When did fender stop using celluloid?

1965
Celluloid had vexing drawbacks, however – aside from being so extraordinarily flammable that few dared work with it, it was prone to shrinking, warping and cracking. Consequently, Fender switched to less temperamental plastics for its multi-ply pickguards around 1965.

What is a celluloid pickguard?

This particular pickguard is made of celluloid, one of the earliest forms of plastic. It can look very beautiful and make imitations for tortoise shell and ivory, but is very unstable. Celluloid has been used in the past to make pickguards, binding, picks and other small plastic parts for guitars.

How do you cut celluloid pickguard?

Stick the pattern (which can be an old pickguard), to the celluloid with double-stick tape and scribe around it using an awl or a scribe. Celluloid is the one plastic that will work this way. The broken surface is smoothed with 220 sandpaper, and the bevel is done with a scraper and fine (400 to 600) sandpaper.

What were old pickguards made of?

Pickguards fitted to acoustic guitars are usually made from thin (2 mm) sheets of plastic (such as PVC), attached with an adhesive just below the sound hole. The material should not be unduly thick or heavy since this might reduce vibration of the soundboard and alter the tone or volume of the instrument.

When did Fender Stop using Bakelite?

(The pictures below are Bakelite or Polystyrene parts. They were commonly used by Fender for Strats from 1954 – early 1957. They switched to using ABS plastic in early to mid 1957.)

Do modern pickguards shrink?

The major cause of shrinkage of Martin pickguards is the gluing method. One solution is to attach the guards with pressure-sensitive adhesive, which is the way most modern pickguards are attached over the finish.

What are fender pickguards made of?

What does the pick guard do?

A device applied to the surface of a guitar (or bass, etc.) to protect its finish from scratches that may occur due to picks scraping across the top while playing. Pick guards are usually made from some type of plastic, although metal and other materials are sometimes used.