egoidealmusic Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 He folks, So I Just recieved this fantastic LG-2 American Eagle. Seems as if it was never played--not even a hint of a dent on the 3rd fret--and it sounds fantastic. I love the look of it without a pickguard (not sure if the pic does it justice but the wood is gorgeous), but I'm a pretty heavy strummer and I'm worried about chewing through it quickly, so I'm wondering if you folks would recommend adding a pickguard. And, if so, just for shits and giggles, what kind you would add. I think Salfromchatham added a batwing style guard which I love, but I've also seen some with the traditional Gibson teardrop style. And yes, I realize this is a bees nest I'm opening up and I'm ok with that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 egoidealmusic, This guitar is a fine example of quiet, unassuming good taste. So in my opinion, a simple, teardrop-shaped pickguard would be my choice. RBSinTo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 (edited) Looks perfectly balanced and graceful. I wouldn't install, and just pulled the cheezy Martin guard off my 0-18. Plays better already. I wish I could pull all my guards. Edited April 8, 2022 by jedzep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 8, 2022 Author Share Posted April 8, 2022 That's how I'm leaning too, RBSinTo. I've got some tiger stripe material so I could make my own, but I think it would be way too flashy for the simple look of this guitar. And I'd love to leave it totally clean, jedzep, but like I said I've chewed through into the wood on my J in about 6 months. Am I too hard a strummer? Probably. Should I try to be easier? Probably. Is it going to happen at this point in my life? Highly unlikely. Hence the need for a guard! 🙃 Of course, I don't care about resale value, so maybe I should just let it wear in to my strumming style! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 It looks so right without a guard and I was close to suggesting to keep it clean. Then read you are one serious strummer and concluded : Pickguard needed. Very simple. The tiger-stripes sound like a good idea. Are they too 'loud'. Not if you yourself is a loud player. Have fun deciding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 Thanks for the thoughts, E-minor7. It's a pretty red tiger stripe (or firestripe) from Stewmac, and that's my main concern that the red would be a bit too loud as opposed to the more yellow tiger stripe you see elsewhere. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/materials/pickguard-materials/acoustic-pickguard-blanks I made a pickguard for my all solid Recording King parlor guitar, but that sunburst is pretty red so it works really well. I just don't want to detract from the nicely aged looking natural top of this LG-2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 (edited) An etched one of a beaver gnawing on a tree stump. Gibson has enough bird p/g’s it’s time for a rodent. Edited April 9, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 Sgt. Pepper hahaha so I take it you're voting for the more minimalist teardrop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, egoidealmusic said: Sgt. Pepper hahaha so I take it you're voting for the more minimalist teardrop? If you can fit a beaver on it, then yes. Edited April 9, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RvrDxn Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 I’d go with the teardrop like on the current LG-2 reissue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 well, at least it would be a smaller beaver... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said: 35 minutes ago, egoidealmusic said: That's how I'm leaning too, RBSinTo. I've got some tiger stripe material so I could make my own, but I think it would be way too flashy for the simple look of this guitar. And I'd love to leave it totally clean, jedzep, but like I said I've chewed through into the wood on my J in about 6 months. Am I too hard a strummer? Probably. Should I try to be easier? Probably. Is it going to happen at this point in my life? Highly unlikely. Hence the need for a guard! 🙃 Of course, I don't care about resale value, so maybe I should just let it wear in to my strumming style! There is a certain wonderful simplicity to spruce-topped guitars without pickguards, but if you are a hard strummer. So unless you aspire to have Trigger 2.0, I suggest you apply a guard. RBSinTo Edited April 9, 2022 by RBSinTo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 I had a Custom 0000-28 Martin all koa body shown below that I did not want to hide but didn't want to damage. I put a clear static guard that worked fine. How's that Sarge? I mention Martin and Taylor on a Gibson thread 🙂 If interested, I have an unused batwing guard that came with a CJ165. https://www.zzounds.com/item--TAYSUPG?siid=285453&gclid=CjwKCAjwur-SBhB6EiwA5sKtjtSmH7HE21QzjnNuMtALCiArKT6oQTQxTna1RfXUr4qhSGhP7DQ50xoCyxYQAvD_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 Dave F a solid idea. Did the Martin freak out having a Gibson shaped guard forced on it??? I think that's illegal in some states!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, egoidealmusic said: Dave F a solid idea. Did the Martin freak out having a Gibson shaped guard forced on it??? I think that's illegal in some states!!! It's been a deep, dark family secret until today, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 Dave F I'm sorry to have outed you like that! Your secret is safe here on the forum, I hope... 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 2 hours ago, egoidealmusic said: Thanks for the thoughts, E-minor7. It's a pretty red tiger stripe (or firestripe) from Stewmac, and that's my main concern that the red would be a bit too loud as opposed to the more yellow tiger stripe you see elsewhere. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/materials/pickguard-materials/acoustic-pickguard-blanks I made a pickguard for my all solid Recording King parlor guitar, but that sunburst is pretty red so it works really well. I just don't want to detract from the nicely aged looking natural top of this LG-2. To be frank, it's a bit dangerous. Mainly because the guitar itself is so pure and innocent. Look forward to see what happens. But now we're there, can I ask : Are those Stewmac blanks pixelated or organic ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 E-minor7 they seem pretty organic to me--no complaints about the texture of the pattern, only saying that it's a lot more red than the Gibson fire stripe (or tiger stripe or whatever). That is, it's a beautiful pattern, I just worry that it wouldn't look good with this natural top with how red the stripe is. Like I said, with a redder sunburst like there is on the RK it looks great, but I'm concered it would be way too orange on this guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 Congrats! Gorgeous guitar. id batwing it, but that’s just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 (edited) You're right, Ego, and any deviation from the brown tone of the fingerboard and bridge will draw you eye to the contrast. Having owned 50's era models of this guitar, these, and really no guitar, should be subjected to strumming that's reckless enough to scar it. At that point you would be driving it past it's tonal efficiency zone. Maybe, keep your abused dread for 'bashing', and customize your strum attack a little. I have this custom Greven firestripe guard matched to the wood on my '36 L00 restoration, but still hesitate attaching it. Maybe a guard is useful to cover damage after the fact. The little teardrops Martin puts on their OMs seems understated enough to not detract too much from the simple grace, in which case I'd go to Taylor at Holter guards to get a nice beveled custom. By the way, where did you buy an LG w/o an attached guard, and isn't that an LG-3 by virtue of it's natural finish? Edited April 9, 2022 by jedzep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 I can't decide. I considered removing the guard on my J-15, because I like the look and was curious if it would change the tone / power, but I never did it and I fear it's been in the sun too much to do it now. Color me undecided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egoidealmusic Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 It would be an LG-3 back in the day, but it's a 2014 American Eagle LG-2--the sunburst version is the Americana. Doing some research it seems there were two versions of the American Eagle: one without a pickguard with vintage style white button tuners and one wtih a teardrop guard with all metal tuners--not sure which came first. I got it at Reverb for less than $1500 and, like I mentioned, it seems that it was barely played since it came off the factory floor 8 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 I have a custom L00 natural. A while back I posted that I wanted to add a pickguard. I made a few, got some opinions and wound up using the darker tiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 Yeah, the wood is nice, but the top looks kind of naked to my eye. An understated firestripe in a teardrop shape would work…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 Go ahead and pull it Murph. Then ship it to me and I'll return it in 6 mos with the top color all blended. I offer this service to anyone else who'd like to mail me their guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.