Official Luthiers Forum!

I am really close to wrapping up my J-45 or as I'm calling it a P-45. I started to set it up yesterday and have it at a ruff setup and I just finished cutting and installing the a Tor-tise tear drop pick guard. I don't know if it's me but it seems that now that some of the highs have been mellowed down a bit. Actually in a better way to my ear. Does that make sense? I can see where adding mass to the top could at points could effect things.Have any of you noticed anything like this? What 's your thoughts?

Hi Chris,

Hey by the way, good job on your videos! I brought this subject up a while back on a "tapping" discussion. That was precisely my point... all that tapping and tuning the top thickness and bracing and THEN you mess it all up when you put the bridge and a pick guard on. Taylor sells many of their high end guitars without pickgaurds (you can put your own on) and if I know Bob Taylor, it's because of this very resaon. There a couple folks here also that sell their guitars without pick gaurds installed.

The trade-off as you have discovered is the variable here. How big and thick is the pick guard? What kind of material is it made from? What can I live with? Those kind of things. I know my guitars will always have one, I cringe at the the thought of pick and fingernail scratches, dents and marks all over a pretty oil finish (which is thin to begin with).

Dave

_________________
God, Family, Carreer

Well, I'm looking at it as another possible way of dampening the tone a bit. Another tool to use just like the bridge thinning and the such. I'm using a Tor-Tis material and I guess it is acting like some heavy finish in that area. It's not that much of a change but still a change. Funny that the pick gaurd on this guitar really adds a nice element to the look and seems to bring it together. I had someone look at the guitar a couple of weeks ago and I had the the first pickguard (that cracked) just taped on to give me an idea of how it was going to look and the person said ,"I like the look of the pick guard on there".

Thats interesting. I have a guitar that is pretty strong treble wise...I have been looking for a way to tone it down abit. I wonder if a couple of layers of masking tape cut to shape would simulate a pick guard.I will try it in any case

I don't know? It's not a lot of a change just some change.