Is the design etched into the pickguard, or does it come off if you remove the protective covering?
1475170
It will not come off,its part of the pick guard.This is my husband's and he has many ,many,including a 42 year old rare Gibson,and this accoustic/electric is his top two favorites.He did not have to have it setup,or anything as mentioned in answers.I videoed him playing it out of the box
1475171
It's etched. I would also add that if the day comes when your pickguard is so scratched that the design has disappeared (would take a lot of pick wear to do so) you can always buy a new pickguard with the same design and replace it.
1475172
On mine, it is etched into the pickguard. Seems to be done fairly well for an inexpensive guitar. But remember, if you buy this it will need a setup (about $75) to be really playable. They are mass-produced and the adjustments made at the factory in China are not very accurate.
1475173
One of answers mentioned that you would need a setup if you buy this because they don't do a good job in China setting them up. For starters, the Epiphone Hummingbird Pro is made in Indonesia. No place else. All of these Guitars are set up stateside by Epiphone and have stickers to prove that is true. The cheaper Epiphone Hummingbird ($199.00) without a solid top and no etching on the pickguard and no eletronics is made in China. Difference between Apples and Oranges.
1475174
Etched, feel free to remove covering, Epiphone / Gibson make quality products. Any pick guard will show signs of wear, which adds character to your guitar. Knock yourself out.
1475175
I believe it's etched. You can feel the design if you run your fingers across it. It's very nice.
2137404
It isn't designed to come off but I guess you could cut it off. I haven't had a problem with mine at all.
2010981
Yes, it does come off easily. I store mine separately as I mostly use this as a shoot through.
1370878
I have not removed it yet. It is very tough and scratch resistant so I haven't needed to replace it.
730903
no it is the pick and pull so you customize it to your guns. This is a great case.
1194394
Yes, there is a pick-guard. It is not a fancy one, but it is there in all its glory.
1540975
No, I would never take the pick guard off of this mandolin. Without it, picking would wear through the wood. I still play this mandolin untill this day, and I actually never have problems with it. I was being critical when I said it buzzes when I strum hard.
995595
you can string it either way. I removed the pick guard so it would look the same either way.
1540977
There is a sticker that says "please remove pick guard cover". What this means is there's a piece of plastic on it you can peel off. It doesn't want you to remove the actual pick guard itself. I was confused about this at first also.
1055364
I haven't removed it, but it is not supposed to damage the original finish. I will probably not remove it unless it starts to peel loose. I don't know if that happens or not.
1550636
I have been playing one at the local Sam Ash store, and intend to buy one - I love it! (Even with the factory strings everyone complains about ... I'm eager to see how it sounds with fluorocarbon strings.) Anyway, the store model there has no pick guard on it. I understood from the many review I read that it does *not* generally come with the pick guard installed. Personally, I think it looks great without it. I plan to buy one without and keep it that way.
2126610
I found it difficult to remove also. It can be removed. I believe it is with the use of the little silver button.
1126601
it is etched/painted on there (seems permanent). doesn't bother me, but it would be a process to get it off
787565
In the unit I bought, the pick guard was attached to the ukulele with a fairly strong adhesive. However, by carefully heating it with a low-powered (300 W) hair dryer and gently but persistently prying, I was able to remove it cleanly. The instrument looks much better without it, in my humble opinion.
563684
Although it's not meant to be removed, I used an Exacto knife to remove it because I had a protective screen on my iPad already. Having two protection layers affected the response. It was fine after that. I've had mine for more than a year and it's been dropped multiple times by my grandchildren and me. No problems.
1974054
I use a flathead screwdriver and pry it off. There are 3 little pieces that hold it in. I found the first time that I need to be more aggressive than I thought was safe, but it came off with no damage. Just work the screwdriver around the outside metal ring and you'll get it off.
1622428
Yes if you pinch the sides of the guard it slides right off. Its a pretty close trim and its a bonus for still being gentle.