Using A Photo As The Top On A Guitar... Anyone Done This?

[HumanFuseBen]

So i was thinking about doing another little project... i have an extra black RG7421 body laying around, and i'd like to do something crazy for the finish on it.

A few years ago, my S/O did a series of abstract photos using a Holga camera, and they turned out REALLY cool. they're mostly just big washes of bright colors with no discernible "real" objects in them. One of them is a bright red and green splotch/swirl that i use as my decktop background right now. it looks awesome, and i'm thinking if i could have it blown up big enough it would make a sweet top on this guitar! i'd probably just leave the back and sides the gloss black they are now, or just strip them and stain it black with india ink.

so has anyone done a finish with a photo underneath? what would i need to have the photo printed on? what type of adhesive would i use to adhere it to the top? also, what types of clear would be okay to put over it?

thanks guys!

[Fowl2338]

http://projectguitar.com/tut/mat.htm

[HumanFuseBen]

http://projectguitar.com/tut/mat.htm

so i guess you're saying that i would treat it pretty much like the fabric tutorial? cool beans, that doesn't seem too bad!

so what kind of glue should i use on photo paper? and what sort of clear?

[Dadovfor]

A spray adhesive may be the way to go. That will give you the flexibility to lift the image and re-position it if you're not happy with placement.

You'll also need to consider the thickness of the medium that you print on to as your clear coat is going to have to built up to that plus some to give you an even surface ... with no ridge at the edges.

I've heard of people spraying the fronts of posters and photos with several coats of nitro or other lacquer; letting that dry; and then carefully rubbing away the photographic paper until they have a thinner poster. Once you secure that to your guitar and shoot more nitro, it will burn in securely. I'm sure that's been mentioned on here somewhere ... good luck with searching

But you might want to consider water slide decals. I'd get a sheet of white (as opposed to clear) and print your image on that. It's very thin; it's easy to slide into your desired position; and you can go over the top with nitro.

I've used auto lacquer and nitro over water slide decals ... but if I had to recommend just one it would be nitro.

[Foggy]

I've heard of people spraying the fronts of posters and photos with several coats of nitro or other lacquer; letting that dry; and then carefully rubbing away the photographic paper until they have a thinner poster. Once you secure that to your guitar and shoot more nitro, it will burn in securely. I'm sure that's been mentioned on here somewhere ... good luck with searching

Yes I too have heard of something like this but never tried it myself. If I remember rightly, the technique that was described to me was that the photograph was laid face down into the wet clearcoat/lacquer (over a white basecoat), the finish allowed to cure, then the paper backing of the photograph was very carefully soaked away from the back of the photograph using water and a sponge until just the image (in reverse), was left in the surface of the lacquer. This was then re- cleared. Never tried it myself so I don't really know if it works or not, and, that was done (I think), using the traditional old photographs.............so probably not much use here anyway. But interesting all the same, going to try it one day!

Jim

Edited June 29, 2009 by Foggy