Official Luthiers Forum!

What's your opinion on the need for pickguards on an OM type guitar for the average player?

For those of you who don't use pickguards, how do your guitar tops hold up over time?

We've all seen some players out there who are pretty vicious with their picks and they obviously need something to protect the top to keep from putting a hole in it but for the rest of us is it that big of a deal? Some guitars just seem to look more elegant without one.

I just finished an OM and put a pickguard on it that I don't care for. I'm going to remove it and, assuming I can get it off without harming the finish (Emtech 6000), thought I might just leave it off but wanted some input from the folks here. I don't expect it to stay pristine, hey, after all, its a guitar and I plan on playing it until I build something better. I flatpick, do rhythm, and fingerstyle but most of the scratches I leave on the top are from my fingernails. My only experience with a guitar without a pickguard is an 0-16NY I've been mostly fingerpicking since I got it in '68 and it's still in pretty good shape.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

IMHO the "average" player needs a pickguard. I've sold several "Kling on" removeable pickguards with guitars.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

There are many pro and cons when it comes to a pick guard.Playing style is one.They do protect the top from damage, but i personaly don't like them on my guitars.On an electric with fancy top, they can hide the beauty of the grain.I use a clear soft plastic static cling guard which gives some protection and allows the pretty grain to show through.On acoustic i also use them although putting any guard on them can affect the top plate when tone is a preference.But they do have less weight than a regular pick guard has on the top and offer some protection, so i use them there as well.

Anyone who strums with a flat pick will need a pickguard or the top will wear through. I play both fingerstyle and flatpick so I use a clear pickguard as I like the look without pickguard, though on a D size guitar seems to look strange without one. I usually play my guitars a while before adding the guard and really notice no change in sound after installing one. The clear material StewMac sells works well and is quite thin.

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I really do not like the look of a pickguard on most guitars, but there is a few that look right with them, like the D size as Fred mentioned. I would have to agree though that it is probably needed for the average player. I play almost entirely fingerstyle so I probably would not put one on a guitar for myself.

I have been playing fingerstyle guitar for 30 years, and I have guitars with and without pick guards. I play alot of 20's/30's blues, so the guitars are played hard. I have found where my guitars wear out is at the bottom of the sound hole - both the edge and where the rosette is prior to the pickguard. So for me, the pickguard really isn't helping me where I wear on the top. I find no difference - for my playing - whether the guitars have or do not have a pickguard.

Glenn

I use clear pickguards and run em right up to the soundhole.

Thanks for the comments. I was curious how people felt since I have heard several luthiers say they do not like them.

A D size guitar would look strange to me without a pickguard but thats probably because I've played a lot of bluegrass.

I've only seen a few guitars with clear pickguards and kind of didn't like them but I've never had a guitar with one on it. Perhaps I'll try one for myself.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I use clear only .. I am not a fan of the teortoise or black look .... the numbers of times I have had someone look at my guitars and comment that there is no pickguard is astonishing, and then I point out to them that there is one ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I use clear also and my experience is like Tonys', most people don't notice them.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

there are very few guitars ive seen with pick guards that i actually like. just personal preference i guess. that being said, ive been playing a taylor walnut series dreadnaught (no pick guard) for ten years and there are not very many scratches on the top from strumming. i cant imagine that guitar with a pick guard! ugly! i guess playing style has a lot to do with it. there are other options such as a clear pick guard, which has already been mentioned.

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sweat the small stuff.

If you finger pick it's not really needed. Even though i use a pick I can get away without one since I don't strum wildly like Pete Townsend but I benefit from one because I pivot my pick hand pinky on the pick guard which in itself will cause wear over a long period...Mike

As others have said, I like the look without, but gave in and refinished my top and added a clear one (material from Stewmac). Almost invisible; to me it's a great compromise between no pickguard at all and a typical dark one. I noticed no tonal difference with or without, but sure hated to see the scratches.

Sounds like more of you than I would have thought are using the clear pickguards. If I pull the other one off, and I'm about 80% sure I will, I'm going to try one.

Thanks for the discussion!

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I hadn't thought of that. Guess I better make up my mind quickly, it's been on about 2 weeks already.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Just beyond me why that little tiny plastic pick, it can't be much bigger than a quarter, needs to guarded from that big huge guitar. In all my years of playin and building, I have never seen or heard of a guitar assaulting anyone or anything much less a pic, so no I don't see the need for the pic to be guarded.



blessings
the
Padma

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"