Tony Rice Pickguard......

[rygi]

Couldn't find info on this anywhere on the web so here's my question. What kind of pickguard is on Tony Rice's D28 in these pictures?....





Obviously,it's different than what the stock "tortoise" pickguards are on Martins. It doesn't look like what's referred to as the "dalmatian" pickguard on the Martin Clarence White model either. This one almost reminds me of swirled chocolate and caramel. I've seen it in some of his videos too,although it would seem at times that guitar had a different guard on it. Anybody out there make a pickguard like that one in the picture? It's really nice,I just can't find any like it.

Thanks a bunch too anyone who can help!

[tadol]

I doubt he changes pickguards - he's had Richard Hoover at Santa Cruz Guitar Company making his guitars for quite some time now, and each time he tweaks things just a little bit. You are probably looking at different guitars -

That is a real tortoiseshell guard. It was a gift from a fan. Early photos of the guitar show a different guard.

Few substitutes can match that look, and none are readily available.

[kydave]

That is real tortoise shell given to him years ago by a Japanese fan, if I remember correctly.

[rygi]

Thanks everybody for the responses. I had a hunch that it was real tortoise shell. Obviously,that's out of the question. I'm gonna keep my eyes opened for a nicer pickguard though.

On a side note,between the Braz Rosewood,and the tortoise guard,I wouldn't want to try to get that guitar through customs lol. Of course,for a guitar on that level of amazingness,I think it would be fair to grant it it's own passport and visa if needed

[Wade Hampton]

Rygi, I haven't had a chance to play Tony Rice's famous modified Martin, but I've talked to several people who have, including luthier Wayne Henderson, who's also done repair work on it. Everyone I've spoken with who's played the guitar has said that it's a nice old Martin, but most of the tone Tony Rice gets out if it is generated by Tony Rice himself.

It will undoubtedly sell for a huge amount of money when Mr. Rice passes away and his heirs auction off the guitar, but - again, according to the people I know and trust who've played it - it's not really the Holy Grail many of us have been led to believe it is. Most of the myth-making about it has been generated by Mr. Rice himself, but he doesn't give most of the credit where the credit is actually due, which is to his own hands, ears, touch and musical sensibility.


whm

[Misty44]

Originally Posted by kydave

That is real tortoise shell given to him years ago by a Japanese fan, if I remember correctly.

Yes, correct, Dave

Here's TR's account, from an interview in 1998 with brother Bryan Kimsey when Bryan was a beat reporter for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine:


BK: When did the dark colored pick guard get replaced with the lighter one?

TR: That would have been in 1985. The one that is on there now is real tortoise. It is actually an extraordinarily beautiful piece of tortoise. I was in Japan in '85 and had just finished a show and was walking back stage. There was a Japanese guy there who bowed and said, "I have a gift for you." He handed me this pick guard in a plastic pouch of some kind. I looked at that pick guard and said, "I don't care if it is original or not, or what it is, it has got to go on this guitar."

[Teleman52]

The greven tor-tis light is pretty close to it, it's not quite the same but it's the closest I know of.

Cool to hear the story of that pickguard though, I've always been curious about it as well. Love tony rice

[Misty44]

Speaking of Rice's guard, John Arnold once made a vinyl plastic version of it...hand painted with acrylic lacquer and aniline dye powders, a real art form:

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Rygi, I haven't had a chance to play Tony Rice's famous modified Martin, but I've talked to several people who have, including luthier Wayne Henderson, who's also done repair work on it. Everyone I've spoken with who's played the guitar has said that it's a nice old Martin, but most of the tone Tony Rice gets out if it is generated by Tony Rice himself.

It will undoubtedly sell for a huge amount of money when Mr. Rice passes away and his heirs auction off the guitar, but - again, according to the people I know and trust who've played it - it's not really the Holy Grail many of us have been led to believe it is. Most of the myth-making about it has been generated by Mr. Rice himself, but he doesn't give most of the credit where the credit is actually due, which is to his own hands, ears, touch and musical sensibility.


whm

Another myth about that guitar is the beneficial effect of the enlarged soundhole. John Greven, who worked on the guitar for Clarence White both before and after the soundhole was changed (because of an accident) says it sounded better before.

[Molder]

This one is kinda close

http://www.lmii.com/products/mostly-...-light/flypage

[rygi]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Rygi, I haven't had a chance to play Tony Rice's famous modified Martin, but I've talked to several people who have, including luthier Wayne Henderson, who's also done repair work on it. Everyone I've spoken with who's played the guitar has said that it's a nice old Martin, but most of the tone Tony Rice gets out if it is generated by Tony Rice himself.

It will undoubtedly sell for a huge amount of money when Mr. Rice passes away and his heirs auction off the guitar, but - again, according to the people I know and trust who've played it - it's not really the Holy Grail many of us have been led to believe it is. Most of the myth-making about it has been generated by Mr. Rice himself, but he doesn't give most of the credit where the credit is actually due, which is to his own hands, ears, touch and musical sensibility.

whm

Wade has stated it perfectly. Mr. Rice is the reason the guitar sounds so good. Credit where credit is due.

[Redbeard]

I was listening to this album over the weekend and recollected that the cover photo shows Mr. Rice's Martin pre-tortoise shell pick guard.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by Redbeard

I was listening to this album over the weekend and recollected that the cover photo shows Mr. Rice's Martin pre-tortoise shell pick guard.

What a great album too, Tony is my favorite acoustic player for sure, he adds so much to any song.

I wonder if he has trouble traveling with that pickguard? I suppose no one would think it was real tortoise shell since almost every guitar has a feaux tortoise shell pickguard.

[mc1]

you know, tony's preference for tortoise pickguards and picks kind of bums me out.