Collectible Guitar MarApr 2017 | Page 37

5 Here are the cutout blanks of the pickguard 6 eye catching. material (see pic.#4). I drilled the mounting met him in 1967. He was a warm, open guy who loved music, guitars, guitar players and holes and used them to attach the material The beveled Pickguards placed on the face good songs. I had the privilege to play with to the plywood forms attached to my bench. of the SG (see pic.#5) looking’ pretty darn him with the band Zero a few years before I used a small router for near perfect finished good. I had an old 60’s horseshoe Bigsby like he passed. When I first saw the Quicksilver cut outs, then used a small router table with a Cipollina's that absolutely had to be on there as Messenger Service play in San Francisco, that custom bit that Paul Stroh MADE for the project it was a huge part of John’s sound. SG just blew my mind. This was a super cool that mimicked the Gibson early 60’s binding project that was worth all the time and effort. As bevel. Since this was to be a tribute instrument The finished guitar on my bench with the a bonus, it belongs to one of my super friends, and not a copy, we decided that the “Gibson picture of John’s SG I kept there for inspiration Stan Mapolski. Look” of the guards was still going to be pretty (see pic.#6). John was a wonderful man, I first Play on, Billy Stapleton