Trying to save the original pickguard on my 1996 Lefty P-Bass after stage damage
Looking for advice on a repair that preserves the original pickguard on my 1996 American Lefty Fender P-Bass.
At a recent show, our guitarist accidentally stepped on my instrument cable right as I jumped, and the jack got ripped out hard enough to crack/pull through the pickguard near the input. Electronics are fine, but the guard took the hit.
I know this is a little sentimental, but I’ve had the same sticker on this pickguard since 1996 and I really don’t want to just throw a shiny new replacement guard on an old war-torn bass that’s been with me forever.
For now I did a quick “giant washer” fix that actually worked surprisingly well structurally. I’ll post before/after photos because honestly it kind of has a hardcore DIY charm to it.
But before I commit to it permanently, I wanted to ask if anyone here has better ideas for reinforcing or repairing the original guard while keeping it intact. Maybe some kind of backing plate, acrylic repair, custom reinforcement, etc.?
Would love suggestions from anyone who’s dealt with this kind of damage while trying to preserve an original pickguard instead of replacing it.