Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

[PaulReedSmith]

I'm referring specifically to the stratocaster with its ginormous pickguard. We all know that the strings vibrate (which causes them to make sound right?) and that vibration is translated into the body through the bridge, nut, etc so that the body resonates. A good resonating body is important for good tone I hear. I also know that plastic does not resonate very well. That is why there are no guitars (at least good guitars) built out of plastic, or the material pickguards are made of. People dont even like plastic nuts for their guitar...most people prefer other materials.



Something else to consider, is whether or not the strings transmit sound energy to the body through the air...I suppose they must since we can hear the sound...but how much of a factor is this in regards to a pickguard, seeing that the sound energy from the strings themselves would probably hit the pickguard, and possibly would be dampened by the plastic. If there was no pickguard, I can imagine the sound waves transmitted through the air would resonate the body better...perhaps...



So, do you think then that pickguards (specificlaly referring to stratocasters, since they have large pickguards) rob tone?

The mechanism is this: when you hit a string, it starts to vibrate. That vibration is inducted in the coils, which transduced electric signal.

The energy of the strings vibration is transmitted also to the bridge and to the guitar's neck, and finally to the body.
If the pickup is body mounted, the coil also moves with the body vibration, and that information is added to the signal inducted (you can hear the wood, as it happens, i.e., with an Axis).

If the pickup is screwed to the plastic, body effect on sound is minimized. You hear mostly the neck contribution to the woody timbre in this case.

 

[tone?]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I dont think that they 'rob' tone, but definately contribute to the strat sound.


one more piece of the equation

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

....what is next??
How the little springs on the trem robs sustain??

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

i don't have to read past the topic of the post to be able to answer this question....

you're kidding....right?

-Mike

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

No....the pickup selector knob does.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Ah doh....the selector knob!!
Or the toneknob of plastic??
....hehe sorry....

 

[Guest]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The tip of the selector switch will kill your tone. I have a mahogany tip on mine, gave it some more warmth.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The tip of the selector switch will kill your tone. I have a mahogany tip on mine, gave it some more warmth.

i had a custom brass one made for a guitar, man did that sustain...i can still hear it!

-Mike

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

No....the pickup selector knob does.

Skarey's right. You need to get selector knobs without pockets of air in them, or the sound waves can bounce around. Also, loose joints rattle and destroy sustain. If the nut is made of aluminum instead of steel, it can be too light and you lose tone that way. Also, if the solder joints are messy, then sound can get trapped in them.

All in all, your selector switch (disregarding how it actually changes tone by changing which pickups are in use) is the single most important and influential (tone-wise) part on a guitar. That's why I only use Switchcraft.

 

[big_black]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The tip of the selector switch will kill your tone. I have a mahogany tip on mine, gave it some more warmth.

Cream sounds better than black.

For realz.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The tip of the selector switch will kill your tone. I have a mahogany tip on mine, gave it some more warmth.

i had a custom brass one made for a guitar, man did that sustain...i can still hear it!

-Mike

True, wood tips can definitely warm up a guitar. Maple is pretty bright, mahogany is definitely a little darker. Oh and too much paint on the tip can definitely kill tone. I had to paint my tip with two poly coats, and I really wish I hadn't done that. The first coat was probably enough, the second coat just killed the guitar.

 

[big_black]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I'm referring specifically to the stratocaster with its ginormous pickguard. We all know that the strings vibrate (which causes them to make sound right?) and that vibration is translated into the body through the bridge, nut, etc so that the body resonates. A good resonating body is important for good tone I hear. I also know that plastic does not resonate very well. That is why there are no guitars (at least good guitars) built out of plastic, or the material pickguards are made of. People dont even like plastic nuts for their guitar...most people prefer other materials.



Something else to consider, is whether or not the strings transmit sound energy to the body through the air...I suppose they must since we can hear the sound...but how much of a factor is this in regards to a pickguard, seeing that the sound energy from the strings themselves would probably hit the pickguard, and possibly would be dampened by the plastic. If there was no pickguard, I can imagine the sound waves transmitted through the air would resonate the body better...perhaps...



So, do you think then that pickguards (specificlaly referring to stratocasters, since they have large pickguards) rob tone?

Why are you wasting time posting on Internet forums when you should be playing your guitar?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Ah doh....the selector knob!!
Or the toneknob of plastic??
....hehe sorry....

You're using plastic?!?!?


Why even bother plugging in?

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Cream sounds better than black.

For realz.

From a physics perspective, yeah! Black absorbs more light, which weighs more. Too much light=too much weight, which kills tone!

This is all irrefutably scientific.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I....like....the.....tone......of......plastic.....it was an EJ moment for me!

 

[Pierre]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I painted mine red, it's faster.

Oh and of course I put knobs that go to 11. Now it's 1 louder.


Seriously dude no offence but once you start caring for stuff that small...no...You'll never end your quest until you make it into a science. I really don't think it's about that.

 

[CronoDL]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I agree with tone?

It's part of the Strat sound, and a Strat probably wouldn't sound like a Strat without the pickguard.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

...Hehe erm yes it will.....hehe

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Why are you wasting time posting on Internet forums when you should be playing your guitar?

Ouch!

 

[theodie]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Ya see, some players are trying to get more tone of of their guitars by changing caps and such. They dont get real tone until they get a flux capacitor.