Getting plastic off pick guard

A Future Legend · December 29th, 2008, 11:30 AM

I purchased my Stratocaster 3 years ago and I never had the nerve to pop the tone buttons off to get the plastic off the pick guard.
Does anyone have any suggestions on getting the plastic off the pick guard? If I need to take the buttons off what is the safest way to do that?
Thanks

asc67 · December 29th, 2008, 11:36 AM

I've found the best way is to use a flat metal ruler or popsicle stick. Slide it under the knob and pry up on it while turning the knob back and forth slowly and surely the knob will start to come up off of the shaft.

Sometimes the plastic film gets trapped under the screws as well so unscrew them to get the little pieces off.

epistrat · December 29th, 2008, 12:32 PM

I use a tablespoon to pry the knobs off without scratching the guard.

zogjam · December 29th, 2008, 01:41 PM

i always just pop off the knobs with a pick, i use 1mm tortex and those are strong enough to do it. I use the tip of the pick to pull any stuck plastic out of there. if you keep in as big a piece as possible and pull slowly away from the knobs you can usually get a good enough portion that if there is any left it wont get in the way and won't be visible. Just hope that the glue that holds on the plastic didn't change because i've seen some that had on the plastic for 5+ years in hot attics that had goop all over them after the plastic came off

07 road house · January 2nd, 2009, 08:12 PM

I was just really carful with a flat head screwdriver to pop the knobs off. I put pressure on the inside and not on the outside

guitardude24680 · January 3rd, 2009, 08:11 AM

Well, I guess I didn't do mine right! I bought a Squier tele a few years ago and when I noticed there was plastic (I was a beginning player) I just pulled it off. There's a little bit left under one screw, but other than that it's all hidden. Good thing my first strat was used and I didn't have to mess up anything on that one!

electricbody · January 3rd, 2009, 06:00 PM

Looping a piece of string under the knob also works. Just pull up.

Carlsoti · January 4th, 2009, 12:26 AM

th spoon trick works well, as well as the steel ruler. Make sure the part you are prying on is the CENTER section, not at the edge. I've busted a knob on a cheap guitar not being careful, though fender knobs seem to be a bit less brittle. (unless it's some vintage gear!)

Zman · January 4th, 2009, 07:34 AM

I use a common table knife, one without a serated edge. I slowly pry the knob up while rotating it slowly one digit at a time. Make sure you note the position so you can put them back in place. The pick guards come with the plastic and the parts are added to it so you may have to back some of the screws out slightly to get all the little residue.

Dirt Rich · January 4th, 2009, 07:38 AM

There's always fire lol. Try using a blow dryer on it, that should break the adhesive effect, and make it nice and stretchy for you. Probably won't need to remove anything except maybe a screw or two.

thaus · January 4th, 2009, 08:39 AM

Since I am constantly modding my guitars, I always take any plastic off when I remove the pickguard. The metal ruler works well to pry off the knobs......

suecag · January 21st, 2010, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricbody

Looping a piece of string under the knob also works. Just pull up.

I just came across this when googling for an answer. Thanks electricbody for the string idea. I found a very thin piece of string and it did the trick easily, and without risk of damage. No more plastic under the knobs!

Knackers · January 22nd, 2010, 05:05 AM

after i took the plastic off of my pickguard, there was still a little left under the screws that hold to pickups on. This is a little bit of a problem because u cant just loosen the screw a bit, because that only adjusts the pup height. Does anyone have a solution to this?

Gravy · January 22nd, 2010, 01:47 PM

I've found the best way to get the knobs off is to just tuck the bottom of your shirt or a cloth around the knob and pull straight up...works like a charm

busted-e-again · January 23rd, 2010, 07:13 PM

The knobs come off much easier if you pull up both sides at the same time - like put two spoons or small flathead screwdrivers on each side and pry up.

+1 on the screws. The plastic may also go under some screws, especially the pickup screws, so you may want to loosen all the screws before you do the big peel, so the plastic comes out from under them too.

Boris Bubbanov · January 23rd, 2010, 07:40 PM

A metal spoon or a plastic Wendy's knife is fine. Flat metal things can scratch the surface.

Once the thing is left on there too long, you'll probably need to take off the pickguard and remove the pots or pups or switch you're working around.

There will be residue on the plastic. Meguiar's Scratch X is perfect for removing this stubborn film.

Now, the pickguard plastic probably had a paper label. There will be a lighter area underneath it. I can't help you; just accept it.

Strato · January 23rd, 2010, 07:49 PM

LOL,
Just looked closely at mine and there are some remnants on a couple of my guard screws. A little fingernail action and it is now gone.

nadzab · January 23rd, 2010, 09:07 PM

Two heavy picks, come in from opposite sides and wiggle a bit...the knob will start to rise and can then be pulled right off.