Vinyl wraps/Guitar skins

[G-Axe]

So - has anyone ever experimented with full body vinyl wraps/decals to achieve a really graphic finish? There seem to be a handful of sellers in the US (Skin Your Skunk, Axe Wraps, Inzane Decals) with a big range of decals - the vast majority of which don't really float my boat (your mileage may vary) - but on one of the sites there's this:

Q: I have a design I created that I want you to make into a decal for me. What will it cost?

A: You can take your design and go to any printing house and have them turn it into a decal for you. That's what we do. We don't print them ourself. We have a company that does it for us. If you've already got your design, then you don't need us.

Which sounds more my speed. That way I can pick out my favourite vintage pornography - or more realistically, something bold and graphic like Zakk Wylde's Zippo lighter pattern. Maybe even something original!

So my questions are - is there a particular type of vinyl/adhesive that would be suited to this? And is it likely to be something any printer worth their salt can do?

More importantly, has anyone ever clear coated over this sort of thing? One of the sites encourages it - but it also fairly aggressively pushes you to buy several of about 327 books on guitar finishing. My biggest concern would be whether a standard nitro clear coat would stick to it (or react badly with it).

Thinking the answer is probably to dive in headfirst, try it on a cheapo project guitar and see what happens, but would love to hear from anyone who's had a go at something similar.

[wazkelly]

Hi G-Axe, from memory Tony aka vh2580 did a vinyl skin on a SG within the past 12 months or so and suggest you check it out on this thread.... http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...2580#post92268

[WeirdBits]

Andy's Steppin Out In Paisley JM-1 and here's how he did it.

[G-Axe]

Thanks guys, two stunning examples - my big worry with vinyl is that it might like cheap/phony, but both of those builds have used it exceptionally well and ooze class. The "Blackjack" SG looks pretty good without a clear coat, so that's always an option, and it seems like the Paisley Jazzmaster took a burst coat and clear coat without any dramas. I think I'd probably want to try it on a guitar with a relatively flat top though, so there's a very distinct line of where to stop.

It certainly shows it can be done to *great* effect, so I think I'll definitely have to give it a red hot go.

[Simon Barden]

It's only really going to work well on a flat top, unless you use a very stretch substrate to print your design on, otherwise you have all the worries of trying to fit a 2-D object onto a 3-D shape and getting any patterns to match. Rather like trying to wrap up an awkward shape in wrapping paper and not get loads of corners sticking out, or crumpled patches that you use loads of sticky tape to hold down.

As another example of what can be done with stuck-on finishes, here's my '90s Fotoflame Jap Strat with a photo of some (very badly book-matched) flame maple hiding under a badly damaged poly finish.

[gavinturner]

Here is the build thread for Tony's Blackjack SG. I love how this turned out and is a great advertisement for wraps IMO.

cheers,
Gav.

[G-Axe]

Simon - that maple is surprisingly convincing in the photo - does it look the part in person? Odd that it isn't bookmatched.

Gavin - if I end up with something half as awesome as Tony's Blackjack, I'll be a happy man. The more I look at it, the more truly outstanding I find it.

[gavinturner]

Gavin - if I end up with something half as awesome as Tony's Blackjack, I'll be a happy man. The more I look at it, the more truly outstanding I find it.

Yeah me too. I've drooled over that axe big time. Would love to build one exactly the same.

cheers,
Gav.

[stan]

Yep the Blackjack is the dogs proverbials... very cool

[stan]

These belong to ZZ Tops Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill - done in vinyl wrap - saw it on a ring rundown on Premier Guitar.
If you look at the finish carefully you can see that the pattern is actually the same on both guitars, just a bit offset...