Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories > Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories

Clear Pickguard, or not ...thoughts?

(1/5) > >>

Edward:
Yeah, I've been chided, I have to post pics of my NGD, a custom DN BTO'd by someone clearly crazy ;).

But let me ask you all this question: if you just got a seriously pretty (and blingy) taylor that does not have a pickguard, would you keep it as is, or have a clear one installed?  I am torn as:
1. I play my guitars and while I care for them, I never obsess over player's wear.  Marks are sings of love and use for me.
2. While the above describes me accurately, this guitar is pretty dang blingy and a part of me says "put on a pickguard you dork!" 
3. Either way, it will still get played with abandon.

Please help with your thoughts!   (yeah, yeah, I'll get pics, I promise :)

Edward

rudals1281:
Couple months ago, I got a 2011 916ce brand new (sold it within two weeks though) and as you know it does not come with a pickguard. This was a big problem for me 'cus I WAS a reckless strummer, to the point that I'd wear our guitar tops. So naturally, one of the first things I started looking for was pickguards. Clear ones. Permanent and static ones. I asked questions on a forum and people were 50/50 on whether it was good or bad. I finally said, no pickguard, I'll just change my strumming technique. It was more focused and a less floppy. I played and performed with that 916ce until I sold it and had no pick marks on it. Anyways, just to give you an idea, here is what people were saying in simple form:

Permanent pick guards - affects sound; no it doesn't affect sound
static pick guards - bad for the finish; it doesn't affect the finish

Guitar Rodeo:
I get to answer this question a lot. If you are a player who scratches your guitars, you need a pick guard. If you are not, or don't know, keep your options open. The UV finish on the upper end Taylor's is really, really, durable. If you start out without a pick guard and start to notice those light pick scratches below the strings, you can install a pick guard after market. Contact your dealer or find one on the Taylor Ware site and install it or have your luthier install it. The light scratches can be buffed away when this happens and there you go... If you are a player who scratches your guitars but wishes you didn't, revise your technique so the strum arc is parallel with the face of the guitar. Proper technique will get you every ounce of volume and projection without coming in contact with the top, just as rudals1281 did in the reply above. Just say "no" to scratching your guitar.....

DennisG:
A lot of people on forums say that the polyurethane coating is so durable that no pick guard is necessary.  I don't buy it, so I put a clear pick guard on my BTO.  An ounce of prevention ...

cjd-player:
For my tastes, if it is a standard spruce top I would go with the pick guard.  If it is a sunburst, or a particularly pretty spruce top, perhaps adirondack, englemann, bearclaw, sinker redwood, etc.,  I would go for the clear guard.

I have thin clear guards that I made and put on two of mine.  See frets.com about making clear pick guards from office supply sheet protectors.   

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page