Bought a used guitar the owner had played for only two hours--it still had the original stickers. I peeled off the sticker on the pick guard, and there is a bright white spot where the sticker was. UGLY!! Is there a plastic film attached to the entire pick guard? If, so, how do i get it off? Have tried rubbing w/ WD 40 with no results.

Thanks in advance.

If the clear plastic film is still on the pickguard you should be able to just scratch along the edge to get it to peel up and then pull it off. You may have to loosen the screws and pull off the knobs to get all of it off.

But the white spot is probably in the pickguard itself. The advertising/information stickers block light from hitting the guard, so the area under the stickers stays white while the rest of the guard discolors slightly. It's like tan lines from a swim suit.

Over time the difference in colors will lessen but it might never become perfectly even. Some remnant of the sticker ghost may always be visible.

If you can't live with it, replacement pickguards are fairly cheap and easy to install.

Or cover the spot up with a sticker that you do like.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Discovered a very useful but little known solvent. Was told by a man that owned a pet shop that he used to use cigarette lighter fluid as a solvent to remove the silcone sealant that held aquariums together. Found it works fantastic for removing most stickers off ANYTHING. What's even more important, it evaporates so fast it leaves no trace. 1001 n one uses.......

lighter fuel, That was the cleaner Jimi Hendrix used.
It certainly cleaned his guitar of the sticker glue residue but I am sure it left a few blemishes due to the fact that he decided to have a smoke at the same time.
Try Orange oil too, that is excellent at removing sticky residue.
Keith

Yeah Hendrix did use lighter fluid but he didn't read the caution printed on the bottom of the can. "Do not use in poorly ventilated areas. If you become dizzy DO NOT INDUCE VOMITTING." I've lived by these rules n almost outlived him twice over. Now if I only had a quarter of his talents..........

that sticker had been on a LOOOOONG time if the rest of the pickguard discolored (yup that bright white is the original color). About the only "quick fix" will be to buy replacement pickguard and swap them out.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Yup new pick guard -- no fix for UV burn in.

I wonder if it would be possible to mask off the rest of the pickguard leaving the white spot exposed, then expose, the white spot, under a tanning lamp to even it out? Or mask it off and set it in a sunlit window should do the same thing. You think?

That's because lighter fluid is almost pure Naphtha. You can get a can (Naphtha) at most hardware stores for cheap. I use it to rub the finish clean on older guitars without damage. Very effective at removing old grime and will take off old sticker glue as well. I stay away from WD40 except on metal parts, and then use it sparingly. Use 100% soft cotton cloth with the naphtha if you use it on old nitrocellulose finishes. Use a good guitar polish after.

Yep new pickguard mate. He may have only played it for a few hours but he must have had it on display.
Those damn pickguard stickers look so silly when they're left on. A particular model Fender should speak for itself. If it's some sort of re-sale thing, then why not carefully remove the sticker and preserve it on a piece of backing paper?
I guess some people like the look of them.

Thanks to all who replied. I believe I will go w/getting a new pick guard.