How? ;_;

[melun]

How the hell do I get the control plate (The plastic thing that protects the wires and pots and crap) off?

I've taken out the screws, and tried prying it off with picks gauges .5 to .9, along with a thin butter knife.

How do you guys do it?

Sorry if this is the wrong category; I wasn't sure where to post it.

[jim777]

Pic? What kind of guitar?

[melun]

^
It's an Epiphone Les Paul Special II.

The thing's just kind of wedged in. I can't take a pic; my digital camera is being repaired for the week.

[DJR]

if it looks anything like this one (just grabbed it from google images) then yeah, going by the warp reflection, they are obviously a bad fit. Be careful with knives etc as you will likely dent the finish of the guitar. If you cant get it to pop out with a very thin flathead screwdriver, you're gonna have to get brutal with it and tap it (gently) with something like a bigger screwdriver handle or a small hammer. Maybe even get a small icepack on it for a minute or two just to get the plastic to retract a little, see it that works. If you get it off, I would definitely recommend sanding the long edge of the plate down a bit before replacing it. Goodluck lol

[Hikey Mikey]

I would try a thin tool (ice pick?) inserted in one of the screw holes to pry it out. Of course you have the right idea by trying gentle pressure at first; an ice pick could damage the finish or enlarge the screw hole if used with too much force.

DJR's comment about the bad fit makes sense to me. Another thing that may have happened is the factory may have slapped that guard in there before the finish was completely dry and now it is stuck to the clear coat like glue.

[elcid]

Go to the hardware store and get a pick set. It shouldnt be more than about $10. Mine has 3 picks in it that look like dental picks, one of them should work for what you need.