Pick Guard

[Nicholas]

Forum,

I have an Epiphone MM50. I am a new player. Should I leave the pickguard on or have it taken off? Does it make a difference one way or another as far as sound, etc? What would YOU do and why?

Thanks!

[ira]

completely preference for feel and look of the instrument. have one on my ky and i play differently than on my kennaquhair which has a stuck on clear pickguard (which protects but doesn't stand off the body of the instrument)>

[John S]

Top players play with and without pickguards, so neither is wrong or right. Here's my 2 cents, but I haven't done any extensive surveys to support it. It just makes sense to me.

Anyhow, when you're playing, take a look at your picking hand when you're all warmed up and relaxed -- do your fingers naturally tend to extend out? Or do your fingers naturally curl in? If the former, I'd say you can go without the pickguard. Your extended fingers can brush (not plant) over the top of the mando to give you feedback on your right hand placement. If the latter, use a pickgaurd. The tips of your fingers or fingernails then will slide over the top of the pickguard, again giving you the needed feedback to maintain your hand in the right position. The logic behind all this is just to play in the most relaxed way you can.

Then again, there are those folks who play without their right hand touching the mando at all! But it seems that most folks do contact it in some way.

[mando-in-kingwood]

Taking the guard off helps increase volume some for most mandos.

[danb]

I'd say replace it with a thinner one, but still use it as a "finger rest". It stops you leaning on the bridge with your palm, and then you get cleaner & louder notes out of it

[nickdanger59]

I'd say off for The finger curl reason. Using the planted right hand techinque I found the pickguard was an obstruction as it held my hand at an angle where I could not Dig in properly and my hand angle was in an awkward position for cross picking. I removed the pickguard and things just worked. No change in tone on the instrument.:blues:

[Daniel Nestlerode]

I've tried playing with and without the finger rest/pickguard. Personally, I don't like 'em. But then I play with my fingers curled, so I don't reach for a reference point on the mando. YMMV.

Best,
Daniel

[AlanN]

Off. I don't touch anything with my hand.

[nickdanger59]

This brings up a whole other topic of weather or not to rest on the bridge . I never used to but have changed my technique to hand on the bridge after an Emory Lester workshop. I have noticed no loss in tone but cleaner picking at speed. As Emory put it those who don't agree with the technique should look at Chris Thilie. Mike Marshall, Radim , Reichman and many of the other top players today.. What do you think ??

[Windflite]

I played without a pickguard for 20 years...then with one for 10...and now without again for almost a year. #I've come to realize that during the 'with pickguard years' I developed (what I think was) a bad habit of anchoring my pinky on the guard. # My current joy (Collings MF5 #104) required a month or so of 'relearning' (pronounced really sloppy playing!) to force my right hand to operate without the pickguard, however for me it was worth the change. #My 2 cent summary: #Keep it if it is truly a 'pick guard'...consider removing it if you or someone you trust suggests that it is contributing to bad playing habits. # I don't notice a dramatic difference in tone with or without and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. #Most importantly, play as much as you can!

[Trip]

after about a year and a half Ive worn a 1 inch long spot(fingertip width) on the face of my Fstyle mando.....not really from posting the pinky but brushing the face with my pinky during chops and such....I guess Im keeping it forever so Im not too worried about the asthetics

StrangerStringBand (http://www.strangerstringband.com)

[mpeknox]

if you use a pick guard you can't get the cool worn spot that trip is talking about http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[mmukav]

I had an MM50. I took the pick-guard off, replaced the bridge with an ebony one, and I'll tell ya it made a big sound difference. At least on that mando. I really liked that mando, had pretty decent chop and sparkly tone on the upper registers.