Pick guard or Scratch plate?

[bartelby]

16 hours ago, BreadBin said:

I say scratch plate but search for pick guard 

^^^ That

[mikel]

19 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Damn those pesky Americans, fancy making up words to describe things on instruments they invented!

Well quite, but I don't play with a "Pick" so the body needs no protection from said implement, so its a scratch plate, to prevent scratches. They didnt invent the Tomato  but they still invented a new name for them. So I will stick with the British term scratch plate.

[Nicko]

6 hours ago, ianrendall said:

The scratchplate has always baffled me. The nomenclature suggests that it is there to protect the finish underneath from scratches, although they are seen as more of a decorative design feature, to mount controls, or hide unsightly routing.

But let’s assume for a moment that they are there purely to protect the finish underneath. To what end? Do the manufacturers think that players might remove the plate for a very special occasion such as a gig in front of the Queen where the full glory of the bass can be shown to Her Majesty?

It’s like those little plastic surrounds that go round light switches to protect the finish on the wall. Would there ever be cause to remove them for a very special visitor to your house?

Don’t get me wrong - I love the look of scratchplates and think that solid colour or burst finish P’s and J’s look odd without them. Just a bit of a tongue in cheek offering 😁

I've always assumed its a scratchplate because it's there to get scratched.  Its a replaceable part and when it looks shite you just get another. If its tort to begin with you don't even need to wait until its scratched. 

Following this logic pickguard doesn't make any sense.  Pickguard doesn't roll off the tonge as easily either.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Pickguard - Jean-Luc Scratchplate would be a silly name

[Twincam]

14 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Pickguard - Jean-Luc Scratchplate would be a silly name

No joke my gf spotted your name on here a few days ago and thought it was rather amusing. I too agreed. Lol.

[Marc S]

23 hours ago, BreadBin said:

I say scratch plate but search for pick guard 

Me too
Oh, and it's definitely a plectrum

.... or should the first part of the question include the option "plectrum guard"?