NGSD - Somebody Stop me!

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MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
That’s right folks, it’s new guitar sticker day!

I bought a very nice early 90’s Jackson Fusion EX (Gibson scale) from our very own @MikeC ;

It had been modified to be a single humbucker but the filled pickup routes are showing through the (very thin) re-finish.

https://i.imgur.com/tWScwNy.jpg

So, I thought it might be a good spot for a strategically placed vinyl sticker... which arrived from Florida in the post today. When peeled it only has a thin white border around the graphic, and I will need to trim about 1cm from one of the ends to make it fit.

https://i.imgur.com/O2m7Oh2.jpg

Problem is, the finish is so thin that I’m not sure it will be reversible without damaging the finish... Well, what do you think? Shall I do it?!
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Comments

  • JonHoskerJonHosker Frets: 390
    Your call ... no damage 'waiver' available!
    Ace looking axe 
    Jon
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    Honestly, I don't think you should. The sticker is going to look completely out of place on what is a really nice finish. Also - at the risk of going a bit Pseud's Corner for a moment: the way you can see the filled pickup routes is a bit like one of those aerial photos that reveals a hidden archeological feature.
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  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    No. How about designing a pick guard that will cover the filled routes and then maybe getting it made by Tim at Scratchit?
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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    so that ^^ or leave it alone.
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  • Option 3: get @lamf68 to refinish it. He's currently doing an orange flake refin on my Performance including filling in a pickup rout and the progress pictures I've had look fantastic. I've seen a couple of other guitars on here which he's refinished and his work is excellent
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    I’m not a fan of pickguards, but a refin is an option...

    Thing is, the current finish is so thin I could probably scratch it off with my fingernails. I’m planning to use it as one of my regular guitars so that finish is not going to last long at all.

    So either I’ll stick with the relic’ed look or I’ll need to refinish it at some point anyway. Either way the vinyl is not going to do any harm.

    I’m thinking try it on for a while and then either peel it off or get a refin... I thought it would be rather appropriate for a Japanese guitar with an oriental turquoise finish!
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  • Maynehead said:
    I’m not a fan of pickguards, but a refin is an option...

    Thing is, the current finish is so thin I could probably scratch it off with my fingernails. I’m planning to use it as one of my regular guitars so that finish is not going to last long at all.

    So either I’ll stick with the relic’ed look or I’ll need to refinish it at some point anyway. Either way the vinyl is not going to do any harm.

    I’m thinking try it on for a while and then either peel it off or get a refin... I thought it would be rather appropriate for a Japanese guitar with an oriental turquoise finish!
    Sounds like a plan. I was going to say (but forgot) in my previous post, that the sticker will look pretty cool in my opinion :)
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • horsehorse Frets: 1563
    If you're cutting around the waves, then it might look ok. If another refin is an option then doesn't harm to give it a try?
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    horse said:
    If you're cutting around the waves, then it might look ok. If another refin is an option then doesn't harm to give it a try?
    It’s pre-cut, you can see the edge if you zoom in, but it will have a 2-3mm white boarder. I’d like to trim that down a little but it will be quite fiddly around the wave tops...
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  • Maynehead said:
    horse said:
    If you're cutting around the waves, then it might look ok. If another refin is an option then doesn't harm to give it a try?
    It’s pre-cut, you can see the edge if you zoom in, but it will have a 2-3mm white boarder. I’d like to trim that down a little but it will be quite fiddly around the wave tops...
    Get a packet of razor blades from Boots & do it carefully with one of them on a piece of board 
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    Ok, I’ve cut around the edge as close as I could, as predicted, the wave tops were fiddly!

    Now the only question is:

    In line with the pickup ring

    https://i.imgur.com/bZJzebw.jpg

    Or in line with the fretboard?

    https://i.imgur.com/3vjT9b5.jpg

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  • Halfway between the two? And I'd possibly round off the bottom-right corner, too
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    Halfway between the two? And I'd possibly round off the bottom-right corner, too
    Yeah, I didn’t like the straight edge at the bottom so I’ve contoured it to match the bottom edge of the body. I’ve got the guitar apart now, need to do some work to the pickup ring (slope it slightly so that the pole pieces are parallel to the strings) so I’ll post the final result soon!
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    “so I’ve contoured it to match the bottom edge of the body”.

    Good call, should look cool, esp as the colours are such a good match.
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  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    The deed is done. I would have called it the Wavecaster but that name is already taken!

    https://i.imgur.com/HkzNSnR.jpg

    Apart from contouring the lower edge, I decided to extend out the bottom right corner as well with some offcuts that roughly matches the lines. It won’t pass close inspection but from a distance it looks fine.

    It doesn’t cover all of the blemishes but at least it will distract attention away from them.

    As a side note, when I took off the pickup ring to file a slope into it, I discovered that it was block of solid aluminium! There was no way I was going to file that down without a fight, so I decided to just stick a block of sponge under the back edge of the pickup, which props it up slightly and gave just the right amount of slant to make both coils equidistant from the strings.

    Now to test it out in band practice... (and probably get laught at)  B)
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  • WonkyWonky Frets: 188
    Honestly I think that turned out great.
    Well done
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  • I really like the look of that
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • zepp76zepp76 Frets: 2534
    I really like that but then again I really like Japanese art, Hokusai would be proud!
    Tomorrow will be a good day.
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    zepp76 said:
    Hokusai would be proud!
    Haha I’m not sure about that! But thanks for the endorsement :)

    And thanks to everyone else for your comments, I know some will think what I’ve done is a travesty, but it’s nice to know that there are people out there who might like it  :3
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