New logo idea....

[jackthehack]

Never got the deal together on the metal logos, but when at the local trophy shop getting the latest neck plate engraved with serial number; I noticed that they did laser engraving of text/logos in wood plaques, and figured I'd give it a shot on the bass I'm finishing up this week.

As you can see it came out great! (Sorry about the shitty cellphone pic, will replace it later...) The logo is actually cut by laser into the wood. Setup fee was $20, and any additional logo cuts will only be $6. Any trophy/engraving shop with a laser cutting unit can do this.

 

[Wyliee]

Very, very cool.  Tell us more.  Did you give them an image file and what sort of size/detail limitations did they have? 

I've looked at commercial laser cutters in the past.  Cool tools!

 

[jackthehack]

Just gave them a .PDF (.JPG) of the logo that I had made up for the metal logo people; I had an alternate font on the "custom shop" text, but they had to go with the bolded version because the non-bolded version was too thin for them to guarantee it would come out OK, so I guess the only limitation is a minimum font thickness. The logo shown is sized 2" x 5/8" as that is about optimal to use on all peghead types - will fit across an LP style peghead on top like a Gibson logo / between tuner holes horizontally on Warmoth peghead.

You should be able to go larger if you wanted to. Based on looking at some of the logos done on sample plaques and items they can do fairly complex line art as well, but again I think there is a minimum line thickness involved.

The cost of the machine to do these is down to around $6-8K, so a lot of trophy/engraving shops are buying these systems; checking them out on the internet the more expensive ones even have lathe attachments and can do designs/logos around drumsticks!

Since I know you used to live in Lawrence, I got it done at Jayhawk Trophy on 6th St.

 

[Uff-Da]

That is totally cool.  Fantastic job!

 

[jackthehack]

Forgot to add; for darker wood, like rosewood or wenge, you can fill the laser etching with gold or silver.

 

[jimh]

Forgot to add; for darker wood, like rosewood or wenge, you can fill the laser etching with gold or silver.

That would look amazing.......

 

[Lucky #7]

Hmm.  I wonder if folks not in the instrument business would be as fidgety about reproducing the Gibson logo.  That logo filled with gold would set off my LP.

 

[jackthehack]

Hmm.  I wonder if folks not in the instrument business would be as fidgety about reproducing the Gibson logo.  That logo filled with gold would set off my LP.

I doubt that a trophy/engraving shop would care; but that's like putting Ford Focus wheel covers over your BMW's alloys....

 

[tfarny]

Nice one, Jack. That's got me thinking.
Luck7, who would you impress with a Gibson label? Once a musician sees the bolt-on neck he's gonna think you're 1) counterfeiting or 2) you got suckered. I think Fender labels are more acceptable to me on Warmoth parts, because at least it's the same construction methods. Still I don't understand the need to put brands on products that are not made by that company, unless you're trying to fool someone.

 

[Lucky #7]

Not trying to impress anyone.  Just like the look of that logo.  I don't see much of a difference in the Fender logos either.  I'm not really all that caught up with another musician thinking I got suckered.  Especially if I got suckered into a better guitar.  Couldn't sell it on ebay as a Gibson  either, not that I would try, I'd be banned before I could blink.  Again, I just like the look of it and think it completes a Les Paul.  It's not for anybody but me.

 

[Lucky #7]

It's probably a moot point anyway.  I don't know that they could or I would want them to do anything with a finished neck. 

To be honest if I could think of something to put that looked vaguely similar in style and lettering, I'd probably go with that over putting Gibson on it.

 

[DocNrock]

I think I'd use this on my custom assemblies.  I don't want a brand name if I put it together myself.

Can this only be done for unfinished headstocks, or can it be done if a satin finish is already on the neck?

 

[jackthehack]

I think I'd use this on my custom assemblies.  I don't want a brand name if I put it together myself.

Can this only be done for unfinished headstocks, or can it be done if a satin finish is already on the neck?

In this case the neck was already tinted with Fender Neck Amber and finished in lacquer; doesn't matter as the laser vaporizes the finish as well as the wood. Not a good pic; it's AAA Birdseye and darker than it looks; will have better shots with real camera in the gallery soon.

 

[DangerousR6]

Just gave them a .PDF (.JPG) of the logo that I had made up for the metal logo people; I had an alternate font on the "custom shop" text, but they had to go with the bolded version because the non-bolded version was too thin for them to guarantee it would come out OK, so I guess the only limitation is a minimum font thickness. The logo shown is sized 2" x 5/8" as that is about optimal to use on all peghead types - will fit across an LP style peghead on top like a Gibson logo / between tuner holes horizontally on Warmoth peghead.

You should be able to go larger if you wanted to. Based on looking at some of the logos done on sample plaques and items they can do fairly complex line art as well, but again I think there is a minimum line thickness involved.

The cost of the machine to do these is down to around $6-8K, so a lot of trophy/engraving shops are buying these systems; checking them out on the internet the more expensive ones even have lathe attachments and can do designs/logos around drumsticks!

Since I know you used to live in Lawrence, I got it done at Jayhawk Trophy on 6th St.

Those laser engraving machins have been around for years. First time I saw one was at the Texas state fair about 10 years ago. A guy had a simple program he used from his pc to scan your image or logo and laser engraved wood pens....Or deer antler, or just about any material you could make a pen out of, he was engraving them.....


Cool idea tho, to do it on a headstock..... :icon_thumright:

On a bass headstock I'd have made it a little bigger, looks rather small compaired to overall size of the headstock.....

 

[SrDeMaFp]

That's f*ckin' awesome! :headbang:

 

[bpmorton777]

Jack

How do you think a Poly finish like Warmoth's would react to the laser?

Brian

 

[jackthehack]

I can't be sure; I always finish all my necks myself, never ordered one with a factory finish. This neck had about 4 coats of Fender Neck Amber, 2 coats of nitro sanding sealer and 6-8 thin top coats of gloss nitro. I was a little paranoid that the finish might melt/bubble around the edges, but knew I could always redo the peghead face pretty quick and went for it.

I've looked at it real close with a loupe and cant detect anything, it's like the laser just vaporized any finish at the exact point of the cut lines and didn't affect anything next to it at all. You can't tell that it wasn't cut with a steel tool, so most likely doing it on an existing poly finish wouldn't be an issue.

Sounds like you'll be the guinea pig on that one....

 

[bpmorton777]

Nope!

I just ordered an all rosewood, no finish neck two weeks ago. I changed my mind from having maple with clear poly.

Brian