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About paul wilczynski
Expertise
Anything concerning building, tuning, theory of construction. Specialist in finishing (40 years' experience); extensive knowledge of Rickenbacker instruments of all vintages. Rickenbacker factory connection on personal level; ONLY licensed Rickenbacker luthier in the world.

Experience
Extensive. I build and restore electric and acoustic guitars (steel string and nylon classicals). I build all of Rickenbacker's acoustic instruments in my own shops in San Francisco and Healdsburg, CA. I write two online columns with a total of over 15,000 posts since January, 2005. Google my name or my screen name, "jingle_jangle".

Organizations
American Guild of Luthiers.

Publications
Mostly automotive and hobby (in the past).

Education/Credentials
Manage the University Department workshops(Industrial Design) in SF, also have taught and written design and fabrication classes for almost a decade. Have produced online classes, written curricula, syllabi, etc. Run an online forum for my students (500 in number).

Awards and Honors
Awards won for product, vehicle, and preschool toy design in the past.

Past/Present Clients
Rickenbacker International Corporation, Waterstone Guitars LLC, many Fortune 500 companies before I worked in guitars (I ran a design studio for 22 years). I have hundreds of individual--private party--customers.

You are here: Experts > Music/Performing Arts > Guitar > Guitar Making and Repair > How to add graphics under finish of guitar body.

Guitar Making and Repair - How to add graphics under finish of guitar body.

Expert: paul wilczynski - 11/4/2009

Question
I want to do a body with a graphic like this:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dean-V-Dave-Mustaine-United-Abominati...

I am just wondering what that graphic actually is? Is it just a big old waterslide decal or is it possibly silk screened on? I would like to do a large graphic like this on a custom guitar I am building and would appreciate any advice on accomplishing this. I am building it in my garage and am in no way a professional so advice on how to accomplish this in my garage is much appreciated (read: with decent tools and low budget :) ). Specifically, if I use a water slide decal, does that effect my choice for lacquer to apply on top of it? Or should I just apply the waterslide decal on top of the laquer (not optimal since it would easily scratch off). Thanks in advance for your answer!

Answer
Jake, with mass-produced guitars like this, the graphic is silk-screened or printed on a sheet of compatible plastic (usually mylar) that is sandwiched under the polyester clearcoat, which is what Asian manufacturers use to coat their guitars for gloss and durability.

Don't use a waterslide decal. You can print or silkscreen your design onto signmaker's vinyl; however, the cost of the inks and screens will run upwards of $1K. I'd find a local starving artist (got any colleges in your area?) to hand-paint it on your guitar from your artwork, Have them use acrylic artists' colors, and then coat it with lots of layers of nitrocellulose lacquer; you'll need a spray gun for this because rattle cans don't put out enough paint. When you'vbe got at least 6 coats of lacquer on and they hane dried hard, wet sand with #600 paper and once it's smooth, add another 6 coats. Sand once more and buff to a mirror gloss.

It ain't easy to do it right, my friend, but taking the time to do it right teaches you valuable skills like how to paint and how to be patient, as this is a drawn-out process...

--Paul

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