finger/pickgaurd :

[300win]

Just ordered the Stew;Mac finger/pickgaurd material in the color black. This is the self-adhesive kind. One sheet is enough to make one each for both my mandolins. An F-5 Gibson and an A-9 Gibson. I already made templates out of stiff cardboard, and colored it with permant marker, it looks great. I brush my fingers against the soundboard while picking lead, and it does make a rash of the finish, and seeing as how I don't like elevated pickgaurds, and after picking this way for 40 + years { can't change}, I thought this my best option to keep from wearing a hole in the top. After I get them installed I'll take pictures and post them on this thread.

[jim_n_virginia]

Hey Win if you don't have nitro finish on your mandolin you can make a clear static cling vinyl pickguard and you won't have to glue it to your finish. If you have a slick finish the vinyl will stick. And it won't hide the nice wood on top of the mandolin. Guitar players use them wouldn't be that hard to make on for a mandolin.

Read about it here.
http://macnichol.com/forum-post/2689

[300win]

thanks for the info Jim. Don't know much about the finshes on both my mandolins except they both have really thin finishes. I got the pick/fingergaurd on both yesterday. Great service from Stew-Mac. Placed my order on Friday morning, came in Saturdays mail. I am well pleased with the results. Now I won't be digging out my mando tops, another plus is they look real good with the gaurds on, and there was no differance in the tone or volume. Both my F-5 Jam-master and A-9 have black trim and no position dots on the fretboard so it was a good match. I'll try to get some pics posted in the next few days. Have to wait for help because I don't know anything about how to post pictures.