review
Scratch Pad
Some guitar players give no thought to the condition of their guitars. They regularly bang them around and feel the resulting “battle scars” give their guitars character. Others polish their guitars lovingly and always keep them in a case like prized jewels. If you don’t really care how your guitar looks, you don’t need Scratch Pad. But if you prefer to keep your guitar looking as good as possible, read on.
Tough Enough
Scratch Pad is a multilayer pad with a velveteen surface that is quite thin, yet still rugged enough to protect your guitar from belt buckle scratches. It comes in four different colors and an American Flag design to compliment you guitar or personal style.
Sticks Like Magic
Unlike leather pads or other protective devices that use straps to secure themselves to your guitar, Scratch Pad “clings” to the back of your guitar using a custom manufactured copolymer gel-like material. The material contains thousands of micro-pores that act as suction cups to “cling” to your guitar without using any adhesives or leaving any residue. It really has to be experienced to believe. Scratch Pad can be reused and rotated between different guitars.
Compatible Finishes
Scratch Pad is compatible with the vast majority of guitars manufactured today — namely those with an acrylic (polyurethane, polyester) finish. Some high-end guitars and older guitars have a Nitrocellulose finish. Nitrocellulose is a type of lacquer that needs to “breath.” Scratch Pad can be used on most Nitrocellulose finishes but should not be left on for extended periods of time, nor ever left on a guitar with a Nitrocellulose finish when placed in a guitar case. An extremely rare type of finish called “French Polish” is not compatible with the Scratch Pad. It is best to check with your guitar’s manufacturer or retailer about the type of finish your guitar has and its compatibility.
Size And Appearance
The Scratch Pad is 11.5" tall and 9.5" wide at the bottom. It will fit on most guitars without modification, and is thin enough to trim if needed. The velveteen finish is “suede-like” in appearance and contains the Scratch Pad logo in bright contrasting colors. I received a black and a chestnut (brown) Scratch Pad to test and both were attractive, although I would have preferred a more subtle logo color on the black pad (the chestnut pad uses a tan color and the black pad logo is green.)
In Use
The Scratch Pad ships attached to a plastic backing that contains printed instructions for use. At first I had trouble separating the pad from the plastic backing. But once I got a corner started it came off cleanly, although it does require more effort to peel off than you would think. Removing the pad from the plastic activates the clinging properties of the material, which explains the extra effort required initially. After the first removal, the pad clings well but does not require as much effort to remove.
Of course, fitting the pad back on the plastic backing, which is exactly the same size as the pad, is nearly impossible to do accurately. I wish the plastic backing was larger than the pad itself to make storage easier. If you have a compatible finish, it may be easier to just leave the pad on your guitar.
I tested the Scratch Pad on three electric guitars: a Stratocaster, a Les Paul Custom, and a Samick JZ-4. It clung easily to all of them. An outdoor gig that required me to wear a tucked-in shirt was the perfect opportunity to test the Scratch Pad against belt abuse. It is far too late to prevent scratches on my Les Paul Custom, which has nearly 30 years of wear on its back, but my Stratocaster’s back is clean. I applied the Scratch Pad to my Strat and played the gig. During the gig, I discovered an unexpected side effect of the velveteen finish on the pad. Instead of sliding around as I played, the velveteen material on the pad made the guitar “stay put.” This “Velcro” effect can be good or weird depending on your point of view. Other than that, I wouldn’t have even known it was there. The end result: no scratches or dings.
I removed and applied the pad several times and it seemed to cling equally well each time. I contacted the Joe Roberts from Scratch Pad and asked him how long a Scratch Pad would continue to cling. He told me his original Scratch Pad was still working three years later, and if you keep it clean it should never loose its cling.
Final Thoughts
If the thought of dings and scratches on the back of your guitar makes you cringe, Scratch Pad should be on your “must have” list of guitar accessories. It does what it is supposed to do, is affordable, and the way it clings, time after time, is truly remarkable.
Reader Comments
Better Guitar encourages your input. Agree with this review? Think I'm crazy? If you own or have used a Scratch Pad, email me your comments and I'll post them below. The more opinions we have available, the better our buying decisions will be.
stats
- • Non-adhesive, residue-free patented Micro-Pore Copolymer material
- • Reusable
- • Colorfast material
Positives
- Durable; reusable; clings without straps or adhesives.
Negatives
- Difficult to accurately place pad back on plastic backing for storage.
Rating
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: n/a
- Construction: 9
- Overall: 9.5
Ratings Key
- 0 = Worthless
- 10 = Excellent
Approximate Street Price
- $19
Available At Guitar Center
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Scratch Pad Velvet Guitar Finish Protector Black
Company
- Scratch Pad