How To Install a Guitar Headstock Decal|Easy DIY
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- I show you how to easily install your own waterslide decal on the headstock of a guitar in just about 5 minutes. All you need is a custom waterslide deal, a pair of scissors, and a cup of water!
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Hehehe, the thumbnail made it look like the video would show replacing a squire logo with a fender one, but it was just for clickbait.
My blurry ass vision thought that decal said Van Halen 😂
Close! 😂😂
The finger roll made all the the difference to me - thank you for the great tips.
That's a really cool idea to grout out a spot of the head stock for decal placement! Kudos! 👏
Thanks dude, I have the exact same pencil sharpener since the early 70's, just saying.
Hahaha, still going strong!
Can I ask for advice? I read somewhere that it's good to give a decal light layer of lacquer before soaking it in water. Should I do it, or you don't recommend it?
I would not directly spray the decal with lacquer before soaking and applying. You need the decal to be as pliable as possible. After you apply the decal, let it thoroughly cure before applying lacquer. Start with very thin coats over the decal, otherwise it can rise up and crinkle.
@@VanHoutenBuilds Ok, I'll trust You :) Thank You for reply and advice! I'm restoring an old Fender P Bass right now. Just finished soldering new electronics and cleaning the fretboard. It looks amazing already. Now it's time for headstock- and I have to say that I fear this part the most. Fingers cross! Best regards from Poland :)
@@nuerha85 No worries! And if you mess up, you can always sand it off and start over pretty easily! Good luck!
Man, I just found you through your custom pickguard video. I could not believe my eyes when I saw your subscriber count... The quality of video and info provided is incredible! You deserve so many more viewers. Be patient, keep rocking it, and I'm sure those subs will start pouring in. Cheers!
Thank you so much for the kind word! I really appreciate the support and encouragement!
@@VanHoutenBuilds Absolutely man!
For UK viewers,I would definitely recommend Rothko and Frost.I've used them a few times now.Great decals.Great video BTW.
you say it won't work right over oils but do you know if they could be easily put on a headstock that's been treated with wood dyes?
A waterslide decal shouldn't go directly over bare wood. This is to avoid the wood grain from popping up underneath it as the wood dries, which can create an unlevel decal surface and appearance. If the wood has been dyed and then has a layer of lacquer over the wood dye, then you should be fine.
I love the quality and prices of the more expensive Squiers....I just can't stand that name
Who would you guys recommend for a waterslide decal for the actual guitar body (not headstock) ty
I don't know that my seller is still creating and selling them. I would check on ebay and also on etsy. There are plenty of waterslide decal sellers there who do a great job on custom decals!
How would this process look on a Matte finish headstock ?
Thinking straight matte black with/silver decal but i dont want the decal to stick out of the finish
So you would use the same process and wet sand it flat after a bunch of coats. Once it’s flat, then spray several more coats of matte over top.
Thank you!
Thanks so much!!
You make it look easy lol
Are there any decals that will work on bare wood?
Not that I'm aware of. You really need some sort of sealer coat over the wood before applying a decal. Technically a waterslide decal will work on bare wood, but you will have to pop the grain a bunch before to ensure a level surface when you apply the waterslide. You may be able to just lacquer over that, but I've never tried it that way.
Hey great vid!! I bought a replacement neck that was already lacquered. I bought a water slide to put on it, once I go through the steps, would I need to sand over it and lacquer again or what? I have no idea what to do to make it look the best it can
Hey Braylon! Do you know if it's a Nitro Lacquer? If it is, I would put the waterslide decal on it and then lacquer more layers over that. Once you've built up a nice amount of coats, then you can wet sand over the decal so that the decal doesn't look risen. Does that make sense? If not, I can try to explain a bit more!
how long should you wait in between nitro lacquer sprays, before you spray again with another coat of lacquer? and what grit of sand paper for the final results sanding?
Any tips to remove one? The people at Aurora Custom shop put a really shitty one on mine.
Sand it down to the bare wood and start from scratch.
Will these decals work over a Poly finished neck?
Yeah they will work over any type of hard finish. You will just have to seal them after applying with layers of poly. Just make sure to use the exact same poly. Also you will need to scuff the surface before applying any finish so that the new finish sticks.
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thanks
Do you recommend just rattle can lacquer or do use something more professional to get the factory finish results?
Is there a grit sandpaper and coat method you recommend?
Really appreciate this vid!
If you’re taking it down to bare wood, you will have to put down a coat of lacquer and then coat it with more lacquer after laying down the decal. Rattle can works great! Just make sure you put enough coats on top so you can sand it flat without going through the decal. I start with 800, then 1000, 1500, 2000, then final buff and polish.
@@VanHoutenBuilds
Thanks for the reply! If I understand correctly, the process is:
Sand to bare wood (maybe smooth to 1000 grit?)
Apply 3 thin layers of lacquer
Sand lightly with 800 grit
Apply decals
Let cure
Apply 5 coats lacquer (starting very light and getting heavier)
No sanding between any of those coats?
Let cure
Sand starting with 600 all the way to 1000grit
Buff with polishing compound?
Does that sound correct?
Again, appreciate this vid and any help! You gained a subscriber!
@@travis00017 So that's correct, except I would finish off with maybe more than 5 coats of lacquer, probably more around 8-10 coats with no sanding between coats. Then final sand 600, 1000, 2000, then buff. also before you apply the decal make sure to sand down any bumps in the lacquer, only if needed, but do not apply the decal to the bare wood.
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thanks again for the reply and the great vid!
Use Distilled water to prevent local tap water minerals behind the glue, its a lil detail? To make it even better?
I've wanted to do this to my classic vibe jazzmaster, just to make it look more authentic
Do it!
That’s why I’m here 😂😂😂🤣
Same lol
Just save and buy a fender if you're that embarrassed about playing a squier 🤦🏻
Please dont do that. There's nothing wrong with a squier... if you're embarrassed about it for whatever reason just sell it and buy a fender.
Hey man real informative vid thanks. What if I already have a coloured finish say a transparent yellow... will the sanding and lacquering damage the finish?
Thanks! Yeah it's going to be tough to color match, and also you will have to use the same type of finish. Unless you sand and refinish the whole neck for consistency.
Do you need to apply nitro cellulose lacker on top to secure the decal or does it stays in place by itself when the water dries ?
Yes, you need to sandwich in the decal with lacquer.
thank you that was most helpful
is the fender headstock a copy of an irish hurley stick?
A decal maker told me to hit the decal with a coat or two of lacquer before you even put the decal on the headstock. Have yet to try it though.
Yes, you have to lacquer before putting it down. Make sure to sand it down so the the decal has a flat surface, b/c the lacquer on bare wood has a tendency to make the grain slightly pop up. If you don't sand that flat, the decal will have bumps in it.
@@VanHoutenBuilds No, he told me to apply lacquer to the actual decal before it;s applied. Haven't tried it yet, so I don't know how it would work.
@@davidcudlip6587 I would not recommend that as that is not how you apply waterslide decals. Not sure how you would get the air bubbles out if it wasn't pliable and hardened by lacquer. If you do it, please let me know how it works for you.
I can confirm that lacquering the decal before does NOT work. I was also told to do this. It only worked after I took the videos advice and followed his method.
Do you need to lacquer offer them or can you leave them on the surface?
You will need to lacquer over the decal.
I guess, it’s so complicate to put link to the shop in a description… it’s so much fun to figure out what exactly you were pronouncing and how to spell it correctly. And so much fun to catch the frame where business card is not blurred and zooming it in. Thank you! Great job!
Do you have to add lacquer over the top of the decal or can you just add the decal and be done?
Hi Keith! You have to add lacquer over the decal, otherwise it will peel off.
@@VanHoutenBuilds thank you!!
@@VanHoutenBuilds don't the 50s/60s style fenders just have the decal applied over finish, and with no other finish applied on top (and that's why you tend to see the outline of the waterslide on these )?
I ask because I'm doing a guitar that is a bit retro style and considering no additional lacquer on top of decal. Thx.
@@keithbriscoe99 I would highly recommend putting at least a couple of very thin coats of lacquer on top of the decal, if the guitar is going to be heavily used. Otherwise, you don't have to put any lacquer over the decal, but this leaves is susceptible to being scratch off.
Can I lay the water decal right over a nitro finished neck, then use lacquer after wards to seal it ? Thanks
Yes! The decal actually needs the lacquer to properly adhere, then spray very light coats of nitro over it and build up a solid top coat!
@@VanHoutenBuilds Awesome thanks !!
Lacquer or Poly? Looks like poly.
It's a new waterbased lacquer that I use. It's much lower VOC than something like a nitro, which I used to exclusively use.
There's a whole industry of Fixatives, Bubble reducers etc., etc., for Waterslide Transfers - mostly used by the "Modelling Hobbyist".....
Hi why aren't you using a Qtip to wipe out the water on the water slide
You can totally use a Qtip to do that. I just prefer to use my finger because I feel like I have better control and cover more surface area when rolling my finger than I get with a Qtip. I always make sure that my finger is wet though. It's just a personal preference.
How do you remove a factory stamped signature from the headstock? (Johnny Marr sig jaguar)
I would sand it off until you get through all of the layers. If you use an orbital sanded/palm sander, make sure you don't push down too hard or you may accidentally sand the outside edges down much quicker leaving the headstock uneven. Take your time with it and make sure you keep the sanding flat and even.
@@VanHoutenBuilds thanks for the reply.
Question, so I’m building a partscaster and the neck has a polyurethane finish and I plan on adding a decal like that one it. I’m going to paint the body with nitro and a nitro clear coat, should I just sand the neck with about 400 grit to remove the gloss, add the decal, and then go back over it with the same nitro clear that I’m using on the body? What would you recommend? Thanks!
I can't recommend using nitro over polyurethane. If you are not going to sand the neck finish off completely, then I would recommend using a polyurethane on top of the existing poly. Otherwise if you are wanting nitro, I would recommend sanding off the poly and spraying everything in nitro. General rule of thumb is not to mix finish types, otherwise you may see unusual wear down the road like flaking or chipping of the top coat. If you are up for experimenting with it, you could try a thin coat of shellac on the neck, which you could then nitro over. That would give you a proper adhesion and good neutral base coat to work with. Just make sure to lightly sand the shellac with 400 grit before spraying nitro.
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thank you for the helpful info! It’s going on a Stewmac neck that’s got a vintage poly tint on it, would adding any regular poly finish over it affect the looks drastically on the parts that were finished over the decal, or should I try and get the exact aged tint that’s already on it? Thanks!
@@samuelfairchild2638 I don't think it would change the look if you went with a clear poly. The finish would still be tinted. I would maybe test it on the heel of the neck first to make sure it dries and adheres properly and that it looks ok.
Hello! Thanks for the Great Video!
Can I send with 600k grit before applying the decal?
After applying the decal, how many coats do you recommend to cover it?
Yes, you want to make sure that the first lacquer coats are smooth before applying the decal, sanding with 600 will work. It depends on what kind of lacquer you are using for the final coats, but I always recommend more than you think. So maybe 8-12 coats.
@@VanHoutenBuilds so after 5 coats can I sand with 600k and then apply the last 5 coats and then polish and buff after its dries?
How to you recommend to remove the decal edges? Sand every two coats after application?
@@Matan2222222 You only need to sand before apply the decal and after you final coat of lacquer. Wait until it fully cures before sanding. You need to flat sand it using a block sander or a flat piece of something to keep it level. You will sand it down until you have a flat surface of lacquer over the decal. You only need about 2 coats of lacquer before applying the decal. Then start with very light coats after apply the decal and build up around 8 or more coats.
@@VanHoutenBuilds I already have 5 coats on my neck. I'll sand it flat and apply the decal. Thanks!
hi
im having trouble finding the sams mom info on ebay.. do you have a link? thanks
Hi! So go to ebay and type in "Three Vintage Guitar or Bass Headstock Waterslide Decals Reproductions" exactly. You should find the seller on the top result. Also if you go to ebay and search waterslide decal guitar, you can eventually find this seller by scrolling through and looking at the listings.
@@VanHoutenBuilds not finding him with those search words. Do you have a link?
@@jeffallen3382 I'm not finding that seller anymore either. Maybe try this one! www.ebay.com/usr/popsdecals?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2559
Is it best to brush on lacquer or spray it?
I prefer spraying it on!
So you didn’t use any product Like glue or something ?
No, the waterslide decal already has an adhesive type of glue on the back and is activated in water.
If you want to put on the decal and relic it after so that it looks a bit worn down. How would you go about that?
I'm assuming you mean relic'ing the finish around the headstock? If you are spraying nitro, then I would spray a tinted amber lacquer (Or you can spray a clear lacquer and let it cure and sit it in the window for week/months and the finish will yellow in time). You won't want to wear down/relic the actual decal at all, b/c it should be under a bunch of coats of lacquer. When it comes to relic'ing the headstock, wait until your lacquer has completely cured and has been buffed and polished. Then you will want to use a bunch of true vintage instruments as a reference and just beat it up a little bit at a time. Screw drivers work great. I hope that answers your question! I am planning on doing some more in depth relic'ing video tutorials down the line!
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thank you very much! This was very helpful! The neck I’m using is already sprayed with polyurethane. I was planning on sanding that of, staining the wood and use a clear nitro laquer to finish it of. Or would that cause issues?
By the way those in depth video’s would be amazing. Really enjoy your content
@@rutgerclemensmusic1041 Awesome! That should not cause any issues! Just make sure that you stain the wood first then sand smooth, then nitro a couple thin coats of lacquer and sand flat, then place the decal then a few more light coats over that, then heavier coats as you layer on. Make sure not to spray too heavy on your first couple of coats over the decal as they can have a tendency to dimple up. Good luck!
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thanks so much! This will get me a very long way!
What type/brand of lacquer do you use?
For acrylic lacquer i use target coatings EM6000, or general finishes satin top coat. For nitro lacquer, either reranch or stewmac.
Can you use tru oil over laquer for final coat,,?
no, you have to use it over bare wood or an oil-based stain
@@VanHoutenBuilds thanks for your time, excellent video 👍
I know it's quite unrelated to the video but can you theoretically glue a piece of paper with your logo printed on it onto the wood and then put a finish over it or is it a really bad idea?
I've never done that before. Paper seems like it might crinkle or change shape as it is wet down by the lacquer top coats. If you decide to try that, I would use a high quality super glue.
@@VanHoutenBuilds well I just tried that on a scrap piece today and the polyurethane just soaked the paper which made it translucent. That's not viable.
@@MadWinter889 Yeah I would highly recommend sending whatever design you have to someone who prints custom waterslide decals. Looks on Etsy and Ebay, there are a ton of people who do it for an affordable price.
I have a matching headstock with acrylic lacquer on it, will it be fine if i apply the decal on top and seal it again with acrylic lacquer?
Yes, you can apply over the lacquer. As long as you use the same lacquer to reseal, you should be fine.
I just bought like a 1992 fender telecaster and somebody had refinished the neck so I wanted to refinish it again but there is no American fender decal on it even though I know it's American fender because I got the receipt and the guy I bought it from and a picture of the guitar that he had taken when he bought it from the music store so how would I go about getting a American fender decal to put on there without having to get handcuffed or take a polygraph for report to jail or whatever laugh out loud
Hey Steven, haha as long as you’re not trying to take a bunch of non fender guitars and put fender logos on them and resell them, you’ll be fine. A lot of times when doing a restoration a new logo has to be created. You can find them on eBay. Just look up “guitar waterslide decal.” You should be able to communicate with the seller exactly what you need. I’ve done it for full guitar refinishes and restorations as well.
But its a Squire.
Can I use wipe on poly instead of lacquer?
You could try it! I've never tried it with wipe on poly before. It works well with spray poly though. You would just have to be very gentle with the wipe on poly because the decals are super delicate. Just allow proper time for the decal to dry and the decal glue to cure before trying to wipe on the poly. I would go very light with the first 2-3 coats of wipe on poly over the decal. Good luck!
The picture on the title is very misleading... 🙄
Should have had someone with artistic skills sketch that out. Looks like you paid some random guy on 5er to design it
Cool . Now I can buy cheap knock offs from China and re sell them as authentic !!!!!
Thumbs down for the deceptive thumbnail.
A decal is a decal, application is the same.
Or "how to make a forgery" ☹
I googled and it didn't work out. How do I find samsmom_1. I am searching and having no luck. I have been searching for someone to produce WaterSlide logos for my headstock. I am doing a guitar right now and have others to start once I am finished creating this one. The info would really help. I am an American Viewer
You can order them from Etsy too! There are plenty of sellers on there that provide a quality custom decal! I am traveling and don’t have the seller info handy.
@@VanHoutenBuilds Thanks, I ended up going with Guitar Decadence. They are quite helpful