I like the branded "G" that was on some of the old Gretsch guitars (don't recall the model name, but you know what I'm talking about).

I have the idea of branding a guitar on the front, but how would I prevent the finish from peeling around the edges too much?

I might do this to a solidbody electric, but if I branded an acoustic, would it change the tone significantly? The reason I ask--since an acoustic guitar gets a significant amount of its sound from the vibration of the "top", will burning/branding that top change it a lot?

Here's the brand I will use:




BTW, I will not do this to anything collectable or valuable--just an old beater of some sort.

Yes, I know many of you will think this is stupid...and you're probably right. Be nice--thank you.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Hi Screamin': we're talking about the burned in "G" logo on Gretsch bodies, right?



I think you've got a really neat idea, so...:

Looking very closely at the edges of that scorched "G" logo I'm pretty certain they put the orange stain onto the wood first, before the hot branding iron is applied. Then the clear lacquer is sprayed over the top, sealing it all in.

The problem you are going to have doing this on a finished guitar is that the hot iron will melt the plastic or cellulose of the finish and make a very nasty mess around the edges. Maybe it'll just vaporise the lacquer in the middle of the branded lines but I suspect in parts you'll end up with something that looks like you left a tupperware on the cooker by mistake.

I'm afraid the only way I can see to do this and make it look good is to strip the body completely, stain it the color you want, smack that branding iron on and then clearcoat over the top. You could always do a burst type finish too, with the brand positioned in the light part of the finish.

I've a feeling you might find all of that more of a chore than you wanted. So two options. You could just try it on the finish and see what happens. Maybe it'll come out all right after all. If there is only a little melted lacquer perhaps it will clean up all right with some wet-and-dry paper and then you can just clearcoat over the top to seal it all.

Or: howsabout just sand the lacquer off the front of the headstock, put your brand there, and then clearcoat over the top of that? Unless it is a vintage reissue type model the neck will almost certainly be finished in polyurethane, regardless what the body is finished in. And you can buy an aerosol of clear urethane lacquer easily and cheaply (Plasti-Kote is a good one to look out for) and just spray on about six or eight very thin coats on that headstock over a day or two, leave a good long time to harden, then flatten it with successive grades of wet-and-dry paper from 600 to 1000 to 1500 to 2000, then buff it up with household metal polish - and away you go! Honestly, that is not difficult at all.

By the way: I LOVE your Armadillo brand! That is just too cool! You've obviously had a branding iron made: care to show us some pictures of it and tell us how you got it done? I'm amazingly fascinated...

Anyway. Serious and interesting question, so a detailed answer. Any use at all?

Good luck - C

PS [later]: I'm looking some more at the scorched logos on Gretsch bodies and the groove in the wood is amazingly deep if it's just from a branding iron. So I've done a bit of Googling and there is a view out there that the "G" is routed first before being branded. Some people even think the black is just paint, and I believe it is on most modern models. But it don't look that way to me on some of them, for example the one I pictured above. I'm pretty sure that's burnt wood we're seeing, at least sometimes.

But I stand to be corrected.

So far I haven't found what sounds convincingly like an authoritative view on Gretsch's process on this. Routing or no? Is a branding iron really part of it on some models?

Fender own Gretsch, so failing all else I guess we could ask Mike Eldred for the ultimate lowdown on how it's done at the factory?

Meanwhile though; none of that changes what I said about branding your own guitar, Screamin' Armadillo. Those issues hold true, I believe.

Anyone else's input would be very welcome...?

Cheers - C

Thank you, Ceri! I knew if anyone would know, it would be you.

As far as my armadillo branding iron, I wish I could say that I was creative enough to design it, but that would be a lie. Between my father and I, we could have built it (we both have metal working experience--he through his jobs and me through him).

It's actually a branding iron to be used for steaks; the company that makes them has several different designs. The theory is to brand your steak before you put it on the grill, so the grillmaster knows how to cook your steak (rare, med, well, etc).

There is an iron shaped like the state of Texas, one that looks like the University of Texas Longhorn mascot (Bevo), as well as the armadillo. There are also some other college logos as well (Texas Tech, Texas A&M). I will also have a Longhorn iron soon (my favorite team).

I will post pics of the branding iron soon; I am now contemplating "THE BUILD" that has been brewing in my mind for 15+ years. The idea of staining, branding and THEN laquering a raw body has intrigued me....hmmm.

...although routing then blackening a simplified version of my band's logo (instead of the brand) is intriguing as well. That logo is beside my signature.

Thank you again; I will add pics of the iron soon.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

They have an A&M brand!?!?! I need to get that.... so my guitar will match my beanie when I play, or at least my steak will match my beanie when I eat lol

Go Aggies!

It took me long enough, but I finally got some pics of the branding iron...





In the grand tradition of a celebratory drink, I have my favorite Lipton Ice Tea in a cup from a great Bar-B-Q restaurant.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

The iron is a bit too big to fit on a headstock--I was thinking more of putting it on the body.

The idea of a clear urethane lacquer over the brand sounds interesting. I wonder if sanding the edges of the burnt area (if any roughness occurs because of melting finish, as we assume it will) and then lacquering as you described above would keep the finish from continuing to flake off...hmm...

Although, if I can ever get started on "THE BUILD" I've had brewing in my mind for a dozen years or so...a BIGGER HMMMMM...

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

stupid? i think it's very cool and not just because i've done some ranch work or think i'm john wayne or something. i've thought about burning a design on my old explorer for awhile. it already looks like crapola but i play the heck out of it daily. it can't get any uglier than it already.
can't wait to see it