buliwyf Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Seeing as American Musical supply lets customers use their own credit cards to pay over 8 or 12 payments I am seriously considering a new les paul.Nothing expensive,I've always liked the Studios http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-GIB-LPST14-LIST and their pricing on them is darn good $980.00 with two colors I like and the usual pickups the studios have used for years with coil splitting (not to important to me) and what I really like the on a LP a pickguard.I believe some people dont like pickguards on a LP (especially a flamed out one) and that's a matter of choice but to me it looks strange without one. Choice two is one of the Futura LP http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-GIB-LPFA-LIST ,I dig the colors (especialy the purple and gold ones. Definitely caught my attention with the electronics, the sidewinder and the hot burstbucker 3, coil tap and the 15 db boost.Biggest drawback for me is no pickguard (a black PG would look great on the purple one) and that darn tuner on the back of the headstock.I was wondering would a pickguard from a p90 LP fit the sidewinder. I guess the main thing I should be thinking is which would sound better for my style of playing,I play mostly older hard rock metal (Led Zep,AC DC,Black Sabbath,Motley Crue) and a bit of blues chops,(Gary Moore,Clapton,)I have had 3 LP Studios over the years and all have been great guitars so no complaints with them.I guess the Futura is new this year does anyone have one and what do you think of it.They are pretty close in pricing but I have to add again i really like a LP with a Pickguard even if it has a super flamey top,just my preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Never tried a Futura, but in regards to a pickguard, at least if you have one you can either keep it or take it off...so long as you don't mind the holes left behind! I never really understood the point of a pickguard to be honest, however, I do prefer them in terms of the way a guitar looks. In practical use though, unless you have terrible technique or flail your hand/ arm round when you play, you're highly unlikely to scratch the body!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I tend to use a pickguard on a hollow or semi as an anchor for my right hand. Also in ways I think it does protect from a flatpick. We can say it shouldn't happen, but one might notice how many flattops have pickguards. Even Flamenco guitars have ended up with what amount to pickguards to protect not just against the golpe (tap on the top of the guitar) but also against the nails hard strumming. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I have an LP with a Hum/P90 combo. It was originally a twin P90 that someone modded. I made my own pickguard to fit it. I bought one that would fit a two P90 guitar and cut the notch for the bridge pickup bigger. I actually laid the P90 guard over a twin humbucker guard and marked the bridge cut out. It was very easy to cut.....I used a good sharp set of wire cutters and then fine tuned it with a file. As far as I know, they don't make one for the futura's hum/p90 style, but it was a very easy match. Good Luck, NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I tend to use a pickguard on a hollow or semi as an anchor for my right hand. Also in ways I think it does protect from a flatpick. We can say it shouldn't happen, but one might notice how many flattops have pickguards. Even Flamenco guitars have ended up with what amount to pickguards to protect not just against the golpe (tap on the top of the guitar) but also against the nails hard strumming. m I was thinking in terms of a Les Paul really. I do use a pickguard as an anchor on my hollow/ semis like you do, but my first electric I got when I was 12 was an Epiphone Les Paul, which I still own 18 years later, and I took the guard off it when I got it. All these years later there are nearly no scratches/ marks on the finish where I took it off! I've played everything from Metal to Jazz on it as well!! I think with Les Pauls having the arched top the slope down makes it more unlikely to hit the body...that was more my point I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buliwyf Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 I gotta agree with cody78he said what I forgot to.I dont think a pickguard on a LP is needed to keep from the guitar getting scratched from playing it.I just dont think it looks right without one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I have a couple of guitars that I did not like the pick guards.They are acoustic, so there are no holes to worry about. I bought a couple of the Scratch Guard protectors for them These are temp. vinal protectors, that pull right off with no damage what so ever, and are crystal clear. You trim them to fit, and take about 3 seconds to install, and after using the guitar, remove them and store them in your case until the next time you need them. They worked out great for me. I think I paid about $10.00 for each one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Without pickguard wherever and whenever possible. However, a P90 would be either a dealbreaker for me, or I would replace it with a Gibson Mini Humbucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I learned my lesson with a 16-inch lower bout archtop. No matter how careful, gigging you're almost certainly going to hit the guitar on occasion if you're using a flatpick and no pickguard. Of course, at the time I was playing a lot of country/rock sorta material. I can understand how one's aesthetic might suggest either with or without the guard, but beyond that, I think that it even has a tendency to change how you play. That's a matter also of subjective rationale. I'm at the place where there's no way I'll go without a pickguard and I've purchased those "vinyl" stick-ons even for flattops without them that I only fingerpick. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 On a Les Paul guitar I don't even notice through playing if it's there, and on the only LP PG of mine you won't find I ever touched it in hundreds of playing hours. On this one, however, the pickguard would be in the way for me due to a small amount of too much height: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Cap... Depends on how one plays... m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Cap... Depends on how one plays... m Yes, absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 You say you've had 3 studios over the years so the question is either to go with what you already know (but you got rid of 'em!) or try something new which has drawbacks - no guard and the electronic tuning system. I prefer the look of a LP with a guard and I'd buy the Studio and consider putting a P94 in at the neck. I have an ES175 with P94s and the neck one is a fantastic sounding p/up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 On a Les Paul guitar I don't even notice through playing if it's there, and on the only LP PG of mine you won't find I ever touched it in hundreds of playing hours. On this one, however, the pickguard would be in the way for me due to a small amount of too much height: Beautiful guitar ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Beautiful guitar ! It's an Ibanez AF155-AA made in China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brc Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 It's an Ibanez AF155-AA made in China. Could have fooled me. It just screams jazz guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buliwyf Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Last time (about 1 year ago) I had enough money to buy either the PRS SE Santana or a LP Studio and maybe because of all the hype on the PRS SE models finally having the bird inlays and the Santana being a true double cutaway I had the hankerin for the PRS. I just have never fell for it and for the first time in years I have not had a LP in my small collection.I miss the LP tone especially the crying,sad neck pickup one IE(Gary Moore - Still got the blues) or (Blue Murders ,John Sykes - Out of love ) lead break intro and about 2:30 And I definetly like the way a pickguard looks on a LP,maybe what NHTom did using a P90 pickguard and doing a bit of work to make it fit to a Futura.Then theres always for me to stop being a whining little boy and just get the studio and have a normal looking LP without all the extra bells and whistles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter.556 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I own em with and without. Its just preference, I like em both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokairic Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Definitely depends on how you play. I don't gig, and play for pleasure, so my playing is pretty steady and I don't wreck guitar tops. If you are gigging hard and flailing the pick like a demon, then use a pickguard. I was put off buying a PRS Hollowbody a while ago as the previous owner had just about worn through the guitar top near the lower F hole - ruined a good guitar. Mind you some would pay more for a 'roadworn' guitar.(gawd help 'em) Personally I don't like pickguards - why pay a premium for a fantastic flame maple top then hide it behind a piece of crappy plastic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 for me, it would depend on the finish, and top of the LP. a solid color/painted LP I feel looks bettter with a pickguard. A nice flame of figured top, i'd rather kinda show it off, by leaving the pickguard off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eades Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Pick guards in general look awful especially on les Paul's and 335, the best ones are those that are shaped with the guitar such as a firebird or explorer why pay for extra for a flamed maple cap just to cover it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I'm quite a fan of the 'guard, myself. I'd probably order one with rather than without. Something about the look. That being said; I'm a fan of the 2015 range already, in this respect. From the initial info that's about; there are no screwholes (at least on Standards, etc) so are easily removeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 To answer the OP... I'd go for the regular twin-'bucker Studio and you can call me a Tight Scotsman but I'd go for the Scratch'n'Dent DesertBurst for $770. My favourite finish from those offered and 'round these parts a new one would be Scratch'n'Dented within a year anyhow so why not save $200 in the process? ...why pay a premium for a fantastic flame maple top then hide it behind a piece of crappy plastic?... Well, first-off; neither guitar under consideration has a fantastic flame top... Secondly; another name for a p'guard is a 'finger rest'. Like milo I, too, use the 'guard as a place to use as a 'location point' for my picking hand. As an experiment I tried one of mine 'naked' but on a carved-top LP I found the resultant wrist-angle to be too uncomfortable. For me 'On' it must be. Pick guards in general look awful... No they don't. Quite the opposite, in fact. LPs; SGs; any ES-Series; L-Series; all Strats and all Teles; all Precisions, Jazzes etc; all Gretsches; all Rickenbackers.... All of these look better with a 'guard on..............IMO, that is.............. Plus; with a 'guard fitted you always get more tone. Ask Farns... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eades Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 The les Paul and es are after thought designs and look awfull thats why gibson gives youu the choice to fit it on certain models they know its looks poor but has function all purpose, all the others you mentioned are designed with the guitar shape in mind (hence best ones) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 When it comes to the appearance of an instrument... I guess it's a subjective matter depending on one's aesthetic. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.