Pick guard?

[G7MOF]

You don't see many F5's with these on, are they like the Ash Tray string post cover on the Fender Tele (There but never used)?

[Beanzy]

Depends on individual playing style. I know loads of my friends who have removed theirs, as many play F5s & As with a free hand chop, which can catch and click off the guard. But I know one lad who bought one to put on, as he's really sloppy & free so was worried about chipping the top. I suppose originally they were there for those who learned from teachers and methods which suggested lightly brushing the top as a reference when playing tremolo. They always seem to be up quite high to me.

[Tobin]

I have pickguards on my F4 and F5, and prefer to leave them on. They are very functional both for protection and as an aide to better right-hand angle (in my opinion, of course). I do lightly brush my extra fingers over it when I play, and it helps keep my picking hand in-plane with the strings. I've never had any issue with catching on it when I play chop chords. It's far enough below the level of the strings to not be a problem.

People who tend to remove them because they're "in the way" are folks who like to pinky-plant on the sound board or curl their hands around the treble side of the strings as they pick. And some folks just take them off because that's how Bill did it, by golly, and they want the same traditional look.

And some folks just don't care. They'll leave it on if it came so-equipped, but don't feel the need to have one on there if it didn't. I wonder what the actual percentage is of people who remove them. I don't see it being a huge majority, but I could be wrong. My guess is that it's about half-and-half.

[Marc Berman]

:) My F5. I like they way they look. Also I have a friend that likes to leave his hand loose when he plays and brushes his fingers across the top :disbelief:. Another reason for the guard.

[Rex Hart]

I catch grief for keeping mine on my Gibson Fern because that's not the way Bill did it but our fiddle player uses it sometimes and his playing is, let's just say, more aggressive.

[MikeEdgerton]

I catch grief for keeping mine on my Gibson Fern because that's not the way Bill did it but our fiddle player uses it sometimes and his playing is, let's just say, more aggressive.

The only pick damage that is on my F5G was done by a former bandmate that apparently had no clue.

[AlanN]

This fellow could have used one

[sgarrity]

All of mine have pick guards. I think a mandolin looks naked without one.

[Tobin]

I forgot to mention that some folks still mistakenly believe that a pick guard covering the f-hole will block the sound of the instrument (which we recently had a thread on). This may indeed be the biggest reason that some folks remove them.

[Mark Miller]

This fellow could have used one

I actually like the way that looks! I would never "distress" an instrument on purpose, but guitars and mandolins that look heavily played (as opposed to ones that are just banged up) look great to me. Eric Thompson's D-28 looks great to me too142683

[yankees1]

All of mine have pick guards. I think a mandolin looks naked without one. I agree !!!

[AlanN]

I actually like the way that looks! I would never "distress" an instrument on purpose, but guitars and mandolins that look heavily played (as opposed to ones that are just banged up) look great to me. Eric Thompson's D-28 looks great to me too142683

Eric is the man. I still listen to his Bluegrass Guitar to this day. The solo that Dawg took on Dixie Hoedown is/was awesome.

[Loudloar]

You don't see many F5's with these on, are they like the Ash Tray string post cover on the Fender Tele (There but never used)?

The Tele ash tray prevents playing near the bridge or palm damping, both good reasons to remove it, IMHO.

Most Bluegrassers removed their pickguard (properly called "finger rest") because "That's the way Bill did it" and also a belief it hinders the sound. It does dampen the sound a slight bit, at least on my Gibson F-5. But it's only a slight difference, so I put my Finger Rest back on quite a long time ago.

Steve

[T.D.Nydn]

142684

[ralph johansson]

It's almost incomprehensible how anyone could possibly cause pcik damage on the top of a carved-top mandolin, as the distance between the strings and the top is about twice as large as on a guitar. Anyway, I've always been using one, since my first mandolin had one. Over the years I've learned to play without one as well - I just have to curl my right hand a little more tightly and allow my picking hand to touch the strings behind the bridge very lightly. I've never been tempted to plant a finger or two on the top because it would make my pick dip too low (my hands are small, I can barely reach an octave on a piano).

[FLATROCK HILL]

All of mine have pick guards. I think a mandolin looks naked without one.


I agree !!!

Me too (three?).

[AlanN]

The mando masters of yore seemed to have no trouble doing the damage

Wakefield
Monroe
Osborne
Duffey

Today's breed are a bit more careful.

I have a shortened one presently on my Gilchrist. The jury is out on whether it stays or goes. I do like the way this particular one looks, don't you?

[Mark Wilson]

Alan - with the bound f holes and block inlay that guard looks nice to me.

I've come full circle on the 'looks' of a guard. I like'em

[AlanN]

Thanks, Mark. I saw Aubrey Haynie at the Station Inn, he had a similar one on his mandolin. He told me Charlie Derrington had made his. I spoke with CD and we went ahead with it.

[mandroid]

Depends on Your preference , who your Playing Hero is . or who you listen to..

I got a Lebeda without one.. Steve at Cumberland Acoustics made one and sent it

I wanted Unbound mock Tortoise .. as its got that stuff for edge binding. on the body.

[Capt. E]

I also prefer to call it a "finger rest". That is the original term for one. In fact, I really don't think they have ever done a lot to protect from picks. Wear on a top where it has been removed comes much more from fingernails, shirt cuff buttons, jewelry (bracelets, watches) etc. The bridge on a mandolin raises the strings off the top much higher than on a guitar where picks definitely are a "problem". It requires quite a sharp angle and long stroke to hit the top with a pick in the area where you usually see wear (at least it does with me). Heck I hardly ever hit the finger rest with my pick.

[Capt. E]

It's almost incomprehensible how anyone could possibly cause pcik damage on the top of a carved-top mandolin, as the distance between the strings and the top is about twice as large as on a guitar. Anyway, I've always been using one, since my first mandolin had one. Over the years I've learned to play without one as well - I just have to curl my right hand a little more tightly and allow my picking hand to touch the strings behind the bridge very lightly. I've never been tempted to plant a finger or two on the top because it would make my pick dip too low (my hands are small, I can barely reach an octave on a piano).

As I mentioned above, I believe most wear comes from something other than a pick,