Pickguard filling

[jerry8jb]

Hi, it's been a while, I wasn't aware about Guitar nuts 2...

Simple question, I want to replace a pu switch which have a 1 1/4 inches spacing with a new switch with the standard 1 5/8 inches spacing. I just wonder with what material I can plug the obsolete hole? I know (by experience) that superglue (cyano....) melt plastic. As anyone of you ever use epoxy? or something else? It's a friend old guitar and he don't want to change the pickguard for nomw and I can't find switch with a 1 1/4 spacing.

Thanks.

Jerry

[Runewalker]

IF you are not overly concerned about the esthetics, then you can use epoxy. There are some brands that dry clear I have used successfully and gently painted over to match. Not perfect but acceptable, depending on your standards..

Another option is find some thiner plastic material that forms an adaptive cover, maybe shaped like a tele control cover, just alot smaller, that you cut a slot into but that covers the residual slot. Otherwize go somewhere like Terapin and order up a custom gaurd. This is the time to finally get that wild Jerry Garcia tyedie gaurd you have been dreaming of.

www.terrapinguitars.com/

[wolf]

Hey hold off on that epoxy. This is GuitarNuts.

Are you talking about the typical Fender 5 way switch that has the 1 and 5/8 inch spacing? (I just measured one so I'm assuming it is).
It is easy to drill small holes 1 ¼ inches apart on a standard spaced switch. The metal is really thin and you don't need a tap and die set to make new threading in the freshly drilled holes. Just use the screws that come with the switch to make the new threads.
(I also measured a switch to see if you could get away with just drilling 1 new hole but the 1 ¼ spacing makes things a little tight).
And since I had a spare 5 way switch kicking around, I decided to give my own advice a try. I decided to use a finishing nail and hammer as my "drill". Why? Because this method allows most of the metal that was "drilled out" to remain connected to the switch so that it can be used for the threading material for the new holes. The result? I have successfully made a Fender 5 way switch with 4 threaded holes - spacings are 1 and 5/8 inches and 1 ¼ inches.

What do you think?

[wolf]

Jerry8jb
Lately, have you looked at the thread you started? I think I have a solution for you (see above). Well, since you started this topic on 7/23/2005, that pickguard may have already paid a visit to "Epoxy City". In any case, let us know what happened.