Why do basses not have pick guards

[bluebird28]

Why do basses not have pick guards? I have seen what happens to basses that do not have pick guards. I have an Ibanez SR500 and would like to put some sort of pick guard on it without having to screw it down. Have any of you done this, what did you use, and how did you do it? I have thought about using some of that material that is used to protect tablet and phone screens - clear plastic with a sticky backside, what do you think?

[testing1two]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Pickguar...materials.html

[JamesGoodall]

I personally just don't like the sound of a pick, and though I can play faster, I cant play as challenging of parts with one. I simply prefer fingerstyle, as do a large portion of bass players. Plus If you have good technique you shouldn't need a pickguard because you shouldn't be hitting the body. Also, most pickguards are there to cover routing on the front of the body. If your routing is on the back or done within the body you wont need a pickguard on the front.

My 2 cents.

And you wont want a PG that you cant screw on. adhesives might do more damage to your bass than a few small screw holes that I'm fairly certain only you will notice.

[Kentucky Ryan]

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

[bassman4d521]

I play with a pick and personally have never even come close to hitting the pickguard with it. However, I have seen many scars occurring from slap style playing.

[mrbell321]

My basses have pickguards...
...many bassists don't use picks so a pickguard is not necessary.
I think your question is broken. :-)

[sevdog]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

[Woofer]

If you're hitting the bass with your pick, you're doing it wrong. You don't need a pickguard, you need better technique.

[Jazz Ad]

Modern finishes and hard woods used for tops are tougher than common pickguards.
No need for them on basses, it's not like we had delicate cedar or epicea tops.

[Nev375]

Ironically, playing with a pick is the style least likely to mar the finish of a pickguardless bass.

I see far more wear from slap under the g string and from fingerstyle from thumbs wearing the finish around the pickup where they anchor all the time.

Some people like that kind of mojo tho.

[soulman969]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

Really????

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

Indeed! Just knowing you think this way makes me respect YOU all the more!

[benlauziere]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

You're joking right ?

There's a lot of great player that plays with a pick: Lemmy, Chris Squire, McCartney...

It's not a question of respect, it's a question of taste and tone. I mostly use fingerstyle but for some songs, I use a pick because it has a totally different tone I wanna get. A lot of TBers brainwashed me for never use a pick but whatever, if it sounds great to you man, use a pick. Or else.

[zfunkman]

Many basses do have pickgaurds which is the first problem with your question. The other problem is you shouldn't be hitting your bass with the pick were a pickgaurd would be. Fix your technique or learn how to play with your fingers. I played with a pick the first few years I played bass; when I switched to my fingers I encountered an amazing sense of freedom. All you need to do is throw away your pick and never pick it up again. It will be hard for about a week then it will be worth it.

[bluebird28]

OK here's the thing I do not use a pick to play, I just pluck it! While looking for an Ibby I saw many basses that had gouges in the bodies around the PU's. Some of these gouges belonged in the Grande Canyon not on a beautiful mohogany bass body. I bought a new SR500 and do not want the body scared up which is why I am asking about the stick on screen protector being used as a pick guard. Someone mentioned that the glue on the screen guard could mar the finish more than screws, however acoustic guitars have stick on pickguards and they do not damage the finish. So I am still looking for more information. Please keep the information coming, thank you.

[MonetBass]

It's true - modern basses, as long as they have some sort of hard clear finish such as nitro or poly, don't need a pickguard.

Also because it would be a shame to cover up such beautiful woods:

[Jo6Pak]

pickguards cover up the routing...

[Proraptor]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

no

[punkrocko]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Pickguar...Materials.html

[TigerInATrance]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Ryan

get rid of the pick. whether its fair or not. more people will respect you if you dont use a pick.

Right... Because I care so much about respect from random strangers.