New archtop pickguard :: 1933 Gibson L-12 [4.9 lbs]

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New archtop pickguard :: 1933 Gibson L-12 [4.9 lbs]

A gorgeous 1933 Gibson L-12 archtop in for a new pickguard.  The guard was supplied by the customer without any hardware so I needed to source the appropriate parts.  I did not want to drill any new holes so I used the same mounting points on the guitar.  Gibson neck mounted some of these but this one was anchored in the top.  First I made a wooden spacer and found an old slotted brass screw that looked right.

The tricky part of this installation is finding the best elevation over the top.  Too close to the top and you will not be able to mount a floating pickup in the future.  Too high and the guard interferes with your right hand.  Another consideration is the angle in which the guard gradually falls away as you move from the strings towards the lower bout.  This is more of a cosmetic thing that just looks good or odd.

Note that I had to add spacers to both ends of the bracket to get the angles right.  There is even a little piece of leather on the bracket spacer where it comes in contact with the body binding.

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