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May 2003
Posts: 69
Location: UK | As a newbie to both the board and Ovations I'd like to ask a question of the collective wisdom enshrined in this board about things to protect the face of my Elite Special from my plectrum and finger picks.
Is it a dumb question to ask why Ovations don't come with some kind of scratchplate? Is there a reason, apart from aesthetics? I'm fairly careful when I'm strumming and I'm confident that I'm unlikely to put a stripe across the face but, hey accidents can happen. Also, my finger style can be quite aggressive. I've notice that whereas before my finger picks would have attacked the empty space of the soundhole, they are now tapping on wood.
So - scratchplates, pickguards or whatever - is there a place for them on Elite Specials (or any Ovation) or there something I'm missing here?
TIA for advice
Louis |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | change your technique.
if you have good technique you never need a pickguard |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Contact Ivor Mairants in Rathbone Place, London. They used to stock clear plastic self-adhesive sheets used as Golpeadors (tap-plates) by Flamenco guitarists. If not they can be had from this dealer in Europe
http://www.casabenelly.nl/default_ENG.asp?p ageURL=http://www.casabenelly.nl/Application/HTML/ENG/Benelly_Shop/Product/record244.htm
They come as an A4 sheet and can be cut to shape. One sheet will do a couple of guitars |
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December 2001
Posts: 7251
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Although I totally agree with Al on this one, those plastic sheets are great for those that would like to protect the top. Based on recent posts about this I tries to figure out how to strum and get the pick to touch the top, and although obviously it can happen, I can't seem to figure out how you hold the guitar to make it happen. I was just curious, how tops get worn, and now it's sortofa puzzle for me. My Medallion is almost 30 years old, and I'd say the only mark it doesn't have is one from a pic. Granted I don't play as much as I used too, but our resident Adamas superfan from the south (Paul H.) has been playing his Adamas for many years, and I have seen pictures that its top still looks new.
I'm not going to biff on anyone's technique, as that's just not my thing. I'm just kinda curious how you get the pick to hit maybe an inch below the strings and then scrape for an inch or so. Seems like if you'd double your playing time if you eliminated the top from the pick path. :)
(this was a failed attempt as sarcasm I think.) |
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Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Ask Willie Nelson. He knows how to hit the top with is pick. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Ask Willie Nelson. He knows how to hit the top with is pick.
answer: bad technique
I don't mean to sound sarcastic..(ok stop laughing) but I had a guitar teacher in college that spent HOURS on proper hand placement and hold to strum hold a pick etc. As a result my guitars that have pickguards on them don't get any marks.
The places I get scratches are mostly on the pickup covers of electric guitars.
but hey that clear stuff works and is a good solution. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 398
Location: So. Cal. | My two cents: It really depends on what you play. An electric guitar lead player would obviously leave a lot less mark than a country/bluegrass rhythm player. Of all the acoustic flat tops that I have seen (mine's included), some traces of pick mark are always seen. The Ovation/Adamas guitars are so easy to play and with the amplication, I tend to play a lot less harder than a typical flat top (e.g. Martin), and thus little or no marks on most of them. I checked my Viper (Ac/El.), which is my main stage axe, and Al's right I see no marks even though I play a lot of rhythm (and finger-style) on it.
The bottom line, if you play a lot of quick and hard rhythm, a pick guard might not be a bad idea.
Just me and my Adamas! |
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June 2003
Posts: 2
Location: New Mexico, USA | As a Country/Bluegrass, I have to admit I beat up some of my guitars. I got a pick guard that definately shows why its there. The good news thats an old Applause that I have had for 20 years and my '77 Ovation hasn't got a pick mark slashed across it yet. Definately depends on style and type of music played.
Have fun picking.
LOL |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Welcome Picking_fool
As a bluegrass mandolin player I will weigh in on this with no critcism of anybody else's pickin' style. I always take the pickgaurds off of my mandolins as soon as I get them, so nothing gets in the way of sound coming out of the instrument. I play as hard or harder than anybody, and use the stiffest of picks, my oldest mandolin (going on 30 years) has a slight discoloration under the picking area, more likely from my fingers rubbing than from any pick contact, and it has been played in many bluegrass gigs at top volume and even at parties where the music degenerated into sinful blues/rock and uninhibited wailing. You don't have to whack the wood to sound good.
Where are you at in NM.
Bailey |
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Posts: 69
Location: UK | All
Thanks for the responses. As I said, I'm a newbie to Ovations so I just wanted to find out what the collective wisdom is on the value of scratchplates. I don't want to sound churlish but I have been "hammering" at the old axe for nearly 40 years so I'm fairly confident I won't mark the top strumming. I thought I'd ask the question because the lack of a scratchplate intrigued me - it does make an assumption on the style of the player.
The reason I end up tapping the sound board is that I get different sounds and tones by moving my wrist between the bridge and the fingerboard, as well as changing the angle of attack when I'm playing fingerstyle. I also have one pick style which is quite percussive (I'm clearly a frustrated flamenco player at heart).
Sorry to disagree with some of the responses but I've never been able to subscribe a strict application of the rules about wrist position and technique. I agree it is good to start with for new players, as it will protect the instrument but over time players should become confident enough to vary position and angles. The guitar remains one of the few instruments where experimentation and personal style can make a radical difference to the sound (probably applies to all stringed instruments, actually). Clearly a chord is a chord (although we could debate that as well) but being a percussive instrument, how you 'produce' the chord can vary enormously.
I'm used to modifying my style to match the guitar so that is what I'll probably do - although the idea of the clear scratchplate material is a good one and as you may know from previous post I live about a mile and half from Ivor Mairant's in London (very handy I can assure you!).
Is there an interesting thread here which may not have been thought about? You would have thought an instrument like the Elites et al, without a central sound hole would have different acoustic properties to one with a sound hole. But I still get the same variations I am used to by adjusting the position of my wrist (and more as mentioned above). The big difference is sustain and volume.
Thanks again for your responses and apologies if my response is overly long or appears to lecture at points.
Louis |
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Location: New Mexico, USA | Four Corners Area |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | five crescents diameter. Is this word association or am I missing something? |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Paul:
Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern US where the "corners" of the borders of four states meet and kinda' form a crosshair.
Six Rhombus Circumference. ;) |
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Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | I agree with this post. I don't understand why ovation does not have some kind of pick guard on the elites. I made one out of clear plastic and it worked very well. Made me feel better having it protected
Steve |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | This has been an interesting posting.
Picking-fool, I have been through that area a few times and it is an interesting part of NM. You are also very close to some very nice places to visit in those 4 states. (just a little information for those not lucky enough to live in the Land of Enchantment.
Pick the strings, it's hard enough to be heard without wasting energy scratching the wood.
Bailey :D |
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pickguards, scratchplates or whatever