pickguard fo mid- mo

[Steve Jeter]

my mid- mo is showing some little ridges from my fingernails . I dont plant my fingers on the top but I guess Im doing something to cause this. MY nails are a little long because I also play fingerstyle guitar. I dont want to glue some big ugly mess to my sweet little mando. suggestions please... Ive gotta keep my nails though , fingrstyle just doesnt sound right without them,, Ive tried. thanks
steve http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Jim Garber]

I used some self adhesive thin clear plastic to protect my ukes from scratching. I believe that they sell it at Staples or similar. People laminate cards with it. I imagine that Stew-Mac might have something.

Jim

[otterly2k]

they do. I used some on my OM, and it works great. Another cafe-er was asking the same question a while back and I sent him my leftover material to put on his Mid-Mo (I think it was a Mid-Mo)...anyway, it's easy to apply and very unobtrusive visually.

[Jim Garber]

You can find it at Stew Mac here (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Pickguards/Pickguard_materials/Clear_Pickguard_Materials.html).

Jim

[DryBones]

Karen,
that was me! I still haven't gotten the courage to "deface" my new Mid-Mo, give me time,it will happen. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Steve Jeter]

thanks everybody
I am ordering the clear stuff today,, from stew- mac
yOur input is really appreciated.
steve http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[otterly2k]

Jason-- don't think of it as defacing your mando... it is an adjustment that will preserve the top... if your right hand is causing damage THAT's what is defacing the mando!

go for it... and let us know how it turns out. you too, stevo.

[DryBones]

Karen,
In my case it would be the left hand! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[otterly2k]

doh!!
of course... sorry

[DryBones]

Finally got around to installing a pickguard/finger-rest. It only shows with the flash or if light hits it a certain way. I am very please with the results but I am already wondering if I should have done it in black to accent the ebony fretboard.

Thanks again Karen

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a182/JBWicklund/Mid-Mo/d3844ab1.jpg

[otterly2k]

Jason, it looks great. Well done. Black would be nice too, but this looks just fine, and looks like it will work just fine too.
KE

[Santiago]

Wouldn't attaching something to the top of your Mando reduce the vibration and, hence, the sound?

[DryBones]

almost every flattop guitar ever made except for classical style have bigger/thicker pickguards installed with no affect to the sound. this little tiny piece of thin mylar doesn't make a bit of difference to the sound of my Mid-Mo. It's only about 3.5 inches long and 2 inches wide at the widest point.

[Santiago]

I was just asking. Keeps that Mid-Mo clean look intact for use. So you've got a mid-mo and an Eastman (and a Morgy too). I have an Eastman and want a used Mid-Mo for camping. There's one on ebay, but wifey won't let me invest again this soon, so I'll keep watching the classifieds and living vicariously here on the board.

[DryBones]

Santiago,
Believe me I mulled over putting that on there for a couple months but I can't keep myself from occasionally posting my picky or just resting a few fingers now and then...drives me crazy and its one of the things that I have to really think about when practicing. I think I worry more about the Mid-Mo because the surface finish is light and thin. The Eastman will stay without any guard and the Morgan Monroe has a factory pickguard. BTW, the Morgan Monroe may be going up for sale soon, it's really not getting much play these days.

[steve V. johnson]

I've used the clear material from Stew-Mac on several instruments, from a custom-made octave mandolin to a Mid-Mo octave mando to an '80's Japanese Lowden guitar.

It hasn't changed the sounds of any of them. #It was easy (and fun) to design and cut to fit the designs fo the instruments, it didn't affect the finish and it kept my fingerstyle guitar nails from doing damage to the tops. #My wife, the graphic designer, used tracing paper to draw up designs and then we used those as a template to cut the pickguard material.

I've since sold all of these instruments, and only one pickguard has been removed by the subsequent owner, but I don't know why. #I do know that it came off easily and without any fuss or muss.

I like the look of instruments that don't have the usual plastic pickguard, but the utility of protection to the tops is undeniable, so having good transparent material to use is, IMO, really cool. I like that Mid-Mo's don't have a big plastic splash on the top and I like the way they look.

We're about to put some of this material on the top of an all-mahogany Tacoma Thunderchief ac/elec bass guitar.

stv

[mid-mo-mike]

Hi folks,

I'm new around here and this is my first post. Some of you might know me as "tener6" on the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum.

Here's my question: has anyone put a black pickguard on a mid-mo? Does this look ridiculous and/or hurt the sound? I've been thinking about getting a pickguard for my mid-mo M4, but I don't want to use the stew-mac stuff.

Thanks,
Mike