1-ply vs "multi-ply"

LionAquaLooper

Pickguards.  Do you have a preference?  When would you rather want a 1-ply on your guitar as opposed to a "fancier" 3-ply?

Sporky

Never.

1-ply suits "basic" style guitars. Butterscotch Teles and so on. 

paulnb57

Depends on the guitar

LionAquaLooper

To be more specific, just asking about strats and teles! 

ICBM

Depends on the guitar and the finish. Both are fine on the right guitar - eg a single-ply on a 50s-style 2-tone-burst Strat, and a 3-ply on a 60s-style custom colour Strat - but the opposite way round looks wrong.

What's not fine are cheap pearl or tortoise guards which are only three layers not four, so the back one is black not white.

lucky

Are we talking single ply as in just the one very thin sheet (not a fan) or something more substantial just without the multiple layers? Guess then there's the rabbit hole of curve, 90o or 45o angle to show/hide the multiple ply...

For me, I think it depends how fancy you want it to look. I like a nice single monochromatic but only if it's thiccck like the metal old metal ones 

SteveRobinson

4- and 5-ply are the best imo

Funkfingers

On four-ply 'guards, the angle of the edge bevel is evocative of specific Fender production periods. Some Sixties 'guards had a shallower bevel. This exposes more of the white and black layers.

ThePrettyDamned

I like my strat, which has a single ply guard on a reddy body colour. I like my Tele which has three ply too.

On balance, I like simple so 1 ply looks nice and clean. 

SteveRobinson

Funkfingers said:

On four-ply 'guards, the angle of the edge bevel is evocative of specific Fender production periods. Some Sixties 'guards had a shallower bevel. This exposes more of the white and black layers.

Yes those. And Gibson BWBWB on Les Paul Specials and SGs

guitargeek62

1-ply torty on LP Jrs - multi-ply just feels out of place on them, the majority of the time