About

Howdy! I'm Nick Bachman, and I started 1929 Pickguards in 2020. I'm an Iowa native living in Los Angeles, where I daylight as a Director in the Animation industry. I've worked with Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros, and once I got to write a rap for Snoop Dogg. Yes, Uncle Snoop! I'm a very lucky guy with far too many interests, hobbies, and collections. 

Growing up playing offset Fender electric guitars, I really grew an appreciation for how a pickguard can totally change the look of an instrument. When I got my first archtop (Epiphone Broadway), I realized that a pickguard can be more than just an accessory; it can be a work of art. I'd never seen a guard with real hand-layered binding before. The precision craftsmanship, the lush tortoiseshell material, the substantial feel...I was hooked. 

After a deep dive, I learned about the different rare celluloid materials Gibson and Epiphone used on their early archtop guards. When I learned the Gibson Super 400's beautiful marbled pearloid guard material was impossible to find, my inner "collector" just snapped. Now, I cannot stop searching for new material - both vintage spec and vintage inspired. I believe that had the electric solid body guitar not taken over, the archtop pickguard as an accessory would have kept evolving to include even more colorful and unique materials. I do my best to follow in these old traditions while also pushing forward using the same aesthetic principles.