Pickguards, or not?

[Astro]

Neither of mine came with one. After a few years of playing I was curious and had an abbreviated one added to one. I loved it and added one to my other mandolin. Because of their small size they are floating, held by pins, and are detachable so no anchors on the free end. Easy to reverse if I change my mind or sell to someone who isn't as enlightened. I think they help ME play better, protect the top, and look cool.

But I understand not everyone feels the same. Its completely a matter of individual preference.

[Hypoxia]

They don't bother me. My cheap F and A mandos, and better guitars, boast finger rests / pickguards. My cheap-to-pricey oval mandos, and other guitar-like objects, don't. My best Celtic oval's strings are so far above the soundboard that picking damage is unlikely. One unprotected guitar and an ancient USA tiple show picking wear. The rest of my 33 axes are unblemished. (Well, those century-old banjo rims are a bit crusty.) Maybe I'm not savage enough.

[Paul Kotapish]

I like an abbreviated finger rest (pickguard/scratchplate/whatnot). I'm unlikely after 40-some years to develop perfect free-floating technique, but I get closer to the ideal and stay more relaxed with the finger rest than without it.

[dhergert]

Both of my main playing mandolins came to me without pickguards. i use pickguards / finger-rests on most of my other main playing fretted instruments, so I'm pretty comfortable with using them.

The 2002 F-9 treble-side sound hole area was roughed-up by pick wear by the original owner, and I didn't want to add to the damage, so I installed a nice full size ebony pickguard on it, and I also added an ebony armrest and a ToneGard to the mix to further protect the wood and also to potentially improve the sound.

The 2016 MK F-5 Festival was brand new when I got it at a killer price and it also came to me without a pickguard. By that time I was very comfortable with the pickguard, armrest and ToneGard on my F-9. I decided I'd rather have the same feel with the MK, so I got those accessories for it. The MK's total cost to me was doubled in doing that, but it's been very worth it to me.



It's got to be totally a personal preference thing. I'll respect you either way.

[dang]

For me, if the finish was varnish I would use the finger rest. For a lacquer finish, like all the mandolins I currently own, I’m fine without it.

[yankees1]

Also, I like a plain black pick guard with no binding.