pickguard questions

dapperdan7

i dont have one on my manouche guitar and i realize that is a mistake as i am busy wearing down the wood in one spot.any suggestions for putting on one yourself of paying someone to do this?

thanx
dan

Passacaglia

Dan, hope this isn't an answer askew of your intent, but I know that when I first began playing this style a few months back, I was alarmed at the amount of times I was striking the soundboard, both when strumming, and on 1st-string rest stroking. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't played in so long (in other words, because I'm just plain rusty), or because my muscle memory from those many decades ago was still locked in, on the basis of a flexible pick and an altogether different style of flatpick playing. Either way, because I, too, was pretty concerned I had thought of a pickguard, as well.

But then I thought to myself that this might be a great training method, to see if it might help point a way to better playing overall by investigating why this particular thing was happening. What I've discovered is that at least for me, it all comes down to tension.

Or, I should say, I think it all comes down to a question of tension - though I also can't deny that as I've made progress in other ways, other "ticks" have also lessened, simply as I've gotten a better body-sense of the GJ "thing" overall, in terms of technique and feel (in other words, as the pecularities involved don't feel so peculiar and alien, a lot of the stuff from a few months back has effaced quite a bit, and I don't ).

The main thing I've found is that the more my wrist is supple and totally relaxed, the less the "tick" to the soundboard takes place, whether strumming or doing a good hammer of a rest stroke on the 1st string.

Anyway, just a humble thought from a very new player, so take it for what it's worth.

Paul

BluesBop Harry

http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Tec ... uard1.html

McQ

Here's a suggestion for a removable pick-guard: http://www.luxlogs.com/GuitarBra/index.html
If you order #9 then you can cut to your desired shape.

A removable one might be a good idea because, as the above post suggests, maybe one day your technique changes such that you're no longer hitting. I was considering getting a removable pick-guard, but I read on a post in another thread about how the wrist motion, being almost exactly like shaking out a match, is such that as the pick comes off the e string it ought to curve away from the top of the guitar. So if your wrist motion is like shaking out a match in a slightly circular manner you should reduce the pick hitting the top. For my playing, the adjustment was subtle enough that it wasn't a huge thing to get used to, and now I no longer hit the top. As an added bonus, I think the circular motion also might increase right hand pick speed and it seems like I can relax more but hit the string harder--that motion described in Gypsy Picking of letting the pick fall onto the string just seems easier with this sort of subtle wrist motion. Hope all that makes sense--kind of a challenge to put into words.

Of course, if you have no desire to change your technique, then I'd still suggest the removable pick-guard, just for the versatility. Maybe you use it when you practice, but remove it when you record (or if you ever want to sell your guitar, etc)

BluesBop Harry

although working on a relaxed picking technique is always good, protecting your guitar is a good idea as well, but be aware that even though removable, a pickguard it's surely gonna leave a "shadow" on your guitar's top if you leave it on long enough.
Pretty much everybody hits or scratches the top at least sometimes, just have a look at Django's guitar (if he had a wrong technique I don't want to have a right one):

Passacaglia

BluesBop Harry wrote:

just have a look at Django's guitar (if he had a wrong technique I don't want to have a right one):

LOL - Ahem. So much for that theory. :oops:

Frank Wekenmann

On a guitar with a nitro finish, you will wear through the finish if you constantly drag your right-hand fingers across the soundboard like many players do. I think that is what happened to Django's guitar.

Btw, the pictures of #503 made me decide against a pickguard. I think it looks weird when a much used guitar does show some wear and patina except for the place where it is to be most expected...