Pick guard update

[Tom Bull]

A while back I asked for a vector of a stratocaster pickguard. I ended up just drawing one and said I would post the result, so here it is.

[Dan Hintz]

Too small to see anything of detail...

[Steven Wallace]

Tom here are your updated pics.

[Steven Wallace]

I think this might be slightly better

[Scott Balboa]

I'm trying to understand what I'm looking at... Is the Zebra-print guard the vectored product? Is it one material or is the black and white seperate and just pieced together? Looks cool...

[Tom Bull]

It's one piece white over black vector cut out shape, holes, screws, etc. and raster engrave the white off to reveal black underneath.

[Scott Balboa]

Now I feel like an idiot... It was so simple I didn't assume the obvious! I like it, and being a guitar player myself, I've been thinking about making something similar. Was this for a customer or yourself? Is it 1/16" plastic stock?

[Tom Bull]

That's my son, it's 1/8 LaserMax that I got from BF Plastics (they are GREAT to deal with.

[Joe Hayes]

Tom that is a very nice job. Looks very cool. I also love the wood lettering on the end.

[Curt Stallings]

Looks fantastic Tom. Good shape for the text too.

[Steven Wallace]

Tom, some of the after market pick guards for Stratocasters have a metalized tape on the backside. Did you have to put anything on the back of this pick guard? It looks like the pics got you some more responses. Glad I could assist with a procedure for you. I wrote it all down and my wife asked why I hadn't done that for her. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

[Mike Null]

Did you consider reverse engraving on clear acrylic coated with black on the back then using a white color fill?

The advantage would be the smoothness of the surface.

I like what you did so don't consider this a criticism---just another idea.

[Tom Bull]

Steve,
Yes we spray mounted some aluminum foil to the same area that the original guard was covered.
I really do appreciate your help with the photos, and your turorial you sent is going to be printed out and put in my folder of cheat sheets. My wife and I do the same, that is I make little step-by-step sheets for processes that she and I seldom use, but yet know they will come up again someday.

[Tom Bull]

Mike, actually did something like that. The acrylic was more brittle than the LaserMax and it cracked. All was not lost in that it proved the vector was accurate.