Pickguards

[Genesis]

A few questions regarding the pickguards on Epiphone Les Pauls.

1) Are they bloody necessary? They look real ugly and I'm guessing if u remove them, show the screw holes in the body. I don't think any sort of  playing will leave pick marks on the body, so are they required?

2) All the Epiphone models I've seen come with a pickguard! Aren't there any models without it?

So, should I remove it or not?

[Skeba]

I removed the guard from my LP and put the screw back in.. My friend did the same except he didn't put the screw back. It's not that big of a deal really, and if you don't know to look for it you won't propably even see it.

I say remove it. You can always put it back if you want to.

[Butch Français]

off with it! the LP looks much better without a pickguard!

[AXL 20]

i took mine off and put the screws back in. if its a solid color you can also take a small peice of paper color it and just clear tape it over.

[Captain P?l]

i saw a GNR show on dvd the other day, i saw slash had just unscrewed the pickguard..
so its no biggie...

[Oddy]

hmmmmm i must be in the complete minority here,

but i like the look of a lespaul with the pickguard.

well only on a cherry sunburst LP. yeah but on anything else the pickguard has to go.

my purple LP has the pickguard off.......and the screw is just left in. its not noticeable.

[Genesis]

Apart from looks, is there a chance I can scratch the body? Like, er if I do some 'rock' style power chord strum? 

[Oddy]

see thats the thing. the way i strum i'd never hit where the pick guard protects anyway

i'd have more chance of hitting the body above the strings near the pickup selector and stuff.

i dont think it'd cause any big scratches

[Thorazine Shuffle]

Pickguards do nothing but get in my way.  It's off on my LP as well.

[Butch Français]

see thats the thing. the way i strum i'd never hit where the pick guard protects anyway

i'd have more chance of hitting the body above the strings near the pickup selector and stuff.

i dont think it'd cause any big scratches

yeah me too!
look at John Frusciante's Strats, they got a big hole into the body right around where the pickup selector on the LP is, hehe.
I have to play in a way that's a bit uncomfortable to me when playing LP's, cos if I play the way I usually do, I end up switching pickups
but then again I haven't played LP much since I started doing a lot of palm muting, might fit me easier now.

[erose]

the only les paul that look really cool with the pic guard is the custom imo so i took mine off thge standard... like someone said, slash takes all his pick gueards off and leaves the holes open, watch his gold top during godfather on the tokyo vids... except on his vintage guitars where he keeps the original picups and with the pick gueard on like in the november rain solo in front of the church...

[AXL 20]

the only les paul that look really cool with the pic guard is the custom imo so i took mine off thge standard... like someone said, slash takes all his pick gueards off and leaves the holes open, watch his gold top during godfather on the tokyo vids... except on his vintage guitars where he keeps the original picups and with the pick gueard on like in the november rain solo in front of the church...

my custom looks better without it. Having a black pickguard kinda kills all the glamour in having a white guitar. The blakc ones like izzy played look fine with the pickguard though.


Alex

[Deez Nuts]

Another thing to note, especially for beginners, is how the pickguard feels for your base pinky or ring finger.  I started with the pickguard on for my first year and took it off and noticed a difference in how far my pinky had to be down to base it on the guitar (although probably just a half inch but noticeable after a year).  I think it's a good idea to have it off just to get used to other guitars if you play a different brand in the future. 

[Skeba]

Well, this is only a problem if you hold your pinky against the guitar... I personally don't do it because it helps when playing with other types of guitars when you can't place your hand like that. Plus I've managed to get my hand more precice (?) by not holding it against anything with any of my fingers..

Don't know if any of that made any sense.. I'm a bit drunk.

[Genesis]

Well, this is only a problem if you hold your pinky against the guitar... I personally don't do it because it helps when playing with other types of guitars when you can't place your hand like that. Plus I've managed to get my hand more precice (?) by not holding it against anything with any of my fingers..

I have this problem of resting my picking hand on the bridge. Now for fixed bridges this isn't a problem, but 'coz of this I can't play movable bridges (a.k.a Floyd Roses). I can't seem to get used to playing resting my pinky on the guitar either. Guess it's only fixed bridges for me... 

Do u just hold ur picking hand above the strings? Won't u get tired?

[erose]

the only les paul that look really cool with the pic guard is the custom imo so i took mine off thge standard... like someone said, slash takes all his pick gueards off and leaves the holes open, watch his gold top during godfather on the tokyo vids... except on his vintage guitars where he keeps the original picups and with the pick gueard on like in the november rain solo in front of the church...

my custom looks better without it. Having a black pickguard kinda kills all the glamour in having a white guitar. The blakc ones like izzy played look fine with the pickguard though.


Alex

totaly agree, the i only thought about the black and the cherry heritage ones... i guess the wine red could look cool with or without....

[Skeba]

Do u just hold ur picking hand above the strings? Won't u get tired?

I do hold my arm against the upper edge of the guitar... but for floyd roses that's it. For fixed bridges I sometimes lay my hand on the bridge so I will, or won't mute the strings, which ever the preference.

[Genesis]

Do u just hold ur picking hand above the strings? Won't u get tired?

I do hold my arm against the upper edge of the guitar... but for floyd roses that's it. For fixed bridges I sometimes lay my hand on the bridge so I will, or won't mute the strings, which ever the preference.

Ah. I have small hands, so I can't do that as well. But it's ok since I'll be using the LP anyway...