Your favorite way to label/brand your pickups

[John Carlsen]

Hey guys, just wanting to take an informal poll on what you prefer to label your pups with. Do you go the hand-written route, or maybe labels, engraving or stickers? If so, what kind of pens do you use/labels/etc.

[big_teee]

Hey guys, just wanting to take an informal poll on what you prefer to label your pups with. Do you go the hand-written route, or maybe labels, engraving or stickers? If so, what kind of pens do you use/labels/etc.

I Put a small Label on the back.

[copperheadroads]

I hand-write my labels with a metallic marker plus my logo sticker & after I never wait for long enough for the marker to dry & it gets smugged ,the sticker laber or a stamp is the way to go

[David King]

If I were serious i'd have a laser to engrave something neat on the tops. The hot foil presses are probably the quickest way to go.

[David Schwab]

If I were serious i'd have a laser to engrave something neat on the tops. The hot foil presses are probably the quickest way to go.

Yes, I agree.

I started with laser etched logos. Then I went to what I guess is pad printed logos. I like the laser etched logos better.

[RedHouse]

I've always hated when a pickup has branding on it's face. Way back in the 70's Gibson had their name/logo stamped into the covers that's when I developed my distaste for the practice. It seems like business-spam to me, although in Gibson's case they were the maker, so it passes.

(no offence to anyone who brands their pickup face)

I do like the idea, but once that logo goes on, it becomes (to me) like driving around with the car-dealer's license plate surround/ring on your car. I am of the opinion that when you buy an instrument, sure it's got the makers mark on it, but they made it after all, then if you want an "aftermarket" part, it should go on the instrument w/o spam.

( keyword; "Aftermarket" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftermarket_(automotive) )

[Peter Naglitsch]

This is what I use

[ReWind]

Lacquer applied screen printed waterside decals. I like the way they age. I'm presently teaching myself to silkscreen and will be making them in-house here.



The only thing is, in a rough environment or a parts drawer they may flake off almost completely and end up with no branding. I'd like to laser engrave, etch, or press a logo into the baseplate itself in addition to the decal. Perhaps under it?

Here's a set that came back to me when I offered to trade the customer a new set for them, as he sold the guitar they were originally for and plays one with a different configuration now. They ended being my serial #100! I'm hanging onto these. You can see how worn down they got after only a few years of touring. Maybe I could coat them in epoxy?



On custom pickups, I have some branded vinyl stickers that have two horizontal white bars under the logo where I can write details with a sharpie.

[Joe Gwinn]

Lacquer applied screen printed waterside decals. I like the way they age. I'm presently teaching myself to silkscreen and will be making them in-house here.

The only thing is, in a rough environment or a parts drawer they may flake off almost completely and end up with no branding. I'd like to laser engrave, etch, or press a logo into the baseplate itself in addition to the decal. Perhaps under it?

Here's a set that came back to me when I offered to trade the customer a new set for them, as he sold the guitar they were originally for and plays one with a different configuration now. They ended being my serial #100! I'm hanging onto these. You can see how worn down they got after only a few years of touring. Maybe I could coat them in epoxy?

On custom pickups, I have some branded vinyl stickers that have two horizontal white bars under the logo where I can write details with a sharpie.

If you are learning how to silkscreen, you could be silkscreening resist lacquer, and making etched metal nameplates. If the baseplate and nameplate are of the same metal (with matched coefficients of thermal expansion), slightly flexible epoxy will work pretty well to keep nameplate on baseplate.

Or, etch the baseplates directly.

[the great waldo]

Hi Peter

Will the labels mde with this printer stand up to a soak in a hot potting wax bath? If so looks like an elegant solution.

Cheers

Andrew

This is what I use
[ATTACH=CONFIG]23642[/ATTACH]

[ReWind]

This is what I use
[ATTACH=CONFIG]23642[/ATTACH]

Good for printing mailing labels and receipts at trade shows, too. I want one of those.

[ReWind]

If you are learning how to silkscreen, you could be silkscreening resist lacquer, and making etched metal nameplates. If the baseplate and nameplate are of the same metal (with matched coefficients of thermal expansion), slightly flexible epoxy will work pretty well to keep nameplate on baseplate.

Or, etch the baseplates directly.

That is a fantastic idea! I didn't even think about integrating the silkscreening into the etching. Thanks, man!

Would I use ferric acid, or do I need hydrochloric to get a good detailed logo into the baseplate directly?

[Peter Naglitsch]

Hi Peter

Will the labels mde with this printer stand up to a soak in a hot potting wax bath? If so looks like an elegant solution.

Cheers

Andrew

Yes they do. That was a concern for me before getting it, but it works fine. I use two different sizes for the lables, one for the bottom of the pickup and one that I put on top of the plastic delivery box. The software to make the labels are a bit basic. Can't remember if it runs on both Mac and PC, but I have paralells installed for the CAD software already so thats no issue.

[Joe Gwinn]

That is a fantastic idea! I didn't even think about integrating the silkscreening into the etching. Thanks, man!

Welcome. But I hasten to add that there is an entire industry or two doing exactly this. For instance, circuit boards made by the millions are not done with photo resist, they are silkscreened.

Would I use ferric acid, or do I need hydrochloric to get a good detailed logo into the baseplate directly?

I think you mean Ferric Chloride (not ferric acid). The short answer is that it depends on the material to be etched, but Ferric Chloride works on most common materials. When you dig a bit, you will find that there are standard combinations of resist type and etchant for each material to be precision etched.

[the great waldo]

Hi Peter


Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.

Cheers

Andrew

Yes they do. That was a concern for me before getting it, but it works fine. I use two different sizes for the lables, one for the bottom of the pickup and one that I put on top of the plastic delivery box. The software to make the labels are a bit basic. Can't remember if it runs on both Mac and PC, but I have paralells installed for the CAD software already so thats no issue.