Using Non-Specific Repro Decals When Refinishing a Guitar

[JSett]

Also Fender decals for anything other than a restoration is lame. Once it's modified or refinished in a non-original color, there's no reason to bother putting on a Fender decal, in my opinion.

I don't agree with that. Simply refinishing a guitar doesn't stop it being a Fender

[Surfysonic]

I have a cunning plan...



Stay tuned...

[Futuron]

I personally feel that no one should be allowed to put a 'brand stamp' logo on something. It should only ever be done by someone licenced to do so. (By Fender or an approved such-and-such.) You could put your own logo on your own build (or mod maybe?) but I think Fender or Squier decals, and application of them, should be 'illegal' in trademark/copyright terms.



But even if I'm wrong, another question: what about when you put a Stratocaster neck on a Jazzmaster body? Are you allowed (ie is it ethical) to change it to say otherwise?

[JVG]

I’m firmly in the camp of doing whatever the hell you want with Fender decals, just don’t try to sell a guitar as something it’s not.

By the way, Crox does a bunch of MIJ Squier decals.

[JSett]

Crox does a bunch of MIJ Squier decals.

Came here to add this, and either you can buy 2 and split them to make the logo you want or get him to make a custom one.

[Surfysonic]

Crox does a bunch of MIJ Squier decals.

Came here to add this, and either you can buy 2 and split them to make the logo you want or get him to make a custom one.

Discovered that yesterday and placed an order. Thanks for mentioning as it’s a good resource. Went with the Squier Standard Stratocaster logo as it looks closest to current Squier logo for my Paranormal Cyclone. Part of my cunning plan…

The shell pink pro refin job on my J Mascis JM was done years ago and I don’t want to mess with the headstock finish. So I’m going with an alternative solution that, well, likely will have a Baldrick-like result.

Side track - a couple of years ago, my wife and I binge-watched the entire Time Team show hosted by Tony Robinson. Really enjoyed it. Any Time Team fans about?

[sal paradise]

Time Team was great. Digging for Britain is equally as good, just with a historian/archaeologist as presenter instead of a comedian.

Made me think of this. The 90s was a different time.

[Surfysonic]

Nice! I think we watched a few episodes of Digging for Britain. We'll have to watch more of it. I remember the host was on Time Team a bit towards the end of the show.

Yeah, Time Team is an interesting time capsule of the 90's and early 2000s. We love Phil. We've seen some of his recent interviews and such via YouTube. What a sweet man. My wife and I agreed to binge watch it again after we get through the latest season of Escape to the Country (we love it).

[sal paradise]

Nice! I think we watched a few episodes of Digging for Britain. We'll have to watch more of it. I remember the host was on Time Team a bit towards the end of the show.

Yeah, Time Team is an interesting time capsule of the 90's and early 2000s. We love Phil. We've seen some of his recent interviews and such via YouTube. What a sweet man. My wife and I agreed to binge watch it again after we get through the latest season of Escape to the Country (we love it).

Escape to the country is great property porn

Have you watched Grand Designs? It’s great, so much drama in ambitious house builds. And the presenter is perfect to highlight flaws in their thinking.

[Surfysonic]

Maybe, we've watched similar types of shows. If not, we'll put Grand Designs on the what to watch list! Thanks!

[JVG]

Weirdest thread tangent ever!

Love all those type of shows. I even like Antiques Roadshow. Grand Designs is addictive, even though McLeod is a bit of a tool at times. Anything with Tony Robinson is good - his enthusiasm and passion for history is fun to watch. He did a series a few years ago on the great Abbeys of England, which i enjoyed.

And yeah, Crox decals are high quality. I’ve used them many times.

[Surfysonic]

Nice! Before stumbling on Time Team, we watched & enjoyed Tony's Walking Through History series.

[Futuron]

Maid Marian & Her Merry Men... wow. I also remember Tony in Fat Tulip's Garden.

[Surfysonic]

Update to my cunning plan...turned out pretty much as a Baldrick plan.

I got it into my head to find some Ren & Stimpy stickers to place over "Fender" in keeping with the Ren & Stimpy theme I have going on. Crude, tacky, but it sort of worked for me...until I used a laquer clear to seal the stickers that didn't jibe with the pro lacquer refinish on there. Headstock paint reacted badly, became unstable and goopy.

Out came the sander...

Then a happy accident appeared...(was king of hoping it was still there...)



My old guitar tech had put a tinted finish on the neck back in the day - since I've removed some of it off the headstock, I might as well as sand the rest of it off. I'll try to get around the Squier decal to preserve it as best I can.





Sorry for this blurry shot...



I love a good matching headstock as much as anyone but I think what I'm going to do with this is instead apply a lot of Birchwood Tru-Oil on the headstock (front & back) as well as the rest of the neck. Hopefully, I'll put enough coats of the Tru-Oil to really darken the headstock and neck.

If it doesn't end up looking good, I'll simply sand it back down, admit defeat, and put a Squier repro logo on it when my order from Croxguitars arrives (I think they send two (for two attempts). I'll use one as planned on my Squier Cyclone and the backup one on the Squier J Mascis JM neck.

At least it's back to being legit.

[Surfysonic]

I wasn't feeling the idea of sanding back the whole guitar neck to remove the amber tint that my guitar tech had put on the Squier J Mascis JM neck so many years ago. I took a guess as to what my old guitar tech used to tint the neck so I bought a can of Stew-Mac's ColorTone Tinted Aerosol Guitar Lacquer, Vintage Amber. I guessed (more or less correctly) that the amber tint was going to get close to the original decal area coloring.

Not a perfect redo - I didn't realize the spray would pool up in parts due to it's angle sitting on an old t-shirt while I sprayed it. However, I kind like it's old, dark stained vibe. I got the back of the headstock more even than the front.

Not as red in reality as in this photo...



Nor as yellow in this overly lit photo...



A more accurate photo...







Anyhoo, 1 of 2 Squier logo redemption projects complete. Squier Paranormal Cyclone up next very soon...