Pickguard or No Pickguard For Bluegrass

[MojoMando]

I got so used to playing guardless mandos that I removed the pickguard/fingerest from my Gilchrist when I got it. I recently put the guard back on and I am trying to get used to it, but I notice that most ‘grassers play guardless mandos. So I did a little Google Images research …

No Pickguard:
Bill Monroe
Ronnie McCoury’s Gilchrist
Sam Bush
Adam Steffey
Chris Thile
Sharon Gilchrist
Ricky Skaggs
John Duffey
Marty Stuart
Sierra Hull
Jesse Cobb (Infamous Stringdusters)
Andy Leftwich
Rhonda Vincent
Ashby Frank (Special Consensus)
Alan Bibey
John Reischman
Matt Flinner
Mike Henderson (The Steeldrivers)
Shawn Lane (Blue Highway)
Aaron Ramsey (Mountain Heart)

Pickguard On:
Ronnie McCoury’s Loar
David Grisman
Mike Compton
Jesse Brock (Michael Cleveland)
Tom Rozum (mostly on)

Both On and Off:
Doyle Lawson
Wayne Benson
Don Rigsby

Did I miss any other noteworthy bluegrass mando players? Out of curiosity, what is your personal preference?

MojoMando

Check out my bluegrass jam website at: www.grassjam.com (http://www.grassjam.com)
This month’s Media Player features 3 live tracks from the Station Inn with Ronnie McCoury among others.

[midnightmando]

Wakefield: pickguard

[AlanN]

For years/decades, FW was guardless. He wore a hole in the F-5, tried some filler material, then (a bit grudgingly) put the guard on to prevent more damage. As a general rule, Loar/Fern users mostly are guarded. I do think Alan has his pickguard on the '23.

I had a gorgeous pickguard made for my Gilchrist by Charlie D. I took it off after a month.

[Bill James]

I was at a workshop once that Frank was giving and a guy asked him a question about the pickguard on his Loar. Without a moment's hesitation Frank yanked the pickguard off and pitched it across the room at the guy. The look on the guy's face was priceless as he had to, a: realize what Frank just did, b: regain his composure and, c: catch the pickguard all in 1/2 a second.

He caught it.

Frank, he's not crazy at all. :))

[Will Kimble]

Butch Baldassari always played with a pickguard, he had an unusual way of posting on the pickguard (fingerrest) when he played tremolo. And it was one of the most gorgeous sounding tremolos you ever heard.

If you are a knuckledragger and you have a varnish mandolin, you better have a pickguard to keep you from ruining the finish. If you aren't a knuckledragger but you have a varnish mandolin and like to let other folks play it, then you better have a pickguard or some knuckledragger will tear up your finish. Lacquer is not such a problem, but you will go through eventually if you plant on the top. But it is plenty tough enough to pass it around and let the occasional knuckledragger hammer on it. :)

Will Kimble
www.kimblemandolins.com

[Barry Platnick]

I'm not a knuckle dragger but I did let someone use my Gibson MM, at the jam, and they started to mark it up so i put the guard back on. It doesnt really bother me to have it on there now.

[AlanN]

Yep, letting others pick on it can be problematic. Now, when asked if they can try mine out, I always say "Let me see you pick on yours first."

[EdSherry]

Years ago, when I bought my Flatiron F-5 (one of the first ones they made) from Mandolin Brothers, the salesman suggested I have John Monteleone install one of his abbreviated 'guards, attached by pins into the side of the fingerboard.

I prefer a 'guard as a "depth gauge" -- I lightly trail my ring and/or pinky finger across it to give me a reference point for where my hand is in relationship to the strings.

When my main mando was in the shop, I switched to a Horner A-5 without a 'guard, and noticed that I was wearing a hole in the (varnish) finish from my fingers. Time to put a 'guard on, which I did.

That said, I know a lot of folks who don't like them or don't use them.

[Paul Hostetter]

I guess it's clear now to one and all that pickguards don't block sound. A number of advanced players I know have gone full circle on this, from getting rid of them for one reason or another, to going back. No one made the case better than David Grisman a few summers ago at the Symposium. Andy Statman was onstage taking some good-hearted flak from the audience for the condition of his old A-2Z:

http://www.lutherie.net/andy.statman.jpg

In self defense, he said his old teacher David Grisman had persuaded him to get rid of the guard when he bought it (it was allegedly in pristine condition at the time), and this was the result. Grisman was sitting ten feet away, dying a thousand deaths, and partly by example (he always has a guard on his mandolin) and partly in his own self defense said if he'd only known then what he knows now, he'd never have gone that route nor would he have recommended it to anyone else.

My F-5 came with no guard, I put a clear stick-on to hold me over until I get around to installing one, which is about to happen—the new Cumberland guard is sitting on the bench.

http://www.famousnewjerseyans.com/Images/david_grisman.JPG

One other friend dislikes having a guard, but was digging a deep pit in his marvelous Stan Miller A. I made him a little tortoise guard mounted right over the hole. Problem solved.

[Mandoviol]

I've toyed with the idea of taking mine off--it has so much more resonance without it (and for some reason I get this bizarre string buzz on the A when I have it mounted), but when I have a mind to shred on it, I get this image of some horribly mauled instrument in my head and have second thoughts about taking it off.

Frankly, I don't want it to look like Willie's guitar:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1222/1353435231_5986c35b52_o.jpg

[Justin E.]

I've seen photos of Bill Monroe with pickguards on his mandolins. They were typically his newer ones though. I think there are a few of him back in the very early days of the Bluegrass Boys with one on as well. Jesse McReynolds is another one that uses pickguards.

[DSDarr]

John Reischman's mando had a pickguard when I saw him at Wintergrass. I assume it was the Loar but never did really see it close enough. For what it is worth, he still sounded like John Reischman.

-David

[Paul Kotapish]

I went without a pickguard for many years, mainly because the none of the mandolins I had them came with guards when I bought them. I prefer the look without a pickguard, but if you anchor or drag, it can sure muck up the finish.

These days I like an abbreviated guard/rest. Works better for me and actually keeps me from anchoring too much.

[Mandoviol]

I have actually decided to take mine off. I couldn't take the string buzz anymore, so I removed it. I am taking special care to keep from hitting the instrument with the pick, and reveling in the extra resonance I get from it.

We'll see if I'm playing a different tune a few months from now...

[Mike Bunting]

I have actually decided to take mine off. I couldn't take the string buzz anymore, so I removed it. I am taking special care to keep from hitting the instrument with the pick, and reveling in the extra resonance I get from it.

We'll see if I'm playing a different tune a few months from now...
I don't understand how your finger rest is related to string buzz, I've never heard of this.

[DSDarr]

I don't understand how your finger rest is related to string buzz, I've never heard of this.

I had some serious rattling/buzzing from an improperly mounted pickguard -- because it was (barely) touching the bridge. Took me a long time actually to figure this out.

David

[mandroid]

Go with Peer group, if you are a follower, you know.. shame in public and all, :redface:

OTOH, I have added one when it was not there, because... the one I got 25 years ago ,
an A 4, had one, and I got used to having that surface being there .

it floats over the sound board, so if its properly mounted its invisible, sound wise.

YMMV of course .. :popcorn: as you were..

[jim_n_virginia]

I went guardless on my last 4 or 5 mandolin and while I am a pretty carefull picker everyone of them had a few marks and finger gunk on them that I had to clean off once a year or so and when I got my newest one this last time I left the guard on and it took a while to get used to it but now I am glad and when I look underneath of it it is still pristine.

I'll probably use a guard on every mandolin I get from here on out.

[Fretbear]

The white spot on my black-top is about the size of a dime now, probably be more like a quarter before I'm done; I kind of like how it adds a unique character; if it was a Loar I couldn't afford to be so relaxed about it.

[grassrootphilosopher]

If you are a knuckledragger and you have a varnish mandolin, you better have a pickguard to keep you from ruining the finish. If you aren't a knuckledragger but you have a varnish mandolin and like to let other folks play it, then you better have a pickguard or some knuckledragger will tear up your finish. Lacquer is not such a problem, but you will go through eventually if you plant on the top. But it is plenty tough enough to pass it around and let the occasional knuckledragger hammer on it. :)

Will Kimble
www.kimblemandolins.com

You summed it up nicely. And with folks who have long fingernails (classical guitarists turned mando pickers maybe) scratching up the instrument is what might happen. I saw a Capek once that was new when it went on display at a festival. After the festival it showed some serious use. This was sad because the marks were put on the instrument by good musicians (yet remarkably careless with other people´s instruments).

I think this thread shows that a guard or no is a matter of taste. I take´em as they come.

[Mandolin Mick]

I don't care for the look, and I also don't anchor or drag. So it's not really necessary for me. I rest my palm on the bridge.

A side note ... I got ripped here a few weeks ago because I said the Godfather mandolin was an A-2Z. I was told that they weren't really done in black. How come Statman's A-2Z is black?:disbelief:

[mandolirius]

I don't care for the look, and I also don't anchor or drag. So it's not really necessary for me. I rest my palm on the bridge.

A side note ... I got ripped here a few weeks ago because I said the Godfather mandolin was an A-2Z. I was told that they weren't really done in black. How come Statman's A-2Z is black?:disbelief:

There's been a long-standing debate over whether his is an A-2Z or just an A-2. I think I saw a recent post somewhere here about a black A-2Z, so perhaps there are a few. Most Z`s appear to be blonde, though. Anyway, Z or not, Statman`s A-2 is a fantastic-sounding mandolin.

[mrmando]

Statman's is the most hotly debated of all the purported "black A2Zs" ... but it's still most likely an A2, until we see a photo of the label proving otherwise.

I don't recall anyone "ripping" Mick about the Godfather mandolin. I just noted that its online description is probably inaccurate.

I looked at some photos of Statman with his new Kimble ... no pickguard, at least in the photos I found.

[Mandoist]

When I took ownership of Joe Val's 1923 Gibson F5, the pickguard was in Dave McLaughlin's possession. Joe had given it to David, since he was/is such a Loar fanatic, and Joe had no use for the pickguard. Joe knew he had a valuable instrument, but to him it was just a tool..and he said so.

Fast forward....A few months later, and without even a hint from me, Dave graciously handed me a gift-wrapped box at a festival we both performed at -- and it was the pickguard!

Fast forward again...I had never played with a pickguard in place on my Kentucky nor Gilchrist F5s, but decided to have the guard reinstalled. More or less, 'just because'.

SURPRISE! After it was put back on, and at the very first note, I could hear a definite difference in volume and overall balance. Just to be certain, we took it off again for a few days...put it back on...and Yes, the volume and tonal balance was definitely better. A very noticeable difference.

Repeated that routine two more times in the following years...every time the same result.

Go figure?

[grassrootphilosopher]

I...decided to have the guard reinstalled. More or less, 'just because'.

SURPRISE! After it was put back on, and at the very first note, I could hear a definite difference in volume and overall balance. Just to be certain, we took it off again for a few days...put it back on...and Yes, the volume and tonal balance was definitely better. A very noticeable difference.

Repeated that routine two more times in the following years...every time the same result.

Go figure?

Looks like you´re guy who´s picking technique is improved by a pickguard. ;)

[mrmando]

BTW, Ricky Skaggs claims in the new Fretboard Journal interview that Bill Monroe gave him the pickguard from his Loar.

[doc holiday]

John Reischman put the guard back on the Loar when they started to plug in. The attachment is on the underside of the PG. After I played my Heiden for 4 years I asked Michael to build me a "finger-rest"....He felt the full "Loar style" was too big. I felt the really small F-R was too thin & we compromised on a mid-size bound F-R. I like it, I don't think it compromises tone. I know we obsess about stuff, but I'm trying to move away from that. I like it, it works, it's a musical instrument (a tool)..... :-)

[8STRNG]

I got so used to playing guardless mandos that I removed the pickguard/fingerest from my Gilchrist when I got it. I recently put the guard back on and I am trying to get used to it, but I notice that most ‘grassers play guardless mandos. So I did a little Google Images research …

No Pickguard:
Bill Monroe
Ronnie McCoury’s Gilchrist
Sam Bush
Adam Steffey
Chris Thile
Sharon Gilchrist
Ricky Skaggs
John Duffey
Marty Stuart
Sierra Hull
Jesse Cobb (Infamous Stringdusters)
Andy Leftwich
Rhonda Vincent
Ashby Frank (Special Consensus)
Alan Bibey
John Reischman
Matt Flinner
Mike Henderson (The Steeldrivers)
Shawn Lane (Blue Highway)
Aaron Ramsey (Mountain Heart)

Pickguard On:
Ronnie McCoury’s Loar
David Grisman
Mike Compton
Jesse Brock (Michael Cleveland)
Tom Rozum (mostly on)

Both On and Off:
Doyle Lawson
Wayne Benson
Don Rigsby

Did I miss any other noteworthy bluegrass mando players? Out of curiosity, what is your personal preference?

MojoMando

Check out my bluegrass jam website at: www.grassjam.com (http://www.grassjam.com)
This month’s Media Player features 3 live tracks from the Station Inn with Ronnie McCoury among others.Bobby osborne plays a very pricey 20's fern without a pickguard.Jesse Mcreynolds always has his pickguard.

[AlanN]

Seems to me he that Mandoist is stating that just the presence of the pickguard improved the tone.

[SincereCorgi]

Frank Wakefield was emphatic about preferring pickguards at the workshop I attended, for what it's worth. He was also emphatic about using guitar picks that he'd punched holes in with an old nail, though, and loud red shirts, so you might take it with a grain of salt. :)

[300win]

I tried one a little over a year ago on my A-9, just did not work for me at all, hard to change a 40 + year way of doing things. So me being the "brusher" that I am {and by the way I keep my finger nails on both hands whittled down as close as they'll go without being in the quick}, my mandolins don't look like they just came out of the store, but thats ok, I didn't buy them to look at, { although I enjoy seeing a pretty mandolin as anybody else}. I give my pickgaurd which was a nice one to another cafe member for thier donation to the cafe, a lady in Ohio best I remember, she liked it so someone got benefit from it. To each his own.

[Perry Babasin]

When I first bought my current instrument, it had been worked on by Dr. Gary Price (sometime in the distant past) and had one of his prototype tailpieces and the abbreviated pick-guard with the little curly point on the bottom. I love the way it looks on the instrument but can't stand it. It just gets in the way and makes me crazy. B-u-t love the way it looks so I occasionally put it back on and play for a while until I can't stand it any more and take it off (usually about 15 minutes or so)... Fortunately I love the way it looks and plays without it, so it's a win-win situation - BUT - When I go home today I'm going to slap it back on and try it again...:))

Ha,ha,ha... Perry

Hey! There it is on my avatar!

[Mandoist]

Seems to me he that Mandoist is stating that just the presence of the pickguard improved the tone.


After a lot of trial & error, and thought, I believe that somehow attaching the pickguard is making a "connection" of sorts...connecting different sections of the wood, etc.

I'm no physicist...but I do have ears that tell me there is an obvious increase in volume. The tone is still the same, to my ear anyway...but the tonal qualities seem to be enhanced somehow? Not different, but more noticeable, and possibly more balanced from highs to lows.

This is not true of any of my other instruments, Joe Val's Loar is obviously better with the guard on.

[GTison]

I have an 2002 Fern Gibson. When I bought it I couldn't tell any volume difference with it on or off. But I could tell whether it was on because I could hear it on stage better and volume was not an issue. I think the finger rest reflects sound back to the player. Within the last year, I have been playing more without it on. I know it projects better in a jam without it and I kind of like the more "trebly" sound I hear out of the mandolin.