Tort guard hate?

[Korladis]

Apologies if this has been covered ad naseum here, but I’m new to the fold and lazy about searching, so here goes: why all the tort guard hate? Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of tort guards; probably my favorite guard option. Am I in the minority? Lay it on me, TalkBass, what say y’all?

You're in the vast majority.

But those of us in the minority are quite vocal. Such as myself comparing it to the time I vomited blood (the two really look near identical!).

 

[clickclack]

I have a pickguard hate in general which isn't just about aesthetics and more about what it really is; hiding century old cheap production techniques. Ohh, some varnish gets scratched after years of friction, big deal, OMG!

 

[Nephilymbass]

Apologies if this has been covered ad naseum here, but I’m new to the fold and lazy about searching, so here goes: why all the tort guard hate? Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of tort guards; probably my favorite guard option. Am I in the minority? Lay it on me, TalkBass, what say y’all?

Imo it’s not that i think it’s a bad look. It does look good. It’s just been done to death. It’s kind of like the movies where people show up to an office job and everyone is driving the same car in the same color.

 

[cnltb]

Tort guard hate?
If you like...

 

[andruca]

Not a fan of tort, nor burst, sorry to be such a disappointment to this community

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Not a tort guy at all. In fact, I don't like pick guards, period.

 

[mapleglo]

Meh. I'm an anti-tortite.

 

[Sparkl]

Apologies if this has been covered ad naseum here, but I’m new to the fold and lazy about searching, so here goes: why all the tort guard hate? Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of tort guards; probably my favorite guard option. Am I in the minority? Lay it on me, TalkBass, what say y’all?

Never heard of. I am of course in deep love with the tort.

 

[Christine]

Tort is like

 

[DonBorelli]

Some people don't like tort.

Those people are usually a bit creepy - and they tend to use "modern" looking instruments themselves - preferably wireless Carvin basses that are blue.

 

[Korladis]

Some people don't like tort.

Those people are usually a bit creepy - and they tend to use "modern" looking instruments themselves - preferably wireless Carvin basses that are blue.

I don't use modern looking instruments. Or wireless. Or Carvin.

 

[sigterm]

I've been told putting a tort guard on your bass greatly improves clarity, sustain, playability and sometimes even tone wood.

Some people be saying it doesn't, but it do

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Some people don't like tort.

Those people are usually a bit creepy - and they tend to use "modern" looking instruments themselves - preferably wireless Carvin basses that are blue.

I resent that! I'd NEVER use a Carvin.

 

[Axstar]

I have simple tastes I guess. In my opinion, Tort looks great only with rosewood fretboards, and only against white, natural or sunburst finishes. It sometimes works with black. I don't like Tort on lake placid blue or any of the reds Fender offer. Tort with a maple neck is horrible, in my opinion.

 

[Jay2U]

Happy to read the OP is a tort guard fan, like so many others. I am not at all a fan of tort pickguards. Nature provides balance by default.

 

[two fingers]

It's a mostly binary topic around here. You love it or hate it with rare exception.

But think the tort lovers out number the haters here.

Amd, like you said, "hate" is too strong of a word for most things here. We do love to rag on each other and crack jokes. But it rarely gets to hate.

 

[frankzelf]

Only on black, white or sunburst. And rosewood, no maple

 

[clickclack]

"hate" is too strong of a word for most things here. We do love to rag on each other and crack jokes. But it rarely gets to hate.

Well of course it isn't literal hate. Why would I hate a piece of plastic when I don't even have to deal with myself. Vinyl wrap the entire guitar in it and make it an effigy if you will. Haha

 

[EmuBass]

Well, in my opinion tort is always critical (not only on a J-Bass - these are more than critical ...) and mostly for vintage-lovers. P-Bass + tort can be fine, when the body has clear colours such as white, natural, black and some kinds of red. Even 3TSB can be right, just because we are used to that. Some combinations really do not work, like with the mint-green on the TMB-100 ... had to change.

 

[Mike Marshall]

Apologies if this has been covered ad naseum here, but I’m new to the fold and lazy about searching, so here goes: why all the tort guard hate? Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of tort guards; probably my favorite guard option. Am I in the minority? Lay it on me, TalkBass, what say y’all?

If you are an old guy like me you know what a real tort guard looks like and the ones you see today are really not close to the Real Thing although Spitfire can come close.