Luthiery Laboratories

More Plastic Problems

After a few years, this is what the white pickguard turned into. While the discoloration certainly looks like a light shadow, this was exposed only to indirect room light, not direct sunlight. I guess for some plastics, any light at all will do this. This is another piece that I am certain I sourced direct from China. Fortunately, this is a simple part to replicate, and after my previous failures with RetroBright, I didn't bother.

This is a giant piece of white plastic that I got for free from Home Depot. I've had it for several years, and it shows no sign of yellowing, so I think it is safe to use. The biggest problem is cutting a small piece off the big one to start with. This plastic is a little bit prone to cracking if you are rough with it, but nothing like clear.

The loose blue covering promised to be a problem, so I peeled it off and replaced it with masking tape. The rest was easy, using the old parts are templates.

The trussrod cover is also a bit yellowed, but that is more a matter of the polyurethane over the decal than the plastic. I'll live with it. This is the third pickguard I've replaced lately, all for the same reason: inferior material from China.