I have a OM 2HE that I got a year ago and all I do is fingerpick so I want to remove my pickguard. Should I take it to someone? Is it easy to do at home? Thanks for any input.

Carter

1) It's not that easy for a non-luthier; 2)there will be at least a short term difference in coloration on your top. There will be a lighter shadow of the guard, at least until time evens things out. If it were an older guitar, it would, for all practical purposes, never even out. Still, not that big a deal for a good shop.

any places in NYC you know about? Thanks

I"m about 3000 miles from there, but some east coaster will pop up in here.

quote:

Originally posted by Cartermac:
any places in NYC you know about? Thanks

I sure Mandolin Brothers could easily handle that.

Jeff

I removed one from a Martin once. I just heated it with a hair dryer and slowly peeled it off. Cleaned up the leftover adhesive residue with naptha and she was good to go. It will leave a shadow of its former self, however.

I did the same as Alan with no difficulty, you just have to be careful not to heat the area too much. Someone on the UMGF suggested using a lightbulb to heat the area .

Sonoman's point about discoloration is well founded. Be prepared for the discoloration and ready to replace the old pickguard with something else that doesn't expose the tan-line.

Tom

You think even the really light color of engleman will have a tan line? I just feel like the guard muffles the top at least a little right? I just finger pick so no use for it. Its a nice greven guard.

Any spruce top will change color in the presence of light. No light gets through the guard. There will be a shadow, guaranteed. As far as damping, theoretically that might be true, but I've had Collings with and without guards and I'll be durned if I can tell the difference. I have heard that Greven guards are particularly thick, however. I don't know that to be a fact, but I've heard the observation more than once.

My recollection is that the subject of pickguards and cutaways changing guitar tone has been addressed a few times and the consensus was that neither make a difference. My Collings' have pickguards (one has a cutaway) and they don't sound muffled.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Randy Carone,

I just had a dalmatian pickguard removed from my 2004 000-42ASB. The guard was removed by a pro guitar repairer/luthier here in Sydney, who used lighter fluid, after taking phone advice from Collings. Thankfully, given that the previous owner kept the guitar cased a lot of the time, there's not the slightest bit of colour loss.

The guard came off in seconds, leaving a patina of adhesive. My guitar guy told me to keep the guitar out of its case for a week, then bring it back. A week later he was able to remove the glue, and a couple of tiny dents my predecessor bequeathed me, with a very light wet and dry sand. The result: a fabulous new guitar.

But I was certainly worried about colour loss (although another guitar guy did tell me the guitar needed to be a year or two older for guaranteed colour loss), and Collings were going to send a more conventional pickguard, if I needed it.

I'm so glad to have done this. I hated the dalmatian guard - way too Daktari for me, and much too busy on a guitar which has a lot going on already. I think I've got my Holy Grail with this one.