Clear pick guard.

rustneversleeps

Anyone had any experience with clear removable pickguards.Just got a new guitar with no pickguard just seems a bit strange.I was thinking if I would loose much volume if fitted.The only ones I’ve seen are Taylor type?

DavidR

Yeh. I put one on a Vintage V300 MH last year. Nice sounding but minimally finished instrument which came with no pickguard  

Bought very thin clear pickguard off Amazon. Took me a while to sus out the backing paper was not the pickguard! The trick is to handle adhesive side of clear plastic as little as possible and to lay down plastic without enclosing bubbles.

Over the last year the small bubbles I sealed in have gone. The instructions said this would happen and I didn't believe it at the time.

For me, the thin pickguard has protected the top from the two fingers I rest on the top whilst fingerpicking. It would not protect aggressive play with a plectrum and so a purist might say it's not truly a pickguard, but it does for me.

Hope that helps.

rustneversleeps

DavidR said:

Yeh. I put one on a Vintage V300 MH last year. Nice sounding but minimally finished instrument which came with no pickguard  

Bought very thin clear pickguard off Amazon. Took me a while to sus out the backing paper was not the pickguard! The trick is to handle adhesive side of clear plastic as little as possible and to lay down plastic without enclosing bubbles.

Over the last year the small bubbles I sealed in have gone. The instructions said this would happen and I didn't believe it at the time.

For me, the thin pickguard has protected the top from the two fingers I rest on the top whilst fingerpicking. It would not protect aggressive play with a plectrum and so a purist might say it's not truly a pickguard, but it does for me.

Hope that helps.

Thks I was looking at a static pickguard that is removable so I have choice if it doesn’t work for me.I think Taylor might do one?.

drofluf

My Furch came with one that I was able to peel off really easily so it shouldn’t be an issue if you change your mind. 

But it probably depends on the finish on your guitar. 

tomjax

Be careful with the static ones. I used one on an Atkin OM guitar. I usually only put it on when I played. The one time I forgot, it blistered the lacquer badly within 24hrs!!

This was the one I bought, and wouldn't touch again:

ORTEGA electrostatic reusable pickguard OERP Transparent https://amzn.eu/d/aJNR7pb

Tannin

It is astonishingly difficult to find clear self-adhesive material suitable for making pickguards from. As for clear pickguards, they are easier to find, but tend to be remarkably expensive. 

I reckon they are far and away the best sort. No pickguard and you top gets wrecked (even if, like me, you never use a pick and only finger-rest now and then, that wears through the finish eventually. I had to get my Mineur concert guitar repaired for this reason recently, and have now fitted a clear guard. Paul will fit another one to my new Baritone next week, and I think I'll do the WA May as well, even though it has a harder high-gloss finish. Better safe than sorry. 

Opaque guards are a really bad idea. The wood underneath doesn't fade and all the rest does, so if you ever take the guard off it looks terrible and there is no way to ever fix it. Clear guard and fading is even. My Thunderhawk (factory-fitted with a clear guard) is getting on towards 20 years old now, seldom lives in a case, and still pooks great.

Soupman

Lowden do a transparent pickguard for a tenner.
It looks to be the self adhesive type but they have a chat pop-up so you could check.
I seem to remember a thread on here a while ago where someone had a guard made for them by some firm in Manchester(I think).

DavidR

[Healingshield] Premium Acoustic Guitar Pickguard Basic Type Clear matt : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

Not sure if helpful but just at PC now and looked back and this is the one I used.

It really isn't as thick as it looks in the images. About as thick as a strong plastic bag actually but functional and well produced.

rustneversleeps

Thks .Ive ordered a Taylor static pickguard from GuitarGuitar will see how it works  out as the guitar is a cutaway.Its my first cutaway and with figured Burl back and sides spruce top.Its certainly different.

rustneversleeps

Pickguard arrived,it’s a universal static clear which is removable.Done the job perfect.

tomjax

Can I ask if it's solid plastic or a film type?

rustneversleeps

It’s a clear film.

tomjax

Thanks.