Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

[TheArchitect]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I've never totally understood the logic and mindset of those that place the world of importance on playing an electric guitar unplugged to evaluate it. The fact that so many folks get great sounds out of instruments that are "dead" sounding in the unplugged respect just blows the entire theory that it's everything right out the door.

The slightest difference acoustically in an electric gets magnified by about 100 when you plug it in. Who are these folks getting the great sounds out of "dead" instruments? A vague comment at best. They would be that much better if they started out with instruments that had it acoustically to begin with.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The slightest difference acoustically in an electric gets magnified by about 100 when you plug it in. Who are these folks getting the great sounds out of "dead" instruments? A vague comment at best. They would be that much better if they started out with instruments that had it acoustically to begin with.

There's a great reference by I believe it was Dan Erlewine who was asked by Billy Gibbons to do work on "Pearly."

Dan has had extensive experience with 59's over the years. Arguably more have passed through his hands to be worked on than anyone else.

His impression of "Pearly" was that it really wasn't all that great an example of a 59'. Considering the sounds and tone associated with it one would expect "Pearly" to be the perfect model of what the best of the best in 59's would be.

However that just wasn't the case....

Plenty of folks have gotten great sounds out of the 10 pounder plus Norlin Les Pauls and the "boat anchor" Fender Strats of the 70's. Acoustically dead instruments but sure enough, in the right hands, it works.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Paureedsmith - You're right. No pickguard DOES sound better... :duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck:

Pierre - Mine is red with gold sparkles. Ergo - Mine is faster than yours is. :beerchug:

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Hehe Scott that strat just kills!!
Got a mate who has an old 62 strat, it is a doornail unplugged, but stick it into an amp.....fat greasy, lively, all the usual buzz words...his old Squier strat has more life acoustic wise, but is far more thin and stratty.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

I like it myself. I also love the bright single peice 60th anniversary maple neck it has with the skunk stripe back. This guitar has balls enough to fill a dump truck and I couldn't be happier about my purchase. I've had offers to purchase it from me, but I'd want way more than this thing can be had at other sources for. I'd feel bad ripping a forum bro a new one like that.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Paureedsmith - You're right. No pickguard DOES sound better... :duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck:

Pierre - Mine is red with gold sparkles. Ergo - Mine is faster than yours is. :beerchug:

She's gorgeus!

 

[PaulReedSmith]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

honestly...that strat even looks a lot nicer TO ME than one with a pickguard...

 

[Mephis]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Paureedsmith - You're right. No pickguard DOES sound better... :duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck:

Pierre - Mine is red with gold sparkles. Ergo - Mine is faster than yours is. :beerchug:

You need to buy better grade 22s.

 

[Forbes]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

No pickguard AND racing stripes, possibly even faster than GR8SCOTT's??

 

[Pierre]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Paureedsmith - You're right. No pickguard DOES sound better... :duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck::duck:

Pierre - Mine is red with gold sparkles. Ergo - Mine is faster than yours is. :beerchug:

I have no choice but to bow down to the sparkles *bows* I have two red-ish guitars but neither have sparkes

 

[MikeS]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

^^^
Help, quick, help! I've been robbed... SIX TIMES!!!



This is, without question, one of the silliest things I have ever read regarding tone, especially on a Fender guitar. When you're playing a slab of wood with finish as thick as the concrete in the Hoover Dam, I highly doubt that a piece of plastic is going to make a lick of difference.

The question also implies that tone is some quantifiable or measurable thing. It's not, IMO, and therefore cannot be stolen.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

There's a great reference by I believe it was Dan Erlewine who was asked by Billy Gibbons to do work on "Pearly."

Dan has had extensive experience with 59's over the years. Arguably more have passed through his hands to be worked on than anyone else.

His impression of "Pearly" was that it really wasn't all that great an example of a 59'. Considering the sounds and tone associated with it one would expect "Pearly" to be the perfect model of what the best of the best in 59's would be.

However that just wasn't the case....

Plenty of folks have gotten great sounds out of the 10 pounder plus Norlin Les Pauls and the "boat anchor" Fender Strats of the 70's. Acoustically dead instruments but sure enough, in the right hands, it works.

Just because they are heavy doesn't mean they are acoustically dead.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

It reminds me of a joke...

Three guys sit in a bar: An Englishman, an American and a Scotsman.
A fly lands in the Englishman's beer, he asks the bartender in a polite manner to replace his beer.
The fly then lands in the beer of the American who drive the fly out using his fingers. The fly continues to the Scotsman's beer.
The Scotsman looks at his beer, grabs the fly by its two wings, and shouts: "spit it out you bastard! spit it out I tell you!"

So, if a fly will land on my guitar when playing... would it rob my tone?

 

[Guest]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

No pickguard AND racing stripes, possibly even faster than GR8SCOTT's??

Definativelly, but it has no tone. After all, only think worse worse than pickguards is humbucker rings, especially metal ones as they don't vibrate with the instrument.



Imagine if a newbie comes by and buys in all this crap?

MikeS, love the Black Tele O'Dewm!!!

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

Definativelly, but it has no tone. After all, only think worse worse than pickguards is humbucker rings, especially metal ones as they don't vibrate with the instrument.

The trick with metal humbucker rings is to use the right type of screw - LSP, I'm surprised you've forgot it...

BTW,
I love racing stripes on guitars.

 

[Guest]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

The trick with metal humbucker rings is to use the right type of screw - LSP, I'm surprised you've forgot it...

BTW,
I love racing stripes on guitars.

Actually, I didn't, but finding a vintage unobtanium screw is pretty much impossible, thus rendering the point moot, those who have them aren't letting go, now are they?

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

DRAT!!!! Foiled by racing stripes!!!

BTW - If someone wants the Red Sparkle Strat in the pictures make me a serious offer. I've found an acoustic I want and my PRS covers the meaty ground that this strat covers anyway. I have a decent acoustic, but the one I'm looking at is incredible. It's balanced, smooth as silk and beautiful to boot.

See thread from trading post below.
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=112596

 

[DazH]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

You've all forgotten how the thickness of the air in the room is crucial to good tone.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

You've all forgotten how the thickness of the air in the room is crucial to good tone.

True. My tone sounds best in a vacuum. :drive:

Overweight guitar players also have the fattest tone. It's science.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Do Pickguards Rob Your Tone?

You all seems to forget this!!!

































TONE IS IN YOUR FINGERS!!!






















hehe