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The emperor's new clothes..............


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After pondering all options, the Holter guard now adorns the 185.   The workmanship on this guard is spectacular.............quite expensive relative to others available but highly recommended.......excellent product.  Taylor suggested a matching guard for the other side...........I'm considering it.............any thoughts from the crew?

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It looks nice!! Between the two that is the one I would have pick. It blends in better and is less bold. As far as the double pick guard, I have never been a fan. They look confusing to me. One consideration is that it may be hard to match the other pick guard. Anyway, nice looking guitar!

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I like the look of double pick guards but getting the fire stripe matching and going in the mirrored direction will take some extra effort.

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Glad you like it, but it’s not my cuppa Joe. With the randomness of the streaks, it still looks too busy to me, I think firestripe pickguards have a place (I’ve got two) but to me, it somehow looks out of place on this particular guitar.

It isn’t my guitar, though, so my opinion is of little consequence.

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Holter has long been considered one of the best manufacturers of aftermarket pickguards out there.  While I have yet to see any Firestripe scratchplate that can match what I have on my two 1930s Gibsons  (they are more subdued looking but you can really see where the name came from) those Holter produces are definitely a cut above most of the newer versions.  

I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention one thing.  There have been two major meltdowns about Bozeman-made Gibsons on this forum that I can recall.  One was over laminate bridges.  The other was placing pickguards right up to the soundhole.  Not that it is really a Bozeman quirk as my 1956 Southerner Jumbo sported that feature.  But if you have ever seen what a pick can do to the edge of a soundhole, positioning it right up to that edge makes all the sense in the world.

As to adding a second, that is solely a matter of personal taste about looks. So, who gives a fig what I think.  That said, my wife's 1960 J200 had a second pickguard added sometime during its life.  We removed it.  Had nothing to do with sound (we heard absolutely no noticeable before and after difference) but was simply all about aesthetics. 

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45 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

........placing pickguards right up to the soundhole.

Yes, Gibson varies pickguard placement from model to model.  This Holter guard was made with the original as a template and is within 3/16" or so of the sound hole rim...........just inside the rosette.  And yes, this is the best workmanship I've ever seen.  The beveled edge is done very well and is consistent all the way around.  The finish is immaculate.  

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It looks great as is.   DaveF pointed out a potential deal breaker on the question of adding a p/g on top of the sound hole:   Which way would the stripes go? Would it be a major distraction?     Never a fan of doubles, but never had one.   Why double the amount of coverup on a beautiful guitar?   I think it might have been more a marketing / packaging thing for the Everly Bros if you consider the size and shape of theirs. 

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