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Pick scratches and wear


ksdaddy

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Rather than hijack an existing thread I will insert the quote into a new thread:

 

I'll never understand how a pick can gouge a soundhole or top, even if you're windmilling the sucker.

 

In a million years I will never understand how tops get gouged with a pick.

 

12088189_1055996281097391_857393997223633077_n.jpg?oh=2395eea64f861073d68a8a1d61f8bc1d&oe=5714B63C

 

I've noodled around with old junkers and to satisfy my curiosity I have TRIED to make contact with the top via the pick and can't even do it. I do have a little rub wear on the Telecaster where my pinky sometimes rests between the bridge and control plate but that's not the same as THIS.

 

How is it even possible?

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.

Looks like the 'never change strings' thing. Couple that with many years of use by someone that never wipes down the strings or the deck, leaving gunk knocked off the strings sitting on the deck. The vibrations of the top lines the gunk up in nice lines and the gunk slowly eats up the finish in nice straight lines. And there might be a bit of pinky rub wear too.

 

rfmr1ahwv8yv6fdryeyw.jpg

 

.

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I don't know the experience levels of people but I think some folks possibly forget that playing a guitar in front of a few thousand for a few hours for a few nights a week is not like sitting on your couch at all. It's a full contact, unforgiving, beer-fueled-Winston-ignited drunken brawl of KlassiK Rokk savagery.

 

Pretty it ain't. Guitars suffer. At least, mine have. And the amps when you go to all the trouble of harnessing yer cable up so it don't pull outta the jack and first set second song you march right past the monitors and yank yer Prosonic off the 2x12 smack flat on its face. I've heard.

 

Not long ago I traded off my fairly beat up expensive Yankee Ovation that I gigged for a few years with and it had definite gouging on the top, up high and down by the bottom. There is no precision when singing and flogging Brown Eyed Girl for the 2143rd time.

 

rct

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There have been only very few stage accidents which happened to my guitars through colliding with band members who didn't respect my position at my vocal mic for a moment. The battle scars on my instruments were hurting me much more than the related guitar or bass.

 

Anyway, I think that imprecisions common among sober, level-headed players won't cause serious damage to their instruments. I have seen lots of scratched and dented guitars and basses, and also loads of buckled drumheads and cracked cymbals. I might also have had a constant run of good luck over the years, but none of these things ever happened to me. I never have been drunk or otherwise inebriate when picking or drumming. The music itself has always been and still is the only very drug to me, and making music is worth the effort of due diligence I think.

 

Believe me, I felt embarassed enough for hurting audiences with all the wrong notes and beats I did on stage over the years. I think furthermore damaging gear would have made me giving it all up long ago.

 

The only thing I have to deal with is lots of dandruff under the strings and around bridge and tailpiece. When changing strings, I thoroughly remove all that stuff with a soft cloth not marring nitro finishes respectively pickguards.

 

Here's how my guitars look like after some hours of playing after cleaning:

 

IMG_0633_zpsspz0pbmm.jpg

 

IMG_0794_zpsv0ibedym.jpg

 

 

Like other players I just seem to put my skin at stake... [biggrin]

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Fingernails probably, more so than picks.

 

I see a lot of pick guard scratches on electric guitars too, so there is another contribution factor. I've seen quite a few people "playing" at Guitar Center and will attribute much of the damage to constant abuse - whether it be a pick, finger nails, or just some person head banging on a guitar.

 

Do the scratches affect sound? If not, does it really matter?

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I see a lot of pick guard scratches on electric guitars too, so there is another contribution factor. I've seen quite a few people "playing" at Guitar Center and will attribute much of the damage to constant abuse - whether it be a pick, finger nails, or just some person head banging on a guitar.

 

Do the scratches affect sound? If not, does it really matter?

Finishes have a purpose beyond looks I think. To my guess there's also a difference between scratching a finish and routing wood. You will play strings to hell and cause unavoidable wear of frets, but everything else is rather abuse than playing wear to my senses.

 

 

msp_scared.gifmsp_w00t.gif How in the world does one play with nails that long? Lol, (Laugh out loud) I keep mine down to the pink of the nail.

That's what I do on my fretting hand, too:

 

IMG_1484_zps4n4gz0tm.jpg

 

My picking hand is a different thing though.

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ALL of my nails are short to the point of being almost nonexistent. Even on my picking hand. I have pretty good control using just the meat on the fingertips to grab a string.

 

Back in '94 I smashed my left index finger to the point of losing the nail. After the new one grew in, it's never been right. If there is ANY nail protruding it feels like it's sticking out a foot and must be lopped off immediately.

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I don't know the experience levels of people but I think some folks possibly forget that playing a guitar in front of a few thousand for a few hours for a few nights a week is not like sitting on your couch at all. It's a full contact, unforgiving, beer-fueled-Winston-ignited drunken brawl of KlassiK Rokk savagery.Guitars suffer. At least, mine have.

 

... There is no precision when singing and flogging Brown Eyed Girl...

 

[lol] that's gold. \m/

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I don't know the experience levels of people but I think some folks possibly forget that playing a guitar in front of a few thousand for a few hours for a few nights a week is not like sitting on your couch at all. It's a full contact, unforgiving, beer-fueled-Winston-ignited drunken brawl of KlassiK Rokk savagery.

 

Pretty it ain't. Guitars suffer. At least, mine have. And the amps when you go to all the trouble of harnessing yer cable up so it don't pull outta the jack and first set second song you march right past the monitors and yank yer Prosonic off the 2x12 smack flat on its face. I've heard.

 

Not long ago I traded off my fairly beat up expensive Yankee Ovation that I gigged for a few years with and it had definite gouging on the top, up high and down by the bottom. There is no precision when singing and flogging Brown Eyed Girl for the 2143rd time.

 

rct

 

Very nicely stated, and all true.

You are truly a poet and an honesty-broker.

 

 

By the way, my band does more of the Everclear version of Brown Eyed Girl than the Van Morrison version.

 

It's more fun, and richer on the vocal harmonies.

 

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Funny I seem to get most wear under my forearm.

 

Like RCT said.......when you see a heavily worn guitar, if it wasn't a relic job, then it was played HARD for HOURS.

 

My only guitar with "honest wear" is my 85 Explorer......I took it everywhere and played in constantly. That's how they get that look.

 

Now that I play in my bedroom, mine all stay looking like new. I take good care of them and they just don't get beat up.

 

 

You see a guitar like Willie Nelson's that has a hole worn through the top and you know he played it tons.

 

NHTom

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Very nicely stated, and all true.

You are truly a poet and an honesty-broker.

 

 

By the way, my band does more of the Everclear version of Brown Eyed Girl than the Van Morrison version.

 

It's more fun, and richer on the vocal harmonies.

 

 

o garsh thanks.

 

I like the Everclear take on that too! We always did a fairly straight up VM version, but we'd get a handful of audience up for the Sha La Las, and that was always fun. Sometimes too many and man it would get crowded up there. Few times I'd just give my guitar to some crowd person and let them beat on it and I'd just sing, always a hoot!

 

rct

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all my guitars have scratches on the pickguard,diagonal lines right under the high e string going down about 2 inches under the string.i guess im such a lousy picker i cant even hit the strings consistently.dont think its my nails,they are so short they are almost nonexistant.

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I have these scratches on a lot of my guitars too.

 

I wondered about it as well at one point, how in the heck they get all the way down there. And other places as well. I kinda studies it a bit, and realized that when playing, I often do hit places where I don't think I do, or even can. But, pretty easy to see, as they were all from me.

 

I think RTC is onto something, in that in gigging causes a different style of play. I notice gig guitars seem to wear faster. I always thought it was because of my lax practice habits.

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all my guitars have scratches on the pickguard,diagonal lines right under the high e string going down about 2 inches under the string.i guess im such a lousy picker i cant even hit the strings consistently.dont think its my nails,they are so short they are almost nonexistant.

I'm a lousy picker as well. Although I try not to hit anything besides air and strings, sometimes blade switches on Fenders or my Ibanez RG are in my way. I dislike unwanted switch operations happening. <_<

 

 

I have these scratches on a lot of my guitars too.

 

I wondered about it as well at one point, how in the heck they get all the way down there. And other places as well. I kinda studies it a bit, and realized that when playing, I often do hit places where I don't think I do, or even can. But, pretty easy to see, as they were all from me.

 

I think RTC is onto something, in that in gigging causes a different style of play. I notice gig guitars seem to wear faster. I always thought it was because of my lax practice habits.

In my early playing years I sometimes put my little finger on my Ibanez RG's pickguard. These traces will be visible forever against the light. In contrary, the pickguard on my only Les Paul featuring one looks like new after two and a half years and several dozens of playing hours. Other than by looking, I even don't notice it's there while playing.

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Badbluesplayer posted interesting statements into another thread in July 2012 contained in this contribution: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/89843-playing-position-when-standing/page__view__findpost__p__1232458

 

It has cut into my brain forever. I quote from his post here - bold and underlined characters are edits:

 

I think most people like to play with their elbows bent at about ninety degrees. That seems pretty universal except for the low slingers.

 

Low slinging isn't about playing. It's about style. I don't think you're going to find many good teachers who say otherwise.

 

Another thing is - people's hands are stronger and more agile when they're close to the body and when the elbows are at 90 degrees. Hands work best when they're right near your breastbone. So it's natural to develop a technique where your hands are high and close to your body.

...

His words made me aware what it's all about. One of my personal conclusions has been the following: Giving up any good habit in a performance situation will change everything, and most likely nothing for better.

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My Sonex was my main gigging guitar for 10 years. It had beer spilled on it, the pick guard was cracked from people stepping on the chord, it smelled like smoke, and I dropped it a few times. Luckily it's built like a beast. You can't see the scars in these pictures too well but there are many little dents in it. It comes with the territory (note that I replaced the pick guard).

 

sonex_c1.jpg

 

sonex_c.jpg

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