Is a Pickguard on Archtop Necessary?

[MoCee]

I just found this thread as I searched about the usefulness of pickguards. I'm a bit confused why we have them on guitars. If its intended purpose is to guard the body of the guitar from pick scratches, then the pick scratches go to the pickguard. So changing the pickguard is something someone thought of at some point to keep the guitar free of scratches? I don't get it. It also covers half of one sound hole. I noticed Metheny removed his from his 175 and on the Ibanez PM signatures, which he helped design, no pickguard was installed. I have several hollowbodies, one is an Ibanez AF155 AA, a beautiful guitar to be sure, it's as close as I want to spend for a Metheny-ish model. Regards to a finger rest, that's where I think it may be helpful as I finger pick about 50% of the time. At any rate, I'll be experimenting with it on and off.

[JCat]

I just found this thread as I searched about the usefulness of pickguards. I'm a bit confused why we have them on guitars. If its intended purpose is to guard the body of the guitar from pick scratches, then the pick scratches go to the pickguard. So changing the pickguard is something someone thought of at some point to keep the guitar free of scratches? I don't get it. It also covers half of one sound hole. I noticed Metheny removed his from his 175 and on the Ibanez PM signatures, which he helped design, no pickguard was installed. I have several hollowbodies, one is an Ibanez AF155 AA, a beautiful guitar to be sure, it's as close as I want to spend for a Metheny-ish model. Regards to a finger rest, that's where I think it may be helpful as I finger pick about 50% of the time. At any rate, I'll be experimenting with it on and off.

You really don't need a guard to protect the top. The arched top makes it nearly impossible to scratch the finish, you would have to strum at a very awkward angle. But many people like the stability of having the pinky resting on the guard. When I removed the guard on my LP, It felt weird for a little while, but now I'm fine without it. Sometimes the guard looks nice, sometimes it affetcs the acoustics, add some weight or picks up statics. Non-plastic guards are noiseless, but some plastic pickguards get electrically charged when you strum and you get crackle and pops through the speaker. Then better remove it, or replace it.

I have a Century thinline where the guard gets static when air humidity is low, then I just remove it. I'll fix it on a rainy day, correction; sunny day.

[wintermoon]

There's tons of old archtops w heavy pick wear on the bass side of the fingerboard where there's no guard, most likely from playing in big bands. Some of those guys almost windmilled their arms ala Pete Townsend to pick hard enough to be heard.

[christianm77]

I’ve seen proper ditches dug into the pick guards of old acoustic archtops.

I use the pick guard to rest my picking hand now.
The guitar top is too far from the strings for that be comfortable like with a flattop.

[JazzNote]

There's tons of old archtops w heavy pick wear on the bass side of the fingerboard where there's no guard, most likely from playing in big bands. Some of those guys almost windmilled their arms ala Pete Townsend to pick hard enough to be heard.

My 1953 L7 has deep marks under the pickguard and i'm pretty sure that this was from heavy strumming by someone who did not pay attention to the fact that a guard would have protected the guitar's top.

[sgosnell]

The pickguard can also be useful for mounting pickups and controls.

[pingu]

I take em off my jazz boxes
I don't like the look of them

Just aesthetics and one less thing to rattle

[citizenk74]

I have a couple of pre-war archtops that are pretty scarred up (that's probably why I could afford them). I have flat-tops with still pristine scratch plates. Go figure.

[sgosnell]

I go back and forth. Sometimes I take my pickguards off, sometimes I put them back. There is really no huge difference. If you're playing amplified, partially covering one f hole doesn't matter to the sound. I don't often play acoustically, so I don't pound the strings hard, and don't scratch the top. I also don't usually use the pickguard as a fingerrest either, so it's not a big deal to me either way. It's mostly aesthetics, and my taste is not anyone else's taste.

[rintincop]

[vintagelove]

IMO, it’s an absolute must to keep the correct picking angle.

[don_oz]

I want to remove my pickguard but the problem is it has volume and tone attached to it. I don't want to have holes in the body. What solutions are out there? I haven't seen to have thought of any.

[archtopeddy]

Maybe Schatten thumb controls? (In the f-hole since you won't have a pickguard)

Schatten Thumbwheel Controls | stewmac.com

[sgosnell]

The best solution I've found is the Schatten thumbwheel system. I have mine inside the guitar, adjustable through the treble side f hole. It's attached with double-sided mounting tape. It comes as two thumbwheels on a small board, with a capacitor for use if you want a tone control, and the instructions are easy to follow. Solder the capacitor in place, then 3 solder connections to the board, and done.
https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Potentiometers/Schatten_Thumbwheel_Controls.html

Also available from Ebay and Amazon. The instructions only mention mounting under the pickguard, but it's easy enough to put it in the f hole.

[Cunamara]

There's a video of Eddie Diehl playing his D'Angelico with a pickup mounted to the end of the neck, using a volume pedal as a control and presumably just the amp controls for tone. Sounded great!

[sgosnell]

I've made some instruments using only a volume control, and one without any control at all. One was enough. It's essential, IMO, to be able to kill the volume from the guitar, quickly, without having to go to the amp to do it. I can do without a tone control, because I seldom move it from full on, but a volume control is essential. I've never owned a volume pedal, and I don't want to have to rely on one every time I play my guitar.

[Jabberwocky]

Where's your output jack mounted? In the rim of the guitar?

There's a box like this:

Voljack - JJB ELECTRONICS

There's also this:
Sorry! Something went wrong! .

If the output jack is mounted underneath the pickguard you may have to keep it or change it to a small fingerrest.

[coyote-1]

I think the pickguard on an archtop should not be near string level. Gets in the way of alternate picking the high E string, so it should be below string level.

Now my question: why are they so thick? My Eastman’s pickguard contributes a lot of extra weight that, I imagine, does not help with the sound. I had installed a much thinner custom pickguard on my (now departed) Robelli jazzbox, and even with the under-mounted volume and tone controls it held up just fine for years. But my Eastman has this near quarter-inch thick slab of wood, my friend’s Ibanez has one equally thick.

Can anyone elucidate?

I do what I learned from Warren Nunes.

Raise the pickguard up to the level of the strings (or very nearly so). Keep your right hand loose, with the fingernails of middle and ring fingers gently gliding on the pickguard.

I have no idea whether it affects the sound.

Buzzing, of course, means something is vibrating, and that "something" should be amenable to some kind of shimming, bracing, gluing, or something. Apparently, not so easy to find.

[MarkRhodes]

Old topic but a present concern of mine.

I've gone back to playing my archtop (-spent the last few years with either a Tele or a PRS SE Custom in hand) and I prefer it in most ways. One curious thing is that my index finger often taps / drums on the pickguard. That doesn't happen on a solid body electric.

I was wondering about taking the pickguard off just to see what happens.
(If I want, I can just put it back on, right? Right?!!)

[GuyBoden]

I've tried no pickguard and no onboard controls, but had a passive tone/volume controls in a pedal.

[Sleeko]

Mine does NOT have 3 screws--it has two. One up by the neck, screws down into the body, and the other on the bracket screws into the side of the guitar--at a 90 degree angle to the guitar soundboard.

So, there is no force vector, pushing down on the pickguard, towards the soundboard of the guitar, i.e. the piece into which the f holes are cut. Screwing down the neck attachment more does nothing for the springiness back by the pickup. It might actually make it worse--like overtightening a lug nut on one side of a wheel, doesn't cure the effect of a stripped nut on the opposite side.

And, yes there are 3 pieces of felt attached to the back of the pickguard. These aren't helping.

There are 2 little semi-circular "cutouts" on the pickguard which allow the pu housing screws to be attached to the top of the guitar. But these do not attach to the pickguard.

I think this is just bad design.

I'm having a hard time visualizing your setup. Sounds like a convoluted design. Any before and after pictures? Thanks.

[customxke]

I'm having a hard time visualizing your setup. Sounds like a convoluted design. Any before and after pictures? Thanks.

you’re replying to an 8 year old post from someone that hasn’t been here in 7 years.

[Sleeko]

you’re replying to an 8 year old post from someone that hasn’t been here in 7 years.

Well who knew. Looks like I'm not the only one.

[GuyBoden]

Old topic but a present concern of mine.

I've gone back to playing my archtop (-spent the last few years with either a Tele or a PRS SE Custom in hand) and I prefer it in most ways. One curious thing is that my index finger often taps / drums on the pickguard. That doesn't happen on a solid body electric.

I was wondering about taking the pickguard off just to see what happens.
(If I want, I can just put it back on, right? Right?!!)

Hopefully, I think we've been replying to Mark Rhodes' recent post about removing the pickguard.

[Sleeko]

And here I was looking forward to seeing the OP’s setup. Lol, oh well hate that.