Why no pickguards

wim

If you're a top-scratcher, you may consider adjusting your technique to not do that (saying this as a reformed offender myself). A pick guard will treat the symptom not the cause, and only addresses the problem on your guitar. When you want to try out other peoples guitars at festivals and/or new guitars at shops, it's respectful not to be making some marks upon them.

Personally I like the look of well worn-in instruments, and don't understand why some folks can be bothered by a scratch on a guitar which otherwise plays and sounds great. I'm also one of those guys using an iPhone with a smashed glass back for years, and no phone case, I wonder if there's a correlation here.. 😄

Buco

I used to use a cellphone screen, the flexible film kind. I always had some laying around from the old phones. Then I'd take it off. I went back and forth like that a couple of times. The way I play my knuckles slide right at that area when I'm playing on the high E. And it wasn't as smooth as playing on the wood. So I took it off. I could probably use the matte kind. The top has some wear but nothing drastic. I don't mind slightly worn in look, I even like it. Now what I do is once or twice a year I clean that area well and then apply a 3-4 coats of tru-oil over a few days. I don't mind the look of pick guards on these guitars, they look neat. But then, that is an active area of the top after all. Even if you don't hear a difference it's probably taking some energy potential away.

MikeK

I'm with Wim & Buco, I rather like my guitar's somewhat battered look (see pic posted earlier). I suppose it's an ego thing, but not unlike the signs that come with aging and a life fully lived, we earned those marks, no?! Fairly regularly on the bandstand when I'm playing my pickguard-less heavily la pomped Altamira, someone will ask me about or comment on the worn away finish. (Of course, mine has the antique finish so you dont have to chunk that hard to wear it away). The other day, a 30 something asked me "how old is that guitar?". When I told him it was 15 years old, he said "Wow, I thought it might be from the 40's".

littlemark

I'm totally fine with battered and scratches. But damaging the actual top of the guitar rather than the finish. Oof seems negligent.

I did just take the screen protector off my phone. Not the case though.

This is the top of my Regal. The finish is so delicate. I think someone was strumming cowboy chords on it. The bass side damage is odd if you are chunking away.

The original pick guard broke in two right down the middle!