peel off pickguard Film on the guitar

First-time instrument buyers are sometimes a little dismayed to notice that the pickguard on their new guitar or bass looks weird—kind of dull, and maybe already scratched up quite a bit. Because most new guitars and basses come with a protective film of clear plastic covering the pickguard. This film protects the pickguard during shipping and retail display. It is this thin film that looks worn and faded, not the pickguard itself. And this clear plastic film is meant to be removed.

With all speed, peel that film off. Although it peels off easily, it might get a little tricky around pickguard screws or control knobs. If that happens, just loosen the pickguard screws slightly, remove the plastic stuck around them, and re-tighten them. Once the plastic film has been removed, your pickguard will look like it’s supposed to—nice and shiny and flat and new.

Sometimes it’s more obvious that a plastic pickguard film is present because it’ll have printing and graphics on it clearly not intended be a permanent feature of the pickguard itself. Further, other parts of your guitar may also be covered with removable plastic film, such as the screw-on covers of rear instruments routs and compartments.

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