Pickguard variation, especially early on.

[E-Type]

Did Guild have a standard pickguard template (or several of them?). I know these pics are from different years, but they seem to bounce around from long to short and fatter to skinnier. These are all F-47s. It just seems weird to me that they vary so much. It cannot be differential shrinkage, right? I would assume they used a steel dye to punch them out and redesigning that would be kinda costly to do every year.

1966


1967


1970


1972

 

[E-Type]

I thought maybe the pickguards got smaller later, but here is a ‘66 D-40. And I know I’ve seen a ‘67 D-40 with a huge one.

 

[bobouz]

My name is Bob, and I have a pickguard problem. On a Guild or Gibson, I love it when they nicely mimic the waistline of the body. There should also be a certain distance between the edge of the body, the bridge, & the pickguard. And omg if it’s crooked, my brain will be toast. Guild’s pickguards have had a lot of variations in the way they’re sized, shaped, & placed - not even counting major changes - so it’s been a tough row to hoe!

For me, here’s the ideal shape & placement:

 

[E-Type]

My name is Bob, and I have a pickguard problem. On a Guild or Gibson, I love it when they nicely mimic the waistline of the body. There should also be a certain distance between the edge of the body, the bridge, & the pickguard. And omg if it’s crooked, my brain will be toast. Guild’s pickguards have had a lot of variations in the way they’re sized, shaped, & placed - not even counting major changes - so it’s been a tough row to hoe!

For me, here’s the ideal shape & placement:

I agree! Is this an Oxnard maple F-55? And is it yours? So envious if it is!

 

[wileypickett]

I have the original wooden pickguard template that Westerly used, and yes, they seemed to have had different templates for different models.

Mine is marked "Big D-40."

 

[bobouz]

I agree! Is this an Oxnard maple F-55? And is it yours? So envious if it is!

Actually, it’s my 1974 16” maple F-40. The 17” jumbo pickguards from the same era were a bit larger & had a slightly different shape. The current Oxnard F-50 pickguard looks quite nice, imho. Interestingly, this past week I happened to be looking online at some of the same F-47s you pictured above, honing right in on the variety of those pickguards!

 

[chazmo]

I have the original wooden pickguard template that Westerly used, and yes, they seemed to have had different templates for different models.

Mine is marked "Big D-40."

Hey, Glenn, have you ever posted those? I'd like to see them.

 

[DougH]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

 

[chazmo]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

You sure about that, Doug?

 

[davismanLV]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

I've NEVER seen a pickguard like that before. I doubt very much it's original. I've been wrong before, though.

 

[AcornHouse]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

I'd check with @hansmoust on that, but I'm willing to bet that that's not original.

 

[Brad Little]

Okay, different pickguards, different eras. First, my '64 F212 with a little hump on the top right:

'76 F50, hump gone and that part rounded:

1994:

2010:

 

[wileypickett]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

I can (sort of) believe it, as one of my Guild 12-strings had a pickguard that went flush to the bridge this way -- though mine wasn't nearly as clunky-looking as this. (It didn't wrap that far around the treble side bridge-wing.)

From pics, I thought the 12-string had a replacement pickguard, but when I saw the guitar in person, I changed my mind. The pickguard was lacquered over in the typical Guild fashion and I coudn't find any evidence of the pickguard ever having been swapped out. In every respect the guitar appeared to have left the factory the way I found it.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Pickguard is original on my '59 F-50

Not sure about the pickguard, but your Truss Rod cover is on up-side-down!