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Does a guitar need a pick guard?

Does a guitar need a pick guard?

Pickguards are used to protect the finish of your guitar. If you play with a pick and want to preserve the finish of the guitar then a pickguard is necessary. If you don’t use a pick and/or don’t mind minor scratches or signs of wear from strumming a pickguard isn’t strictly necessary.

Why do some guitars not have a pick guard?

Some guitars have pickguards for protective or decorative purposes. Pickguards are designed to protect the front of your guitar’s body from damage with the pick. They have little to no effect on the sound of a guitar. The reason why some guitars don’t have pickguards, is purely for aesthetic reasons.

Does a pick guard change sound?

Pickguards dampen the vibration of the soundboard which in turn dampens the sound. The bigger and heavier the pickgaurd the more it changes the tone. The thin flimsy little pickguards you see on most guitars don’t change the tone much.

Where is the pickguard on a guitar?

A guitar pickguard (also known as a scratchplate, finger-rest, or scratch guard) is a thin piece of material positioned below and sometimes above where the strumming hand strikes the guitar.

Do acoustic guitars need pickguards?

On acoustic guitars, the story is the same as Gibson electrics. Most guitars don’t need pickguards, because most people don’t harm their guitar with a pick. We make thousands of guitars without them each year, and people don’t have trouble. Even those with pickguards have them for cosmetic reasons.

What is the purpose of the pick guard?

A device applied to the surface of a guitar (or bass, etc.) to protect its finish from scratches that may occur due to picks scraping across the top while playing. Pick guards are usually made from some type of plastic, although metal and other materials are sometimes used.

How do you install Pick guards?

Rub across the narrow part of the pickguard with your thumb in both the left and right direction. Go SLOWLY. If a bubble starts, stop rubbing and let it set for five minutes then repeat the application process applying pressure slowly in both directions with your thumb.

Do metal pickguards affect tone?

Reason Number 1: Metal pickguards and control plates have the effect of reducing interference in your tone circuit. The aluminum pickguards also have an effect with certain single coil pickups that is described by some players as “smoothing the tone”.

Does pickguard thickness affect tone?

The answer is yes, but it turns out to be more complex than the reason for an acoustic. The more resonant or “alive” a guitar is, the more a pickguard can affect its natural tone, and thus, the amplified sound.

What is the point of a pick guard?

A pickguard (also known as scratchplate) is a piece of plastic or other (often laminated) material that is placed on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument. The main purpose of the pickguard is to protect the guitar’s finish from being scratched by the guitar pick.

Can you put a pickguard on a guitar that doesn’t have one?

It can be. Of course, you’d need to cut out the holes for the pickups, and sand those off with 220 to prevent from scratching the guitar, then you’d need to drill pilot holes for the screws to go in, so it doesn’t splinter the wood.

What is the purpose of a pickguard on a guitar?

A pickguard (also known as scratchplate) is a piece of plastic or other (often laminated) material that is placed on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument. The main purpose of the pickguard is to protect the guitar’s finish from being scratched by the guitar pick. As well as serving…

Where are the pickguards on a Fender Stratocaster?

Signed pickguards are easily attached and moved to another guitar, or sometimes sold separately as memorabilia. With some electric guitars such as the Fender Stratocaster, the electronics sit behind the pickguard – you remove it to access the potentiometer electronics. So, there you have it.

Do you need a pickguard on a flamenco guitar?

Classical guitars rarely have a pickguard since they are usually finger-picked and so are not subject to pick damage. The golpeador or “tap plate” on flamenco guitars is not a pickguard, although it is sometimes called that by those unfamiliar with the instrument or the flamenco style.

Why does my guitar pickguard curl around the edges?

As a solvent based plastic, celluloid tends to shrink over the years, making the pickguard curl around the edges. It puts extra stress on the wood beneath the pickguard and sometimes cracks appear. This is very common on older Martin acoustic guitars.