Am I just being too hard?

Oxnard D40e. Noticing some pick scrapes on the soundboard / main body.

it’s much lighter than any other guitar I’ve had. Sounds great but concerned it will become a trigger (Willie Nelson) before too long if I keep strumming the way I am - anyone else with an Oxnard facing the same?

If you are scraping the pick on the body, that would make a scrape on any guitar. That's some aggressive strumming! Scrapes on the pickguard are fine, that's what it's for.

walrus

A trigger guitar would be sweet.

Maybe that’s what this will be - I’ve been playing a lot of Frank Turner (heavy acoustic) if that’s any indication of what I’m playing - I’m also doing acoustic versions of NOFX....not my typical but what I’m jamming to right now!

Hey, it's your guitar. Go ahead and put a Willie scab on it, but know that if you're strumming that hard, you're likely overreaching it's maximum tonal efficiency and just 'making noise'. Try changing style to come back in line with your instrument's efficiency range.

What frank said (see above) was that he was going through guitars so quickly he had to have a guitar he could pick up anywhere (he chose a Gibson hummingbird) rather than a bespoke guitar
I’m not touring so maybe need to reign in my style !

Aarfy said:

What frank said (see above) was that he was going through guitars so quickly he had to have a guitar he could pick up anywhere (he chose a Gibson hummingbird) rather than a bespoke guitar
I’m not touring so maybe need to reign in my style !

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Maybe just your strumming style .keep aggressive but try to align it so your hand comes through strings more level then straight into the guitar .

Aarfy said:

...anyone else with an Oxnard facing the same?

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Well, not with a D40, but I'm more just dancing atop the strings with my flatpick, throwing in a strum between picking out a hammer-on or just the bass note of the chord I'm playing, for example. I don't come near the soundboard.

It’s only with a couple songs now I’m noticing and interesting that I do not have the same problem on gloss vs satin guitars - maybe just need some thinking

It's been my experience that picking the body of the guitar doesn't result in any tone whatsoever, other than maybe percussion.

Aarfy said:

Maybe that’s what this will be - I’ve been playing a lot of Frank Turner (heavy acoustic) if that’s any indication of what I’m playing - I’m also doing acoustic versions of NOFX....not my typical but what I’m jamming to right now!

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I always had a pretty heavy hand, and the D25 has a good amount of scuffing but nowhere near trigger territory. Actually the only place where lacquer is worn through is along the fretboard extension on the treble bout side, where I'd rest my pinky finger while playing right at that "sweet spot" over the extension. The nail actually caused the damage. And I've actually drop-filled it with Sally Hansen's clear nail polish, it's basically NCL itself.

And of course the patron saint of D40s is Ritchie Havens who was notorious at Westerly for the wear he put on his guitar tops. (True story. )

I actually mounted the 2nd guard on my own D40, but developed a lighter style while I was breaking it in, due to learning how to play the F65ce, it requires a light touch for optimum response. Very light scuffing on both so far.

SO play it how you want bro, it's a tool and some normal wear and tear's gonna happen. NCL scuffs, it's nature of the beast. You can mitigate the damage with proper care like you would with any fine tool.

I wanna hear your report that the Oxnard's holding up like any other in 4 or 5 years.

when I play acoustic, the result is noticeable playwear. it seems impossible to avoid. especially on a brand new Oxnard guitar, you are definitely going to see that.

one of the reasons I have always liked mahogany top acoustics, is they are hard wood, and when my fingers/hand/the pick make contact with the guitar, it is not so loud and bad sounding. it also doesnt wear the same as a spruce top. there are other benefits to the mahogany top as well (and I need all the help I can get!). But any guitar will display playwear and "mojo." does not take long at all, for mine, at least.

I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee there’s no scratches from me that I can see .

As opposed to this guy...all Cowboy Chords, all fingernails.