Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: Guitar Cowboy on November 27, 2014, 12:45:11 PM
-
I understand there are two different types of clear pick guards: permanently adhered or removable (static cling) - Taylor makes both. I would assume the static ones don't wear as well, so maybe you buy a few at a time. I'm thinking static is the safer way to go. I think I read somewhere that it is recommended that they are removed when the guitar is not played- not sure why... ??? That would seem to be the only drawback. Does anyone have any comments/ experience with removable clear pick guards ?
Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving !!
-
Happy Thanksgiving gcowboy!
I don't have much to tell you about the removable "cling" gaurd except that I personally can't stand the look (lol, not much help there, am I). But may I say that Taylor's finishes are seriously durable and since you clearly prefer ;) the look of your guitar without a pg, I'd recommend you live without one for a while and periodically look at your top, "gauging" whatever wear you put on it. I know what you're likely thinking: "yeah, great advice, after I've scarred the top only then should I think about protecting it."
FWIW, I was in your very same shoes some time ago, and I opted to have the mothership put their clear pg on in (it was already seeing work at the factory anyway), while a Taylor at home remained sans pg. Guess what, these several years later with lots of play on them, the clear pg shows mild scratch wear on it while the guitar w/o the pg shows nary anything! My guess is that the finish is harder (or more resistant to pick wear) than the plastic Taylor uses for their clear pg. And I am primarily a strummer/hybrid picker, where fingerstyle is maybe 2% of what I do, so my guitars get lots of real pick use.
So if your attack is more aggressive than mine, then perhaps your use merits a pg, but I simply found out that it's likely you won't with Taylor's finish, at least since the last decade. As for whatever surface marks you "may" see after some time (again, keep an eye on it, periodically determining potential wear), these light marks can always be buffed out to a like-new surface and a clear pg affixed at that time, and you'd never know the top was even played.
Sorry for the verbose response ...pre-cooking relaxation with a cup of java. But just thought I'd throw it out there that for those folks who prefer the sans-pg look of their Taylors, affixing a pg for "protection" isn't necessarily, um, necessary. Hope that gives you something to think about. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :D
Edward
-
I use a static cling guard on my GA3 at open mics. I take it off at home. Works for me.
-
I have had a clear removable pick guard on my 910 and never had an issue. There cheap, easy to use, and again I have never had a problem. I have a hard clear Taylor pick guard for a few years and I cannot bring myself to putting it on.
-
I have a static cling pg for my 512ce that I have only used a couple times. Worked fine when I had to use it. It only works on gloss finishes, BTW.
-
FWIW, I was in your very same shoes some time ago, and I opted to have the mothership put their clear pg on in (it was already seeing work at the factory anyway), while a Taylor at home remained sans pg. Guess what, these several years later with lots of play on them, the clear pg shows mild scratch wear on it while the guitar w/o the pg shows nary anything! My guess is that the finish is harder (or more resistant to pick wear) than the plastic Taylor uses for their clear pg. And I am primarily a strummer/hybrid picker, where fingerstyle is maybe 2% of what I do, so my guitars get lots of real pick use.
Edward
I have had the exact same experience as Edward, being a strummer/picker. I used to own 514e custom with a clear pickguard, that showed mild pick scratches, while all my other guitars without pick guards have remained pristine. This is a pretty good experiment since the "control group" consists entirely of grand auditoriums that are played the same way and used in the same playing environments. Bob Taylor has said that pick guards are not really necessary for most players, especially with that great UV cured poly finish! YMMV
-
FWIW, I was in your very same shoes some time ago, and I opted to have the mothership put their clear pg on in (it was already seeing work at the factory anyway), while a Taylor at home remained sans pg. Guess what, these several years later with lots of play on them, the clear pg shows mild scratch wear on it while the guitar w/o the pg shows nary anything! My guess is that the finish is harder (or more resistant to pick wear) than the plastic Taylor uses for their clear pg. And I am primarily a strummer/hybrid picker, where fingerstyle is maybe 2% of what I do, so my guitars get lots of real pick use.
Edward
I have had the exact same experience as Edward, being a strummer/picker. I used to own 514e custom with a clear pickguard, that showed mild pick scratches, while all my other guitars without pick guards have remained pristine. This is a pretty good experiment since the "control group" consists entirely of grand auditoriums that are played the same way and used in the same playing environments. Bob Taylor has said that pick guards are not really necessary for most players, especially with that great UV cured poly finish! YMMV
Interesting to hear. For those who have both the permanent clear pick guard as well as either Taylor's traditional pick guard and/or their black pick guard, do you notice whether or not the clear pick guard shows more wear than the others? I'm just wondering whether the material for the clear pick guard is softer than their others.
-
I really love the permanent, clear pick guard for two reasons: 1) it's almost invisible; and 2) it gives me the confidence that I can strum aggressively without permanently marring the guitar's surface.
-
Hi Cindy,
I have since sold my GA with the traditional Taylor pg (which used to be my #1 play guit so it got lots of consistent use), and I do not recall it having any more or fewer scratches than the current guit I have with the factory clear pg (which is now my primary-use guit and sees lots of use). FWIW, the "control guitar" without the pg is an RT-style 2 which, likewise, gets lots of play; again, strumming/hybrid picking mostly, and no "holding back" on it, and I kid not that the surface shows nearly nothing (and I don't ever recall hearing/reading that RTs ever got any finish that was different from the regular factory guits (all products of "buffy" their expert finish robot, IIRC ;) ). My guess is the pickguards are of the same/similar plastic composition, just a different color. Not exactly hard science, but I think it's somewhat empirical evidence ...in an anecdotal kind of way ;)
Hi Dennis,
FWIW, I got the clear pg mounted for exactly the reasons you stated; and I do strum with medium aggressive attack. But now these several years later, I have come to see for myself how durable the factory finish is: it's bordering remarkable, IMHO. While I feel no need to remove the pg that's already there (heck, it ain't hurtin nuttin), I will most assuredly not put another clear pg on any current/future Taylors I own based on the limited experience I have shared. But of course, YMMV :D
One caveat to all this is that it has already been widely reported that the new "revoiced" guits have a finish that is of different composition and half the thickness (is it 3 mils or thou now instead of 6?), which "may" change this whole discussion. With these new guits sporting the new rosewood pg we may never truly answer the question of its durability.
Edward
-
Thanks Edward, SF and everybody for your comments. It didn't occur to me that even for a somewhat aggressive strumming style that maybe a pick guard isn't even needed.
So SF, just to be clear, you have no intentions of putting a clear pick guard on your new Master Grade K24?
This forum is great. You all have way more experience than I do with this stuff and I so appreciate you sharing. It makes sense though what you have seen... the pick guard brings the scratchable surface just a little bit closer ( 1/16th inch?) to the pick, so it actually has more potential to get scratched than if there was nothing there at all.
Thank you
-
Thanks for the info, Edward! 8)
-
imho, the static cling, removable, reinstallable clear pickguard offers 'better' protection than the adhesive backed
clear pickguard in that the removable guard seems to be more resistant to scratches than the thinner permanently
mounted one & if the static 'guard happens to develop some severe, undesired scratches, it can simply be replaced,
which replacing the permanent clear 'guard is much more a job & is likely too thin to attempt polishing out scratches -
the UV finish is more durable (resistant to & less likely to show scratches) than the permanent clear 'guard, from what i've seen,
but then again if one has a satin finish top (100, 03-06 or satin top 09/early 10 200 series, pre 98 400 or 32X mahogany or koa)
the only option will be a permanent pickguard, as Cindy has pointed out, or none (which was Taylor's choice for the 324/6ceFLTD-Ks)
-
So SF, just to be clear, you have no intentions of putting a clear pick guard on your new Master Grade K24?
No intentions whatsoever!
-
i've been playing one acoustic since 2002. i mostly strum, some fingerstyle. Since the top doesn't make a pleasing sound when strummed, i tend to stay away from it. There are no scratches on the top. As a part time repairman i tell folks that if they are digging up their tops, they should consider changing their technique. just my thoughts.
-
i've been playing one acoustic since 2002. i mostly strum, some fingerstyle. Since the top doesn't make a pleasing sound when strummed, i tend to stay away from it. There are no scratches on the top. As a part time repairman i tell folks that if they are digging up their tops, they should consider changing their technique. just my thoughts.
imho, for some folks their playing technique is the expression of their style, resulting in their guitar's 'mojo'
(& job security for their guitar techs/luthiers ;) )
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Flickr_-_moses_namkung_-_Dave_Matthews_3.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Flickr_-_moses_namkung_-_Dave_Matthews_3.jpg)
http://main.abqjournal.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/a07_jd_29nov_nelson.jpg (http://main.abqjournal.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/a07_jd_29nov_nelson.jpg)
http://www.popculturebeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/o_glenhansard-18.jpg (http://www.popculturebeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/o_glenhansard-18.jpg)
ymmv
-
imho, for some folks their playing technique is the expression of their style, resulting in their guitar's 'mojo'
(& job security for their guitar techs/luthiers ;) )
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Flickr_-_moses_namkung_-_Dave_Matthews_3.jpg)
I have to agree with you . How do you have such ready access to these links to help make your point? ... awesome. I was thinking of Willie's guitar when I was reading your post. Nevertheless, I ordered a static cling pick guard from Taylor to have on hand ... just in case... I have no problem with someone carving a new hole in their guitar if in the process you are putting out awesome (ooh , twice in one post) music, but that's not me.
Changing direction a little ... which I can do because I started the post, right? ... Another example of one of of two extremely talented musicians who has worn an extra sound hole in his mandolin in a very short period of time is Brian from Switchback(http://www.waygoodmusic.com/)... if you ever hear of them coming to your area , buy tickets and go see them!!!.... especially if you can see them in a small venue.... no , wherever they are playing, go see them. I think Brian told me his mandolin is three years old and he has worn another sound hole into it.
PS , I have no affiliation with Marty and Brian = Switchback other than being a huge fan. For the last severall years , they have come to our little Illinois town ( pop= 1100) to play for small, but very appreciative crowds.
-
I agree with Michael. I played with a friend on Monday who has been playing for probably 50 years. He's a strummer/flat-picker. He has wear on his pick guard and even his guitar top, next to the pick guard. It would be pretty hard for him to change his style now. It's how he plays.....and he is good!
-
I have to agree with you . How do you have such ready access to these links to help make your point? ... awesome.
i have a little help ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8bC-hWUCDw#t=35 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8bC-hWUCDw#t=35)
seriously though, if an instrument is being used for making music, it's
bound to pick up a character or love mark every now & again, not unlike
how some newness gets worn off of some cars on a sunday afternoon :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwIQX1IVtps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwIQX1IVtps)
wear in it, down, out & Taylor can fix it :)
http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=2519.msg25445#msg25445 (http://www.unofficialtaylorguitarforum.com/index.php?topic=2519.msg25445#msg25445)
i've mentioned this before, but i think this is 8)
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326437 (http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326437)