|
|
#1
10-20-2021, 11:18 AM
|
|||
|
|||
Pickguard effect on tone
Just wondering. Seems like a sheet of plastic glued to a guitar top can't be helping the tone. For those that have removed them, did you notice any difference in tone?
|
|
#2
10-20-2021, 11:26 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
a guitar made for me I would not have a pickguard. Some existing guitar I liked that had a pickguard I'd leave it on. Likely much more effect if you drape your picking hand arm on the top compared to some pickguard.
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above
|
|
#3
10-20-2021, 11:49 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
For me, not having a pickguard would eventually effect my guitar tone, as I would end up with a second sound hole!
__________________
I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band.
|
|
#4
10-20-2021, 12:11 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I’ve replaced many pickguards and played the guitars for awhile after taking them off and before putting on the new guard. Couldn’t tell a difference on any of them.
|
|
#5
10-20-2021, 01:08 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
__________________
'59 Gibson J-45 "Spot" '21 Gibson LG-2 - 50's Reissue '94 Taylor 710 '18 Martin 000-17E "Willie" ‘23 Taylor AD12e-SB '22 Taylor GTe Blacktop '15 Martin 000X1AE https://pandora.app.link/ysqc6ey22hb
|
|
#7
10-20-2021, 01:28 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I’ve experienced no discernible difference with or without a pickguard.
Rb
|
|
#8
10-20-2021, 01:36 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Luthiers Mercantile sells a clear pickguard material .005" thick that adds no significant rigidity to the top. That's the way to go for me.
|
|
#9
10-20-2021, 01:36 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I imagine it depends on the guitar and the pick guard, but when I removed the pick guard from my Eastman OM I couldn't tell any difference before/after.
|
|
#10
10-20-2021, 02:02 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Include me in the ‘no difference’ camp - or, if there is, it’s so insignificant that it’s not worth thinking about even for a moment.
The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.
__________________
John Brook ‘Lamorna’ OM (European Spruce/EIR) (2019) Lowden F-23 (Red Cedar/Claro Walnut) (2017) Martin D-18 (2012) Martin HD-28V (2010) Fender Standard Strat (2017-MIM)
|
|
#11
10-20-2021, 03:13 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
On really good guitars, there issomeone "thicknessing" the top to get the best sound/resonace out of it.
High volume makers - Martin, Gibson etc., make them pretty much all the same. After all that work, they often add about .005"-.015" of plastic on a small part of the top. Sure it will make a difference. How much ? honestly pretty much negligable ... If it is thin and small. e.g. when I received my Harmony 12 string, it had a laminated pickguard/scratch plate that was easily 1/8" thick, but the guitar sounded good (when I put some decent strings on it). The pickguard was horrible looking so I removed it. Instantly the old guitar sounded bigger, fuller, rounder, but had an ugly ten line. I asked my tech at the time to fashion a thinner replacement, which he did beautifully, and glued it on. It lost a little, tiny, something, but it looked right. I recently fitted a Holter pickguard to my new Eastman E40-00. Again, a very slight change to the openness but I felt it needed one. Here's my Harmony : https://youtu.be/qrj3Zb4r4o4 Here's my Eastman : https://youtu.be/eMxtJzbhIMg
__________________
Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
|
|
#12
10-20-2021, 03:30 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I'm a no-differencer myself. I took the pick guard off of one of my Taylors and it sounded the same.
__________________
*********
https://markstonemusic.com - American Primitive Guitar in West Texas Instruments by Kazuo Yairi, Alvarez, Gibson & Taylor Former AGF Moderator
|
|
#13
10-20-2021, 05:05 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I just replaced the guard on my Gibson G-00 and played it for awhile without it. There was no real difference. Plus, I prefer the look of a pickguard
__________________
-Joe Martin 000-1 Rainsong CH-OM Martin SC10e sapele My Band's Spotify page https://open.spotify.com/artist/2KKD...SVeZXf046SaPoQ
|
|
#14
10-20-2021, 06:03 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
It seems to depend on the guitar itself. Some will sound different without a pickguard, others will not. It’s the more lightly built guitars that exhibit a difference.
whm
|
|
#15
10-20-2021, 06:13 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I'm not a fan of pick guards. Because I play finger style I really don't need them so I took them off most of my guitars. Only my Martin and Guild D-55 ({retired} has theirs. I never noticed any tone difference when I took them off, but I wasn't looking for it either.
__________________
Barry Youtube! Please subscribe! My SoundCloud page Avalon L-320C, Guild D-120, Martin D-16GT, McIlroy A20, Pellerin SJ CW Cordobas - C5, Fusion 12 Orchestra, C12, Stage Traditional Alvarez AP66SB, Seagull Folk Aria {Johann Logy}:
|
