Clear Pickguard Materials

* easy to cut into preferred shape
* easy to apply
* nearly invisible
* protective
* didn't affect the tone

I needed to put a clear pickguard on a steel stringed guitar that didn't have a pickguard. I followed the directions and am very pleased with the results.

I recently purchased an Epiphone Nighthawk Reissue with a beautiful Transparent black over book matched flamed maple finish. This guitar sounds as good as it looks and I play it a lot. This ax doesn't come with a pickguard and after a few months, some pick marks began showing in the finish. Lots of guitarists don't mind nicks, gouges, and "thrash rash" on their guitars, however, I'm not one of them and even though I play hard, I try to keep my guitars and their finishes in very good repair. I decided that I needed to add some unobtrusive pickguards to my Nighthawk without hiding its lovely finish or diminishing its outstanding tone. Enter Stewart-MacDonald with the perfect solution....005" thick, adhesive backed, clear mylar. I followed the excellent instructions supplied with the material and was rewarded with having this sweet ax protected with an invisible set of armor! To look at my guitar, it appears to be totally stock and you can't tell it has two pickguards on it. Thanks again Stewart-MacDonald for your prompt service and quality product.

Jimmy D.

Bought a used guitar - inexpensive handmade from Spain - it had some "issues" on the top. Filled them, applied the plate (created template from cardstock, cut plate with scissors)and I'm off an strummin' without haunting visions of Willie Nelson's guitar. Pretty stress free project.

I do love this material. The perfect material for transparent pickguards especially good for Avalons and Lowdens. It does require a good eye for design and good dexterity to cut to shape and apply.

A fine product. The mylar material is very durable without restricting the vibration of the top. It is easy to apply.I use it on all my instruments.

Most nylon string guitars come without a pickguard and my play tends to scratch the finish. I've been using the .005 clear mylar for about 10 years and think it's a great product. I'm now using the mylar on my carbon fiber guitars and it works well. This pickguard material protects the finish of the guitar, it can hardly be seen and it allows the beauty of the instrument to show.

I've had issues with this material and instructions, which I don't think are specific enough. The dry install does provide good enough quality. Wet install is difficult on some finishes due to beading, and have to use more wetting agent than suggested. There is also a purplish streaking on the material, and it does not lay flat.
I have suggested to Stew-Mac that they consider selling instead the same material used on cell phone screen covers, which I think would work better, if they can get sheets large enough.

Tried this out for the first time recently when I was fitting a golpeador for a customer. The material cut cleanly and easily and was of sufficient thickness to provide good protection. I fitted it using the water method. This made the job easy beyond belief and gave impeccable results.. not a blister in sight! Thoroughly recommend.

This stuff has been great, not only for putting pick-guards and golpeadora on guitars, but I've also used it to fit pick guards to a variety of more 'exotic' axes: cuatro; li'liu; bajo sexto; tiple -- not to mention ukes.

I do recommend that you get a 2-4" medium rubber roller (can be had from an art or printers' supply shop) and use it to firmly seat the material while rolling out any air bubbles. And use -sharp- scissors to get a clean edge.

Other than that, easy to work with, durable, and next to invisible when properly applied.

All I'd like now is to see it come in a couple of different thicknesses.