Pickguard for Alvarez PD90S

[radiomanjh]

I took it off a while back and now want to replace it. it has a tan line so I want an original one. Iv'e emailed Alvarez over a week ago but they have not responded yet. anybody know of any other sources? Iv'e googled to no avail.

[DanPanther]

I stopped looking. I ended up buying the material to make my own. Even repros I've seen are NOT close to original.
Dan

[radiomanjh]

thanks Dan! yeah I'm a little irritated that Alvarez has not bothered to get back to me. not to good of customer service.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by radiomanjh

thanks Dan! yeah I'm a little irritated that Alvarez has not bothered to get back to me. not to good of customer service.

Well, do a little digging and find a phone number for them, then call them during business hours. I'm presuming you tried reaching them via email, which I don't use for this sort of purpose simply because it IS so very easy for them to ignore.

The chances are that they don't have any replacement pickguards at their US offices, but call, talk to a real life human being and verify that.

If they don't, then get some pickguard material from Stewart-MacDonald or one of the other luthiery supply houses, make a cardboard template based on the tanline on the guitar, then use that to cut out a new pickguard. It's easy and inexpensive to do.

If that seems like too much hassle for you, then pay your friendly local guitar repair tech to do it for you. Either way, it won't cost a whole lot and you'll have the replacement pickguard you want.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[DanPanther]

I called Tom at Alvarez, 2 months ago, HE is the one that told me pickguards are NOT available from Alvarez.

Dan

[radiomanjh]

hey Wade thanks for your advice. I think I'll make one.

[radiomanjh]

Hey Dan thanks again! pretty strange that a company wouldn't carry their own pickguards when no one else has their design.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by radiomanjh

Hey Dan thanks again! pretty strange that a company wouldn't carry their own pickguards when no one else has their design.

If the Alvarez and Alvarez-Yairi brand names are still owned by St. Louis Music, it's not at all surprising, frankly. That particular outfit is noted for its rather lackadaisical disinterest in its customers' wants and needs. The guy who started the company and owned it for decades was commonly regarded as a shark by most of his colleagues and competitors in the musical instrument industry. I think he might have sold out to another firm and is no longer in the picture, but when a certain tone is set at the top of an organization, it tends to remain pervasive unless there's a radical shake-up that follows.

They're mainly interested in moving new merchandise, not in restoring something that's already been paid for.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[radiomanjh]

thanks Wade, that is very interesting and informative info. now it makes total sense, just too bad for such a respected company to go into that direction.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by radiomanjh

thanks Wade, that is very interesting and informative info. now it makes total sense, just too bad for such a respected company to go into that direction.

It's not a question of them going in that direction, that's the direction they've always sort of had. Understand that I'm not talking about old Mr. Yairi himself in Japan, but about the American firm that imported Alvarez and Alvarez-Yairi guitars for decades, St. Louis Music.


whm

[radiomanjh]

got ya, thanks again for your helpful insight Wade!