about these things. Keep the repairs honest and close as possible to original condition.
--Dr Jazz
Blues&BebopFan
Junior Member
Hi Dr Jazz,
Really nice to hear everything went well with fixing your M-75. I wish you many many hours of happy practicing on it!
Really nice to hear everything went well with fixing your M-75. I wish you many many hours of happy practicing on it!
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Sounds great! We need pix!
BradHK
Senior Member
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Yes! Pictures please!Sounds great! We need pix!
Hello M-75 Fans.
Finally attaching photos of my M-75 repair story. See my post of 13 March 2024 for the verbal description. Notice the old pick guard in the first (1701) and last (1699) photo. In photo 1700, the old pick guard is laid over the replacement. You really see the shrinkage and distortion of the old plastic. More shots to come re the binding repair.
Finally attaching photos of my M-75 repair story. See my post of 13 March 2024 for the verbal description. Notice the old pick guard in the first (1701) and last (1699) photo. In photo 1700, the old pick guard is laid over the replacement. You really see the shrinkage and distortion of the old plastic. More shots to come re the binding repair.
Attachments
Here are shots of the binding repair on the M-75. This, along with the pick guard, is probably the most common problem on the early
M-75s and other vintage guitars. Caution: Check out the vintage M-75s you see for sale on the almighty internet. Look closely at the "waistline" area for possible binding shrinkage.
My tech loosened the binding on both sides and then reattached it. This left a small gap on the treble side (5 mm) which he filled with a small patch. He used the same procedure on the bass side. However there, he discovered a small amount of excess binding extending under the fingerboard. This makes sense, since the fingerboard and neck joint would hold the binding securely in place. In this case, the excess was enough to correct the shrinkage at the bass "waistline", so no patch was necessary.
Loosening the original binding is a messy job. Some discreet touch-up was necessary. Make sure your tech knows what he/she is doing.
M-75s and other vintage guitars. Caution: Check out the vintage M-75s you see for sale on the almighty internet. Look closely at the "waistline" area for possible binding shrinkage.
My tech loosened the binding on both sides and then reattached it. This left a small gap on the treble side (5 mm) which he filled with a small patch. He used the same procedure on the bass side. However there, he discovered a small amount of excess binding extending under the fingerboard. This makes sense, since the fingerboard and neck joint would hold the binding securely in place. In this case, the excess was enough to correct the shrinkage at the bass "waistline", so no patch was necessary.
Loosening the original binding is a messy job. Some discreet touch-up was necessary. Make sure your tech knows what he/she is doing.
Attachments
Check out the photos of my M-75 repairSounds great! We need pix!
Check out the photos of my M-75 repair.
Smiert Spionam
Member
Nice work. Looks great!
Blues&BebopFan
Junior Member
Beautiful! Very happy to hear that the surgery of your M-75 went well! It looks really well done!! I'm sure the guitar is a dream to play and to look at! Have tons of fun with it!
jp
Senior Member
Excellent work. It's looking great!