Protecting a guitars finish (some G&L, but general question)

[Tom Valentine]

Howdy fellow GbL'ers,

I've recently acquired a beautiful circa 1990 Leo Sig Skyhawk which is perfect: smooth neck and fretboard action, spot-on intonation with tuning stability, magical MFD tone, with a gorgeous cherryburst finish ... simply just perfect!

Here is the problem: I'm an aggressive chorder, particularly on the upstroke (a-la Pete Townshend, although not a full windmill but sort of 1/2 windmill) ... my playing tends to hit the upper bout of guitars and wreck 'em with pick scratches and gouging. Right smack in the area where Leo's signature is located!

So the question: Before I turn this thing into a Nigel guitar which "can't ever be played or even pointed at" , is there some clear plastic adhesive which can be applied to this area, one that is invisibly thin and won't damage the underlying finish?

Thanks,
TV

[GDub]

Check this out:

http://www.dscustom.com/

I've never used it but it might be worth a try (as long as the finish isn't nitro).

Peace...

GDub

[jazzrat]

Yes...static cling material works great. I've used it on all my guitars like Parker and PRS that don't have pickguards.
I work for a signshop so we get it by the roll. Any signshop that sells vinyl signs will have it.
I make a pattern on paper to check the fit and then tape the pattern to the material and cut it out.
Works great for poly if it's well cured but would not suggest it for a nitro finish.

[Tom Valentine]

Thanks for the link ... checking it out now ... I don't know what type of lacquer was used on this '90 Skyhawk Sig, perhaps another GbL'er will pipe in about this, but the site says that their product will wreck nitro finishes, particularly on a Martin! I have a 36 year old Martin 0018 which is already gouged to heck by me over the decades, so guess this product wouldn't be much good on it by now even if it was applicable .... /laughs

But otherwise, this Skyhawk Sig is such a sweet sounding and playing instrument that I desperately want to play it in the style that I play, but don't want to wreck it's cosmetic uniqueness either (Leo's sig) ... maybe I should look into an early 90's S-500 sans-signature ??? Any suggestions out there in GbLDP land ???

-- TV

[westsideduck]

I know how you feel, I've had a few mint and NOS leo era guitars that looked so damn good I didn't want to play them, But I alway ended up breaking down and playing the liven hell out of them because they sounded and felt so good, of the few I re-sold I didn't lose any money on and enjoyed them while I had them. I bet that old Martin will still bring way more then you paid for it decades ago and you got to enjoy it for all these years none the less. If you like it play it! besides, that plastic crap looks real cheesy, like an old lady putting plastic covers on the furniture so they can keep it looking new forever, but who wants to sit on plastic.

gary

[darwinohm]

Tom, I would be surprised if the paint were anything other than Poly Urethane. If it is that, 3M makes chipguard film for the front of automobiles. If you stop at an automotive shop that installs chipguard, you may be able to get a small piece of scrap that would work. It would not damage a poly guitar finish as guitar poly is basically the same poly used in automotive applications. Chipguard is so clear and glossy that it is almost undetectable except for the trimmed edge. There is nothing like a pristine 20 to 30 year old guitar, unless you have worn it out yourself. At my age if I did a windmill, it would take two days to unwind me. -- Darwin

[Tom Valentine]

Gary, the great irony in all this is that Leo himself would probably be appalled by such vanity as we're discussing here. From what I've read and heard about the man, his approach to design and production was of a nuts-n-bolts, get-under-the-hood and rev-'er-up sort of attitude. He never thought of his products as being meant as 'artistique collectible for dizzplay in muzzeum' ... (sorry, lousy French imitation, me bad ... they were meant to be functional, well built, and affordable. Period.

The irony comes in when Leo himself went along with some of his marketing ppl's ideas ... first with the Broadcaster thing and then with the various subtle and not-so-subtle placement of his surname on G&L's ... its almost as if Leo was slyly tweaking FMIC's horns and enjoying doing so He'd probably disapprove of the post-Leo "Commemorative" ASAT, but then maybe he *would* approve (with a sly smile) ... anyone lucky enough to have landed one of those baby's knows that Commemorative is truly a Nigel "it can't be played, ever .. or even pointed at, so don't point"

Meanwhile, I've still got this conundrum of the Sig Skyhawk which I'm perfectly willing to play aggressively if not for that Leo signature right smack in the spot where I'm gonna wreck ... if it didn't have that signature on it, and particularly in that spot, then I wouldn't have even started this thread! /laughs

Thanks for yours and everyone else's response here ... think I'm probably gonna search out a similar 90's vintage S-500 in tobacco or cherryburst and use that as my 'banger' ... and keep this one in zee Museum

Thanks again,
-- TV

I know how you feel, I've had a few mint and NOS leo era guitars that looked so damn good I didn't want to play them, But I alway ended up breaking down and playing the liven hell out of them because they sounded and felt so good, of the few I re-sold I didn't lose any money on and enjoyed them while I had them. I bet that old Martin will still bring way more then you paid for it decades ago and you got to enjoy it for all these years none the less. If you like it play it! besides, that plastic crap looks real cheesy, like an old lady putting plastic covers on the furniture so they can keep it looking new forever, but who wants to sit on plastic.

gary

[westsideduck]

Well, If your not gonna play it you better hide it away in it's case, If you hang your guitars up on the wall like I do it will be a great temptaion. Good luck with your search for the 500 and we'll have to revisit this thread in 6 months to see how your doing.

[Tom Valentine]

Well, If your not gonna play it you better hide it away in it's case, If you hang your guitars up on the wall like I do it will be a great temptaion. Good luck with your search for the 500 and we'll have to revisit this thread in 6 months to see how your doing.

We may not have to revisit in 6 months, a solution may have gelled in the interim between this thread and my first one on the topic of this Skyhawk Sig .... Tone of early MFD's different than later MFD pickups?

Shortly after posting that first thread, I had acquired a set of circa 90's MFD pickups which I intended to drop into a '96 tobaccoburst Legacy which has a neck action just as smooth as this Skyhawk Sig ... I had bought them, went on a two week vacation, and completely forgot about 'em! /laughs

Basically the project involves turning a Legacy into the equivalent of a Skyhawk/S-500 in tone, and might involve more than just swapping out the Alnico's for MFD's ... caps and pots values may have to be changed too, not sure ... any help on this would be much appreciated

Thanks,
-- TV