Becoming a "pickguard off" kinda guy...

[ElChivo]

Since getting a Greenie I'm starting to embrace the look without a pickguard. Just took one off my 01 Classic for the first time and there was a pound of dust underneath.

 

[jb_abides]

I receive non-traditional USAs with the pickguard off and keep them as "Pickguard-Off" ... however, my Historic Reissues and Norlin era remain "Pickguard On" ...

It helps when they are not akin to 'legacy' finish colors. I find new color bursts and solid metallics give me some mental latitude, whereas a traditional looking burst does not.

Well, the exception is a gold top which can fall either way, mood dependent.

Here's an example of OFF for me... Blueberry Burst:

 

[LyleGorch]

Depends on guitar, both 54RI”s on, others off.

 

[Señor Verde]

Definitely off for me. Pictures of most of my favorite heroes growing up were guardless. They just look cooler to me.

 

[charliechitlins]

I play my Lester all the time and can't even remember if the pickguard is on or off.
So inconsequential.

 

[delawaregold]

​

 

[gmann]

Off for me, always has been.

 

[jb_abides]

"transitional nudes"






... and ...

"always nekkid"

 

[H. Mac]

No pickguard on mine - because I haven’t used a pick in over 50 years.

 

[harleytech]

I like them on...

 

[Happy Tree]

I took the pickguards off all my Gibsons once I'd tried it with one. It was an area I'd never hit and just seemed like a useless extra thing stuck on there. What I might end up doing is stick a protective strip of plastic between the pickups behind the low E string as that's the only area that's getting dents in it from my coin pick. I'll see if it chips off over time.

 

[GlassSnuff]

After 50 years of back and forth... I decided I like it both ways.

 

[Scozz]

I have one with, and one without, both came that way new. 1982 Custom with,… and a AAA top 2006 Studio without. No screw holes on the Studio.

Carved top Les Pauls really don’t “need” pickguards, the carved top virtually eliminates scratches on the body.

 

[Patrick Ginnaty]

 

[Chronomariner]

I have been a pickguard off guy since my first LP almost 18 years ago. But suddenly after being without a LP for 6 months I turned into a pickguard on guy.

 

[NINFNM]

Sometimes ON, sometimes OFF. Currently is ON but I'm sure it will be OFF eventually.

 

[Parisianwalker]

I keep it off. The thing with the pick guard on mine is that I dislike how it flexes in the middle and “clicks” against the bridge pickup ring.

 

[Midnight Blues]

Of my four LPs, I have two on and two off.

 

[the_007_life]

Always been a guard on guy, but you are all slowly convincing me to grab a screw driver…

 

[clayville]

When I bought my CS-356 out of the Stinger run twenty-one years ago neither Gibson nor Music Machine had the heart to cover the top with the pick guard. Neither have I... and no worse for wear after almost daily use.