Tricks to prevent belt scratching

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:15 am

I believe there is a product called an axe hugger that protects the back. There were some on Rickbid but gone now. I have also seen them at the Detroit guitar shows the last couple of years.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:30 am

I can't find anything by this name, on the web, that matches the item I thinking of, so I must have the name wrong. It was a pad that was held in place by elastic bands. No damage to the guitar.

basshawk · Post by **basshawk** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 4:50 am

I can remember as a kid watching The Monkees and noticing how they wore their belt buckles to the side. I thought it was just a "style" thing, so I wore my belt that way. It wasn't until later in life that I realized they were protecting the backs of their guitars. I still wear my belt with the buckle on my left whenever I play.

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 6:03 am

I don't wear pants.

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 6:08 am

Bucklerash on the back of a guitar truly is an ugly thing. I even worry about the copper rivets and snaps on my Levis scratching my Rics. Being very mobile when playing, I have cause to worry. So typically I wear my shirts out -or I wear snug pants which don't require a belt (this gives me an attractive walking-stick appearance).

Of course, you could always just wear your guitar up high like Gerry Mardsen did. Just below the chin!

Maybe I'll invent the Ric-o-bib.

cheers, Noel

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 7:46 am

I've been wearing my belt buckles on the side for year when I play, i get lots of questions about it though. I also had one of those guitar guards on a P bass, it was on there when I bought it, they stayed on because they had holes where the strap buttons were, you just unscrewed the strap button, put the guard on and screwed it back on. The back of this bass was like new when I took it off, it was approximately 9 years old when I got it. It might even still be here soneplace.
I never connected it with The monkees until now, who knows?

joepee · Post by **joepee** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 8:16 am

Wear kilts.

Ouch! Me sporan's rubbin' me Rick.

simoncroft · Post by **simoncroft** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:29 pm

I'm considering patenting the "Guitar-Protect" diaper! After all, the problem doesn't start with the guitar, it starts with what the player is wearing, so I reckon my diaper design should be the most effective barrier to buckle rash.

Joking aside, it really hacks me off when someone with fingernails like a wizard or with a chain around their wrist asks (or worse, doesn't ask) if they can play one of my guitars.

I don't gig very much these days, so it happens less. But generally, is there any reason why you would want to devalue your guitar? I don't think so.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:33 pm

I have never understood how anyone with long fingernails can play a guitar, mine are so short they are shorter than my fingers by about an eighth of an inch on both hands.

bluespckr · Post by **bluespckr** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:00 am

Yeah, I remember the Monkees thing, too, and still wear a belt to the side for that reason, if the belt has a buckle. You might also look for a buckless belt fastened with velcro. Don't laugh. I went to some law enforcement training thing a couple of years ago where we had to wear police-type gun webs and such. Many wear a wide leather belt that fastens by velcro under the gun belt, to avoid having two buckles (one over the other). For those who don't know -- the gun belts go over a regular belt, and are kept in place by "keepers" (little snap things). But that velcro belt is confortable, does its job holding up your pants, and doesn't have a buckle to muck up the guitar. --- BTW, wasn't there a time long ago when some Rics came with some kind of pad attached to the back of the body? Maybe I'm thinking of some other guitar make, or it was a mod of some sort, but I thought I saw or heard of some Rics coming this way, once upon a time.

oreca · Post by **oreca** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 6:24 am

I have "long" fingernails on my picking hand. I guess I like it like that.
But my fingering hand doesn't have anything passed the finger itself, I can't stand playing when your nails touch the fretboard.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 7:15 am

Paul, you're thinking of the Gretsch Country Gent. The current Gretsch edition (not called Country Gent, because GIBSON of all people own the name now) still has this snap-on leather pad.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 8:20 am

I think that some hollow-body Vox guitars had a snap-on back pad as well.

bluespckr · Post by **bluespckr** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:36 am

Well, at least I know I haven't gone completely senile. I just couldn't remember which gee-tars had 'em. Geez, Paul, you're just a fountain of knowledge ... and a true asset on this forum. Thanks for helping me sweep out a few cobwebs.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:48 am

Paul, I'm senile too, just quick on the button sometimes.

Being a Gretsch enthusiast/owner helps.