What a difference a pickguard made

**GNAPPI** · 10-27-2015, 12:34 PM

I've often watched players who use no suport anywhere for their right hand and marvel at their right hand control and technique.

Maybe my technique isn't the best, but I use the pickguard and minimally the bridge as a reverence of sort for the last three fingers and heel of my right hand to set the distance of the pick to the strings.

That said, I recently bought a beater (LP clone) guitar in a style I always liked but it had no PG. I ordered a PG on Ebay and while I was waiting I did my damnedest to play it and bond with the git but that bond was elusive. It's neck playability is superb, as is its tone, but I just couldn't get along with it. My new PG arrived this morning and after a couple of mods to it, I got it attached with low expectations and... Whoa! what a difference! I'm loving it now!

I know Gibson is now shipping many of their solid body guitars that have nicely figured tops without a PG to show off the flame maple, but now that this turned out so well I'm thinking (oh the horror) of having one made like a wood Ibanez or Heritage type with a burst on it, or even a clear lucite model for my Les Paul Supreme which I also do not love playing!

I guess some future generation would wish they could wrap their hands around my neck but I am really beginning to like this idea. I'm wondering if my PG use is unusual among players?

**jazzbow** · 10-27-2015, 02:05 PM

Hey G~Man

Pickguards are an antithesis and conundrum!

I was originally from the 'palm on bridge' school when it comes to playing electric guitar, that is until I got a Selmer Macca styled guitar. Boy did I feel lost! But after time I got that Gypsy forearm pomp and off I went....

My right hand pick technique always means on single notes and soft strumming there's some form of contact.
After a session on acoustic flat tops I see dark smudges on the back of fingers from the bronze strings

Then I went all fingery and went back to the palm thing.

My Epi Emp Reg offered me the whole fingers on pickguard deal which I'm liking. I find my little finger rests on the p/guard without any thought.

Looks like Les got that right in the first place!

**campusfive** · 10-27-2015, 02:11 PM

I also depend on a pickguard to get my hand into playing position, at least for everything that isn't 4-to-the-bar rhythm. When I got my L-12, it came without one. I played it a bunch since I was excited, and I could feel unusual fatigue in my wrist. I got a pickguard, and the wrist fatigue went away. Since I got my L-5, also sans pickguard, and I've felt the wrist fatigue creep back.

Same thing happens to me with my Selmer-style LeVoi and my National, since they are inherently sans pickguard. Well, at least I have a pickguard ready to be installed on my L-5.

**campusfive** · 10-27-2015, 02:13 PM

Also, I tend to prefer the beauty of a nice, bound tortoise-style guard on an old-style archtop.

**jazzbow** · 10-27-2015, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by campusfive

Selmer-style LeVoi

Man, that's what I had. What a cannon, boom!

How'd you come by it?

**nopedals** · 10-27-2015, 05:03 PM

Minority report here. I generally take the pickguard off my guitars. Just one more thing to rattle, and they look better without the guard. The carved tops sound (slightly) better, too.

Can't say that I notice the difference playing guitars with or without a guard, although I should, because I do "drop anchor" with the pinky. As far as I can tell it does not guard anything. No visible marks from my finger on the top, and certainly no pick marks, on the top of my guardless guitars.

IIRC, I stopped using guards years ago when I had a rotten one, and was querying RMMGJ about where to find a replacement. A couple of the old pros in the NG replied they played without guards, so I tried it and saved the dough.

**D.G.** · 10-27-2015, 05:34 PM

I also remove pickguards most of the time. My right hand technique is such that they often get in the way.

Keep your pinky off the top folks! What are you, banjo players???

**whiskey02** · 10-27-2015, 07:19 PM

It's not a "pick guard" but rather a "finger rest". Nothing wrong with using one or not using one; your technique is not superior if you don't. I for one would debate that any guitar looks better without one, unless it happens to be a particularly odd looking rest.

**Woody Sound** · 10-27-2015, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by D.G.

I also remove pickups most of the time. My right hand technique is such that they often get in the way.

If you remove the pickups, how do you plug in?

**Woody Sound** · 10-27-2015, 09:32 PM

I use the pickguard as an occasional surface reference, not a hard "pinky rest." But I do have a hard time if it's missing, like there's a big hole in the guitar.

**GNAPPI** · 10-27-2015, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by whiskey02

It's not a "pick guard" but rather a "finger rest". Nothing wrong with using one or not using one; your technique is not superior if you don't. I for one would debate that any guitar looks better without one, unless it happens to be a particularly odd looking rest.

One thing I'll say, Ibanez and Heritage have had the most stunning wood pick guards I've seen. Some might like no PG, or basic black or cream but those wood burst PG's are hot!

**GNAPPI** · 10-27-2015, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

If you remove the pickups, how do you plug in?

I think he meant pickguard and his hands were faster than the thought process :-)

**Hep To The Jive** · 10-27-2015, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by GNAPPI

I think he meant pickguard and his hands were faster than the thought process :-)

I dunno, once you start removing things... first pickguard, and then it goes from there...

I'm too a pickguard dependable player, at least when it comes to archtops. My pinky always brushes against it, and if its not there, the tension starts building up. I can adjust if I have to, but why bother? Archtops need pickguards, thats how it was meant to be!

**neatomic** · 10-27-2015, 11:47 PM

or...if your mitts are big enough, you could pretty much bypass the pickguard all together! hah

What a difference a pickguard made-16678e29e6394c09761e5e50ca254-jpg

What a difference a pickguard made-16678e29e6394c09761e5e50ca254-jpg

cheers

**vinlander** · 10-28-2015, 05:54 AM

I guess he is also in the pro pickguard:

**Jabberwocky** · 10-28-2015, 11:12 AM

Jazzy!

**D.G.** · 10-28-2015, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

If you remove the pickups, how do you plug in?

Duh, pickguards or course

**D.G.** · 10-28-2015, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I use the pickguard as an occasional surface reference, not a hard "pinky rest." But I do have a hard time if it's missing, like there's a big hole in the guitar.

I also tend to let the backs of my rh fingers brush the top of the guitar when soloing on the B and E strings. Most pickguards are too high for my tastes and I find it more comfortable to remove them.

I really do think that actually bracing with your pinky is ergonomically bad for your hands. I used to do it years ago when using a pick but stopped when I started to get continual pain in the joints of my pinky.

**citizenk74** · 10-29-2015, 07:35 PM

D.G. wrote:

"I really do think that actually bracing with your pinky is ergonomically bad for your hands. I used to do it years ago when using a pick but stopped when I started to get continual pain in the joints of my pinky."

Agree completely. I now use the pinky less as a brace and more like a spatial reference - light and loose. I can play with a floating hand, with or without pick, but I play more confidently using the finger rest or lightly touching the top (fingernail filed to minimum).