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How to build a bass guitar – Pick guard edge beveling

In this build step, the pick guard edge is beveled, and a few options are shown of how to go about doing this.

Below: The tools needed here are a half-round file and a razor blade (optional, shown in a moment.)

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Below: Beginning of the filing process. Instead of placing the pick guard in a clamp, it is instead held on the edge of a bench where physically sit next to it and file that way. Doing it in this fashion allows us to keep the same file angle while being able to rotate the pick guard around. In addition, this also makes it much easier to have even filing consistency. Looking down at the pick guard is also a much better way of gauging if you are filing the plastic correctly.

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Below: A wire brush is used not on the pick guard, but to periodically clean the file when it pick guard material gets caught in it.

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Below: The filing process continues.

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Below: The middle layer is now visible after filing the perimeter.

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Below: The filing is nearly complete, and a brand new razor blade is now used as a means to begin to smooth out the edge since the file leaves a rough edge.

Note: It is not required to blade the edge. If you feel your edge is good enough just from using a half-round file, that is OK since sandpaper will be used for further filing later.

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Below: The blading is now completed.

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Below: 320-grit sandpaper being used to further smooth the pick guard edge.

Note: Like with the razor blade, this step is not necessary unless you think the edge needs it.

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Below: Sanding is now completed.

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Where are the rest of the build steps?
You can view them all here.

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