Whats your preference basses with or without pickguards ?

[Matt Dean]

Looking at the pick guard on my Sad UV70, I see that its all scratched up from slapping... so I guess I like it... besides it gives the bass a kind of sexy old school look.

 

[nad]

Love them on Fender and associated clones, hate them pretty much everywhere else.

 

[BassGod]

Fender/Music Man/Rickenbacker: With

Everything else: Without

Graeme

 

[HELLonWHEELS]

Depend what bass. I think my Bongo(well most EBMM basses) would look horrible without a pickguard. I also think Fender P's look fugly without a pickguard.

 

[ehque]

Chrome, Clear, and Wood pickguards really do it for me.

I dont like the solid colours or tort or pearl or what not.

 

[The BurgerMeister]

i'm all about the pickguard.

 

[bassic_element]

I really dont like pickguars. It would be could if they could be removed without leaving all the holes in the body.

 

[JimmyM]

I couldn't give a crap one way or the other, although I did take the pickguard off my Turser Beatle bass.

 

[incognito89x]

I play with a pick sometimes and I still don't like pickguards I can play without scratching up my bass.

Annnyway, I think there are a few times that a pickguard looks good. It's pretty standard on Fender style basses, though I think it depends on the pickguard itself on how it looks.

Most of the basses I've owned didn't have pickguards. I had a Pedulla Rapture that had a pickguard and an SX Jazz that had a pickguard. The 10+ other basses I've owned all didn't have a pickguard. (4 warwicks, 4 spectors, 1 stambaugh, 1 cirrus, ibanez EDB, and coming soon a G&L)

As you can see by the basses I've owned, a large majority of them were also natural finishes. I quite enjoy a natural piece of wood untainted by a pickguard

 

[GlennW]

It's all a matter of personal tastes. In general I like pickguards on solid bodies and prefer no pickguard on hollow bodies.

 

[Pennydreadful]

With. It gets extra points if it's sparkly, pearly, striped, or huge.

 

[Osprey]

A P Bass needs the pickup because it's part of the 50's styling..it's a part of the whole look. But for basses made of special wood or with special designs..lets's see the wood.

 

[Himself]

I really like pick guards!

Mainly cause it's an easy and fairly cheap way to change the appearance of your instrument.

 

[yellofury]

both

 

[GregC]

With pickguards (and I do use a pick sometimes). I guess I'm old school.

 

[4lPh4n0m3g4]

I occassionally use a pick (usually felt or rubber) but never liked the looks of pg's. I would remove the pg and leave the holes showing if I liked the bass well enough to own.

 

[lonotes]

Depends on the bass. My Spectors are naked. My Fenders all have PG's, except for the '72 Jazz. I removed it back in about '82 ( as was the fashion of the day). My skyline Glaub came with one, but I added one to my 55-01. The 55-01 is Inca Silver, and that was a huge, flat slab of silver. A silver pearl PG from Jeannies dressed it up, nicely.

 

[Brian Jr.]

Really it depends on the body shape, type of wood, color, and whether or not I have to do any work to put it on or take it off. I don't use a pick much, so for me it's more a matter of aesthetic look than anything.

 

[cdef]

I like a well-turned pickguard for the complex interplay of curves it can bring to the design. A J without one looks kind of bereaved with just the control plate on there. Then again, seemingly unwarranted plastic acreage like on the SR5 or the Peavey T-40 is annoying.

 

[Baird6869]

I have 3 basses with pick guards and 2 without. I never play with a pick so I don't have an opinion beyond just aestetics. If it looks good and playes good, I will play it.

I also have 2 Gibson Les Paul 6 string guitars - one with a pickguard and one without. I will be putting a pickguard on the latter ASAP as playing with a pick can quickly scratch the hell out of a guitar.