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Ive done a little research on this topic out of curiosity in the past, and people seemed to give mixed responses. I recently put a pickguard on a smaller body guitar (resembling an om or a oo) and I noticed that the tone lost some volume, lost some brilliance, but became a little more balanced. Despite the change in characteristics, I think the overall tone QUALITY went down a little. I plan to keep the pickgaurd on, as I dont mind the changes too much, and I know that I would play right through the cedar top in no time. The guitar described above was smaller body guitar with cherry back and sides, cedar top, and a THIN satin poly finish. Im curious to hear other peoples experience with the pickguards affect on tone. It seems that some guitars are affected by the pickguard while others arent. -Alex

I think that sticking another .020" - .030" piece of plastic would affect tone. Whether in a negative or positive way, I don't know. It seems like you did the right test, with and without. I suppose that you would have to accept the trade off to keep from "playing through the cedar top". My player is a D-18 and I fear that I would do a Willy Nelson on it without the pickguard. Pals, Vic.

If you can really hear that change, you should consider insuring your ears, because they are -that- good... ; )

My pickguards weight about 7 grams, which is, if memory serves me right, about the same as a credit card weighs. So, lay your guitar on your lap with the top facing you(dobro style), and while strumming it and/or playing single notes, have someone place a credit card(or a pickguard, for that matter) onto the pickguard area while you're looking away, or best yet, do it blindfolded. If you can consistently hear a change, you have magnificent ears!

I've removed pickguards from 3 guitars.

I could not tell a difference on 2 of them.

On one it was not a subtle difference for the better.

I can't explain why. Each of the pickguards were about the same thickness and size.

A thick firmly attached pickguard might act as a "brace" and restrict the movement of the top somewhat. If this was not the case we wouldn't see the infamous "pick guard crack" that sometimes happens.
A more responsive guitar will probably be affected by the addition of a pickguard more than one that is heavily built.
And I agree with Todd, ugly pickguards kill all the tone we can see in an otherwise well built instrument.

If this was not the case we wouldn't see the infamous "pick guard crack" that sometimes happens.

Incorrect. The "infamous pickguard cracks" are due to the plastic pickguard shrinking, and taking the top with it, since it was cemented directly to the wood, and not because the pickguards were thick or overly stiff.

Todays' pickguards are adhered over the finish. While overly thick ones can and will add stiffness, the average .020" to .025" thick pickguard has very little stiffness to it.

Of course, if we're talking about an Everly Brothers style of pickguard(IE: huge!), then yes, I agree that it will have a pretty obvious effect on the sound.

The only pickguards that I think may kill tone would be the big thick wood pickguards. I agree with Todd and Mario if you can hear the difference you may have a red cape under your clothes .

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Good points, Todd. But...

The plastic pins of old were originally unslotted and of a hard plastic(bakelite?), not the uber-soft ones with the huge slot we now have. That said, my original guitar has always responded better with a set of plastic Martin pins; I've tried bone, ebony, rosewood, but always came back to the plastic pins, though I turn them around so that they act like solid pins.

The shrinking pickguard should have an effect on tone, as it tightens that area as it shrinks, but I dare say that few vintage Martins today haven't had their pickguard pulled and re-adhered with transfer tape, either after the infamous crack appeared(which would then indicate that any tension had relieved itself), or in many cases, to prevent it. When we see a vintage pickguard that is sunken rather deeply, it is only a matter of time before the crack happens, so it's generally deemed as wise to carefully remove it, prep the raw spruce with a thin shellac and/or lacquer, and replace the 'guard(either old or new) with a modern adhesive. I don't recall anyone ever complaining that their guitar "lost" its vintage tone afterward. But your point is valid that the tightening of that area over the decades -could- have had a permanent influence that doesn't go away even after we relieve the tension. No way to prove it one way or the other, though.

I don't understand your puking bi-valve comment, though?

Hi Mario,
If the pickguard wasn't thick enough to offer resistance and/or firmly attached we wouldn't see the "pickguard crack". The celluloid would just shrink and pull away from the top. I think pickguard cracks are caused as much by humidity issues (overly dry conditions) as by shrinkage of the pickguard. The pickguard restrains the top (much as a brace would) and it cracks at the unrestrained edge.

Perhaps I am giving too much credit to humidity fluctuations as a factor in this particular crack.

I saw a mandolin once with an inlaid celluloid pick guard that had shrunk so much that not only had it pulled a crack, it had peeled the top off one of the braces for about an inch.

I agree with Mario on this one: if you can really hear the effect of adding a pick guard, you've either got great ears, or it's a really heavy pick guard. The only way to be sure with this stuff is double-blind testing, and the possibility of that is gone in this case.