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Buttonwood Bob - Posted - 08/28/2011: 07:31:29
Folks, please tell me what you think about pick guards. I tend to think of them as "sissy," admittedly for no good reason. Like most folks here, I have a half dozen mandolins. The A's, like flat top guitars have thin glued pick guards. I have one f style mandolin with a raised pick guard, as thick as a cheese sandwich, and the usual screw fasteners. If I remove this hardware will I do more than satisfy my prejudice, or will better vibrations burst outward. (Rather than get into "garbage in, garbage out, let's assume the instrument sounds pretty good as it is.)
mandorocker1 - Posted - 08/28/2011: 08:06:45
rather than scratch your instrument.
(drum roll please)
pickguard.
DaddyJ - Posted - 08/28/2011: 10:43:28
Not a big fan. My mandolin doesn't have one, so when I play a mando with one it seems to get in the way. Also not a fan of how they look.
That said, for the right mandolin I'm sure I could get used to it...it's not that big a deal.
Charley Wild - Posted - 08/28/2011: 14:07:21
No. I have owned a few mandolins in my time and have never put a pick scratch on one. Why, I don't know. I sure get on one when I chop but I don't seem to hit the top of the mandolin. I don't like the looks of them either but could live with one, I guess.
paire-berline - Posted - 08/29/2011: 11:02:47
No pick guard thank you
planetguy - Posted - 08/30/2011: 06:23:36
i've never been to hung up on getting a nick or scratch on my instruments. i don't abuse them.....but i don't obsess over their looks. i don't think there is much to be gained or lost in terms of volume/tone in the decision to have one.
besides the obvious cosmetic contribution (or detriment)....another concern might be right hand posture. relevant to players that rest their pinkies or other fingers on the instrument or pg. i suppose an argument could be made that fingers rested on the top of the mando might dampen some vibrations and reduce volume. if you do rest fingers getting 'em up off the top and onto a pg might be a good thing.
me....i don't have pg's on my mandos, though i'm not particularly bothered by one when i pick up someone else's instrument.
full disclosure...i have three archtop gtrs. two w pgs one w/o. i usually have my pinky planted and often some other fingers resting on the pg or gtr top. no problem making the adjustment . YMMV
different (pick) strokes for different folks.
Edited by - planetguy on 08/30/2011 06:29:35
hrlarson - Posted - 08/30/2011: 11:57:34
No pickguard. I guess it depends on your playing style if you really need one. I never scratch my instruments, but I know of at least one friend who can't do without a pg. He practically eats instruments without even using a pick.
Edited by - hrlarson on 08/30/2011 11:58:07
paulspafford - Posted - 09/03/2011: 04:38:30
I hate pickguards. Everytime I've gotten a new mando, the first thing I've done is remove the thing.
It's probably due to lousy form on my part, but I find it gets in my way.
matrixbanjo - Posted - 09/03/2011: 07:08:59
My Eastman doesn't have one. I personally do not like them.
TI_USER - Posted - 09/04/2011: 05:17:21
I've never really cared for them myself. Any mandolin I have owned that came with one, I removed it right away. My Breedlove didn't come with one (I don't know of any Breedlove mandolins that do come with one). I know it helps some players with their right hand positioning but after 35 years of playing I don't think I could get used to it now. I do have one bad habit in which a PG would probably help. I rest my pinky finger on the top, but not the fingertip. Instead I rest the first knuckle of my pinky finger on the top and my ring finger curls inward and often brushes against the E strings when I play leads. Most of the time it can't be heard but every now and then I am aware of a E string "drone". It's barley there but sometimes is noticeable. If I used a PG it would most likely bring my hand up high enough to not allow that to happen. But, once again, I've been playing that way so long I don't think I could change at this point.
I also don't care too much about appearance. I once had a '24 Gibson A Snakehead that I played for 15 years. It was a black top and was pretty clean when I first got it. By the time I sold it there was an area rubbed through to the bare wood from my pinky finger. I thought it gave it character. I actually love the look of a well-worn mandolin. I look forward to the day my Breedlove has that wear. It will be satisfying to know that I played it often enough to create that look.
TSSN - Posted - 09/04/2011: 19:56:43
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
cryo - Posted - 09/06/2011: 02:48:10
I like my mandolins, whether with or without pickguard. I did notice a bit of buzz on one of my mandolins the other day. Tracked it down to a loose screw on the pickguard.
Just ordered another mandolin. This one without a pickguard.
abinigia - Posted - 09/10/2011: 20:02:05
It depends how you play. When I had scratched about 1/4 of the way through the top of my Dart mandolin I decided to put on a guard. I used to feel myself grinding away on the top when I was playing hard. It's guilt free now.
Brian
briankwood.net/
JMalmsteen - Posted - 09/19/2011: 04:01:21
I don't like how they look at all. But I also don't rest my fingers or ever scratch against my mandolin, so its a nonissue. I just think they detract from the appearance of the instrument. This is all personal opinion though. If you like how it looks that is the only thing that matters.
Jim Yates - Posted - 09/19/2011: 05:58:59
I have a Washburn 2 point with a pick guard. I took it off to clean it and considered leaving it off, but liked the look of the pick guard on it. My Eastman 605 has no pick guard and I've never thought it needed one. My TC OM came with no pick guard, but when scratches started to appear on the front, I added a pick guard to cover them and protect the OM from getting more scratches.
Buttonwood Bob - Posted - 09/21/2011: 11:18:58
Pretty instruments, Jimbo. A's lend themselves to pickguards, IMO. On F's they are like Bridges Over the River Kwai. I've mentioned that I'm prejudiced for no valid reason. I've taken an elevated one off an A Style and another off an F. I like them better because of it, but I reserve the right to put one or both back on, if I come up with a good reason. ;-)
Pjones3 - Posted - 10/13/2011: 13:37:44
I use a clear sheet of plastic cut to fit the particular instrument. It stays on the mando by friction only. Have to get close to see it and doesn't seem to affect the sound. Only work on glossy finishes though. You can buy a sheet or two and cut your own guards. Plenty for sale on Ebay for a few bucks. .
Mandolin Ant - Posted - 10/19/2011: 07:48:18
Debated taking mine off one time. No particular reason other than just curiosity. But I decided, I like it so I left it on. I don't think I like or dislike them, just if I get a new Mandolin, if it had one, I'd probably leave it on, and if it didn't, I wouldn't add one.
MA
m - Posted - 10/20/2011: 12:14:36
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness (
) either.
m - Posted - 10/20/2011: 12:15:50
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness () either.
m - Posted - 10/20/2011: 13:00:06
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness () either.
eddb - Posted - 10/22/2011: 12:34:49
I took mine off, I think my mandolin looks and sounds better without it.
PaulR - Posted - 10/22/2011: 20:54:47
I bought my mandolin around 1975. I removed the pick guard soon after I bought it. I still have it somewhere in the house. It's a fair way down to the top of the mandolin, and the pickguard doesn't seem necessary.
On the other hand, if I were ever able to afford a vintage F or A style mandolin, and it had a pick guard, I think I'd keep everything together.
Ben Venuti - Posted - 10/29/2011: 11:01:48
I've never had one but from the looks of my old Gibson I probably should have. After 35 years of my playing and 40 + years of someone else's playing before me it's looking a little ragged. I don't hit the top with my pick but I play with a loose hand and some percentage of the time my little finger comes in contact with the top.If I brush the top say one in every hundred down strokes that is a gazillion hits by now ! I have a nice shiny Givens and if I live long enough the same thing will happen to it.
More than that though is thinking of it as a "pick guard" at all instead of a "finger rest" which is possibly what they called it back in the day . I've watched good players that have them and noted how they use them. If you crosspick you can support your hand with your 3rd and 4th fingers for example . I was watching Frank Wakefield and it seemed like he would brush across the guard as a sort of depth gauge. This could be a solution, I think, to people that play over the finger board extension and complain of the click they get because they go too deep. Frank actually uses those frets up there(or "down there" as he would probably say) so a scoop is out of the question for him and as hard as it is to do things up there it seems a shame to limit yourself. There might be a note that you really need sometime and that is where it's hiding. It does, it seems, cause a situation where your hand position is controlled somewhat by an external apparatus. The difference it seems to me between a good advanced player and the really great masters of the mandolin is proper and precise right hand control and technique. It's easy to find the notes but making them sound good is all the right hand. My right hand playing was pretty good and came naturally so I never thought about it too deeply but a while back I had an accident to my right arm that really screwed up my right hand playing and I have been spending months retraining my right hand. This time though I have been studying great players and watching closely what they do so that if it all comes back maybe I'll get it right. Anyway,the point I'm trying to make is that some players use that thing as a tool to improve their playing.
m - Posted - 11/01/2011: 14:51:40
quote:
Originally posted by m
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness () either.
By the way, I believe that they are finger rests, not pickguards.
m - Posted - 11/13/2011: 17:33:23
quote:
Originally posted by m
quote:
Originally posted by m
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness () either.
By the way, I believe that they are finger rests, not pickguards.
I have no idea why my original post kept popping up, about four times in three hours. I might double post in error once in a while but not spread out like that.
m - Posted - 11/13/2011: 17:33:55
quote:
Originally posted by m
quote:
Originally posted by m
quote:
Originally posted by TSSN
It never really entered my consciuosness (sp?) until now. I have one with it and two without. I acquired all three because I liked the way they sounded. I guess I'm not so choosy...
No preference here.
I guess I'm in the same camp. I also have one with and two w/o. I don't post so it doesn't enter my consciousness () either.
By the way, I believe that they are finger rests, not pickguards.
I have no idea why my original post kept popping up, about four times in three hours. I might double post in error once in a while but not spread out like that.
musicman44 - Posted - 12/07/2011: 09:09:15
I kept going back and forth with this issue for years. Currently I'm in the "no pickguard" frame of mind and haven't worried about it for a while. Usually I find that it gets in the way of my picking and that's probably the main reason why I've steered away from it lately.
mandoteacher - Posted - 12/10/2011: 07:02:19
My F5 came with a fancy pickguard with gorgeous shell inlay, so I keep it on. I don't use it, however.
GregsGuitars - Posted - 12/15/2011: 06:57:46
I took some pictures of "with" and "without".....they both look good, but I prefer "without" look myself..
gabe - Posted - 03/16/2012: 11:48:36
I bear down heavy with my finger. I use a pickguard more as a finger rest so as not to dampen the sound. I have never scratched a no pickguard mandolin, i guess it's just my style of playing.
gabe
Terry Allan Hall - Posted - 03/22/2012: 19:19:24
My good mandolin came w/o a p/g, and the p/g on my cheapie was in the way, after I added the P-90, so it no longer has one, either.
Put me down as a "no" vote, although it's not that big a deal to me.
Edited by - Terry Allan Hall on 03/22/2012 19:20:28
Joey Ace - Posted - 03/23/2012: 07:31:33
No pickguards for me. (If the instrument has one, I'll remove it and store until resale time.)
Reasons:
I like the look of the wood, my style doesn't lead to scratches, and worn finishes are cool looking, imo.
One more reason that hasn't been mentioned:
If there ever is a scratch that I don't like the look of, that the pickguard could have prevented, just put the pickguard back and the scratch is concealed.
mandogryl - Posted - 03/30/2012: 14:50:15
I prefer the way mandolins look without pickguards.
cartereddy - Posted - 06/26/2012: 18:45:42
NOOOOOO PickGaurd!
dmiller - Posted - 06/30/2012: 19:49:57
For me - - it depends on the mandolin. I've had some newer ones with no pick guard.
My main one (the 1916 Gibson F-2 seen in this thread) - - - > >
mandohangout.com/topic/18455 has the pick guard (which I like) and I was offered a lower buying price, if it stayed with the seller.
Lately I've been wanting to get an F-4 (with the Handel tuners) circa 1916 or so - - WITH the pick guard,
to complement the F-2. I've found a couple F-4s for sale (with the Handels), but NO pick guard.
I had to pass on them. They really don't look right without them there on the face of the mandolin.
Just my IMO.
jstout - Posted - 07/09/2012: 18:17:53
I like the Collings pickguards and a good place to post
wyatt earp - Posted - 07/10/2012: 13:08:38
why dont you use your mando for a hat, you jackass
Jim Yates - Posted - 07/10/2012: 13:48:42
quote:
Originally posted by wyatt earp
why dont you use your mando for a hat, you jackass
I have only seen two posts by Wyatt and both have been equally useless. Perhaps a mod could remove them. Has he made any worthwhile posts?
Ben Venuti - Posted - 07/10/2012: 17:36:48
He's up to 10 posts,(seems to have joined today)--- all crap ---he must be very bored he's or maybe he's a antimandite. Given his level of ignorance he's possibly a 5th columnist from the banjo world! Give him the boot!
jstout - Posted - 07/11/2012: 21:09:20
What I shoulda said was i like a pickguard as it protects the top and its a good place to plant your pinky.
jstout - Posted - 07/12/2012: 08:46:07
quote:
Originally posted by wyatt earp
why dont you use your mando for a hat, you jackass
Well its not hard to see why the Forum board is lacking members..............................good luck
RussD - Posted - 07/18/2013: 11:49:54
I have 4 instruments - two vintage As with pickguards, two newer models without. Like all four equally well. With or without doesn't really make a difference....
abinigia - Posted - 07/19/2013: 19:59:07
As I said, it really depends how you play. I opted to not have a pick guard on a mandolin I had built for me about 20 years ago, because Bill didn't use one, so I didn't need one either. But about 5 years ago I realized my top was starting to resemble Willie Nelson's guitar from my fingernails dragging there - not actually the pick, so I designed and put on an ebony guard.
What is important, I think, is to make sure the guard doesn't contact the top, the bridge, or even the sides if possible. The best way to attach a guard is to have two pins (mine are 1/16", but a luthier friend uses 1/8" stainless) sticking out of the guard about 5/16ths" that plug into the fretboard overhang. My original overhang was too thin, so I cut the rounded part of it flat, and epoxied a wider piece of ebony there (that was a little scary, but it worked).
Ideally, the pins are slightly off parallel so when you plug the guard in there is a slight spring action holding things tight. It works great.
If you play without your hand contacting the top you won't need a guard though, and I envy you.
Brian
Edited by - abinigia on 07/19/2013 20:05:38
Donnie - Posted - 07/20/2013: 18:07:21
Step one: Buy that Awesome Mando, Step two: pray no one runs into you on the way home, Step three: change the strings (it kinda puts the touch on it that says "She's mine now!), I like to oil the fret board with flax seed oil, wiping it off before putting new strings on, Step four: TAKE THAT SOUND SURPRESS'R OFF! Tip: plug the screw holes with round tooth picks soaked in water for a few hours,with the tips broken off... they always snap right off evenly after they dry a bit... dab a little matching stain and POOF you're done.
Donnie - Posted - 07/20/2013: 19:10:00
quote:
Originally posted by Donnie
Step one: Buy that Awesome Mando, Step two: pray no one runs into you on the way home, Step three: change the strings (it kinda puts the touch on it that says "She's mine now!), I like to oil the fret board with flax seed oil, wiping it off before putting new strings on, Step four: TAKE THAT SOUND SURPRESS'R OFF! Tip: plug the screw holes with round tooth picks soaked in water for a few hours,with the tips broken off... they always snap right off evenly after they dry a bit... dab a little matching stain and POOF you're done. I do have a '60 Martin A Flat back with a glued on pick guard on it, so that ones staying put!
nathanCox - Posted - 07/24/2013: 11:18:40
I dont use one, i think they get in the way when chopping. I never hit the mandolin with my pick so i deem them unnecessary.
OregonGal - Posted - 07/30/2013: 18:03:56
I don't have a pick guard either on my mando. I never hit the wood, besides, my hands are too small to even play and have my pinkie rest on the other side of the E string on the wood. I cradle the mando so it rests a bit on my leg and my lower arm rests on the mando. It works. I don't like the pick guards anyway - they seem to get in my way, so I bought one without.
Edited by - OregonGal on 07/30/2013 18:04:36
ricomando - Posted - 07/30/2013: 19:06:32
Looks like PG's use is not in the majority . I do not use them and take them off when they are on a mandolin . but if your playing is better with one on , then you should use one 
