4pc. "Cowboy States" Mini License Plate Pickguard Set

Here's another C. B. Gitty original from the design desk of Ben "Gitty" Baker: a set of four beautifully printed thin plywood plates that can be used as pickguards or cover plates on cigar box guitars!

This set of mini license plates was chosen to represent states in the American West that have a tradition of cowboys, cattle drives, rodeos and ranching. Of course this is just a fraction of American states that have those traditions, but these four are a pretty good representation, in our opinion.

Cut from 1/16" thick aircraft-grade birch plywood, and measuring 5 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall, these plates are nice and thin so they'll keep a low profile on your build, but still nice and sturdy and durable. Ben took some actual images of old vintage license plates and digitally restored and antiqued them for a beautiful full-color vintage printed look. Each plate is set un a rusty metal background for a beautiful visual effect. These are not decals, high-resolution images printed directly onto the plywood using specialty enamel inks cured with UV light.

Because these are printed directly on the wood, grain patterns show through and will vary from piece to piece. While the printed surface is quite durable and can be used as-is, if you expect them to receive heavy wear you might want to put a couple of coats of polyurethane or other hard clear finish on for more protection. These plates measure 5 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall, and do not have screw holes pre-cut (to keep them as versatile as possible). Just drill holes and mount with small screws, or use glue for a more permanent bond. The back of these is left bare and may have some staining from the laser cutting process.