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View Poll Results: Do You Prefer Your Guitar To Have a Pickguard?
Yes 81 60.00%
No 54 40.00%
Voters: 135. You may not vote on this poll

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  #46  
Old 01-26-2020, 02:09 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulzoom View Post
Depends on the guitar and the pickguard.
Yup. That's the way I've always felt.
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  #47  
Old 01-26-2020, 05:39 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post

As for clear pickguards, I’m sorry, but those just remind me WAY too much of the clear vinyl furniture covers several of my friends’ mothers had on their living room furniture when I was a kid.
My sentiments exactly. Worse yet is the guitarist who leaves the plastic cover on a regular pickguard on a new guitar. Yikes.
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  #48  
Old 01-26-2020, 06:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulzoom View Post
Depends on the guitar and the pickguard.
+1 on this ... ^^^
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  #49  
Old 01-26-2020, 06:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbone View Post
You should have had a 3rd option: Indifferent

It also depends on the guitar sometimes for me....the vibe of it in terms of looks...so I guess this could have been a 4th option: Depends on the guitar ;-0
+1 didn't vote because of this.
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  #50  
Old 01-26-2020, 07:31 PM
RussL30 RussL30 is offline
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I’m a strummer and flat picker and I say nay. I think that guitars look classier without them, especially Taylors. On Taylors it gives them a more high end look. I’ve never had trouble scratching a guitar up with a pick and don’t anchor my pinky to flat pick.

However, I do like the Gibson batwing guards and the Gibson models that
Have the ornate guards because that’s part of the look. They look normal on Martins, but I also like Andy Griffin’s D18 without the guard.

Here are 3 of my 4 main players that are sans guard. Wood is prettier to me than plastic.



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  #51  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:48 AM
jspe jspe is offline
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I absolutely love clear pickguards! I learned how to properly/decently install them as well (using an eye dropper and drops of distilled water), and have shaped and put them on several guitars. Its easy as well to remove them and go back to a standard type.
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  #52  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:52 AM
hermithollow hermithollow is offline
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A friend I built a double strung tenor guitar for was digging a hole through the top of it. After about a year the finish was gone and some of the wood was starting to be excavated. It was a slow gradual process. I put a thin tortoise shell colored guard over the area he was damaging.
I have seen a number of old guitars that have had wood worn away in the area pick guards are normally applied. I don't install them as a general rule, but sometimes they are necessary to protect the instrument.
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  #53  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:26 PM
jseth jseth is offline
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No pickguards for me... not even on my two Gibson electrics, an ES-345 and an ES-175.

Guitars look far more balanced to me, visually, without a pickguard... maybe not a dreadnought, mostly due to 5 or 6 decades of looking at Martin D-28's (et al).

As for scratches and such? I am the one in charge of WHAT MY RIGHT HAND DOES AND WHERE IT GOES... even if I'm playing harder, it is still my job to control where that hand contacts (or doesn't contact) the face of the guitar.

When Mark Angus built me #35 in 1979, we had a heated discussion about having a pick guard on the guitar (I won!), German Black Forest spruce over maple. After about thirty years had passed, I pointed out to Mark the absence of any major marks where that pickguard would've been... of course, the entire top has been scarred and dinged; lessons learned the hard way in most cases!

Funny... I know where every mark came from and how it happened...

When I had James and Luke Goodall build me my Grand Concert (redwood over mahogany), James lobbied heavily for a pickguard, mostly due to the softness of redwood... I used my Angus as an example of "no pickguard". It took a while, but James finally relented. This was 8 1/2 years ago, and (knock wood!) there is yet to be a mark on that top...
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  #54  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:52 PM
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No PG for me, but I play finger style.
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  #55  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:54 PM
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I'm a pretty aggressive player so I need a pickguard but even if I didn't I prefer the look of an acoustic guitar with a pickguard.
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  #56  
Old 01-27-2020, 01:00 PM
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I didn't vote because I have had many acoustics with a p/g, and many without. There are some beautiful pic's here of with/without.

My last two acoustics (an 82 Larrivee L09 and current Eastman AH06M) have (had) clear pickguards. I love the way they look. However, I also dig the looks of a sweet, tort guard..... and black... and engraved..... and the dual ones on some Gibson.....YIKES!
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  #57  
Old 01-27-2020, 01:46 PM
Purfle Haze Purfle Haze is offline
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I like a clear pickguard. See the beauty of the top while having the protection of a guard.
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  #58  
Old 01-28-2020, 08:29 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by min7b5 View Post
I prefer no guard. Ten years of flatpciking with not scratches. I guess I've got good aim
..

...based on your videos I have watched i’d say you have really good aim boss!!
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  #59  
Old 01-28-2020, 09:22 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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I actually don't have a strong feeling either way but three of my guitars have them and I am considering putting one on a 4th so, I voted yes. I like protecting my instrument and want to be able to be free to use all sorts of styles, with picks and no picks, heavy fast strumming or less, and keep the top protected. This keeps me in a relaxed frame of mind whether I am playing or someone else is playing my guitars.

Three of my guitars have clear pick guards and most don't even notice they are there. My newest acquisition has a faux tortoise pick guard that works great for the vibe of that guitar.

Best,
Jayne
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