Awesome, thanks Jesse!

Great, thank you :)

Fab :)

Thanks for the message. You're absolutely right, on the really early ones there was no finish over the top. It's best if you aren't going to be transporting the guitar much, though, as handling and going in and out of (especially fabric) cases can scratch the decal off.

Great advice.... I'm not going to put lacquer over mine.

The older ones I've seen all did have clear lacquer over the decal. It just wasn't sanded and reapplied multiple times to make the edges disappear.

Thanks for the info. All decals are slightly different, and ours are really thin so take a lot less time and effort to make the edges vanish. You can see our full application instructions with finishing details here: www.rothkoandfrost.com/downloads/1518364846CLS002-CLS-Waterslide-Decals-Application-Instructions.pdf

+Tom Flake different waterslide materials behave in different ways, so the instructions for one don't necessarily apply for others. The key differences with ours are that: - They're very thin, so don't need much lacquering afterwards - The inks are waterproof so don't need treating before you apply them - Our inks are opaque, and the gold/silver bits properly metallic - The clear unprinted parts of our decal remain clear Once the decal is applied and the headstock then lacquered over the clear bits will remain clear and edges vanish completely. Our decals only require a few seconds soaking, it varies between about 2 - 10 depending on how warm you have the water and the size of the decal. Don't soak longer than this, as you risk dissolving away all of the adhesive so the decal then won't stick properly to the headstock. We include comprehensive application instructions and a test piece of decal material with every order, and are always here to help! www.rothkoandfrost.com

jorhko thank you for your comment. You need to lacquer the headstock first. Then apply the decal. Then lacquer over the top. This is described in the included application instructions. Any coating must be sprayed on, so a lacquer rather than a varnish.

thanks

Interesting idea, but definitely do not do it this way. We include comprehensive instructions that include the lacquering stage, follow these and you'll be fine. Our decals are so thin that some lacquer once they're applied easily hides the edge. They cannot be handled as much as you are describing, it's a one-shot thing. Kind Regards, Simon

Welcome :) We don't have specific recommendations as haven't tested lacquers available in the US. Most spray lacquers work though - most important thing is that it is spray on rather than brush or wipe.

You would use high gloss nitrocellulose

Safest would be a thin layer of lacquer, sand to 600 grit, then apply the decal, then lacquer again. The process for prep and finishing is all covered in the included application instructions :)

Any spray lacquer should work, just start lightly. Nitrocellulose is fine.

Hi, thanks for the Q :) Process is exactly the same - sand the headstock finish to 600 grit, apply the decal, then spray lacquer over the top. Only difference is that the spray lacquer you use should be one that matches the sheen level of the existing headstock finish.

+Jeff Gordey The complete process, starting with a bare wood headstock, is: (1) Lacquer the headstock, sand to 600 grit (2) Apply the decal to the headstock, leave to dry (3) Lacquer over the decal (4) Polish the headstock This video covers (2). The headstock should be lacquered before applying the decal (as the decals only apply to non-porous surfaces), and will need to be lacquered again afterwards to seal the decal in.

@@rothkoandfrostuk5909 Can you use tung or Danish oil instead of lacquer?

@@ATOMSKI_MRAV Afraid not, any liquid finish including oil will just wipe the decal straight back off again. It needs to be a spray on lacquer.

Good question. The neck should be lacquered first, sanding sealer or nitro are both fine. Decals will only apply to smooth non-porous surfaces. You will then need to lacquer over it once you have applied it. We include comprehensive application and finishing instructions with each order, or you can check out our website www.rothkoandfrost.com/guitar-decals-i40 Kind Regards, Simon

Rothko and Frost UK Thanks! You mean that i have to wet sand the headstock after i have aply the nitro? So i get rid of the ”bumps”?

@@tempus_forma7863 Shouldn't need to wet sand, but dry sand with some 600 grit beforehand.

Thank you for your question. Yes, the decals work really well with satin spray on lacquer - just be sure to sand the lacquer underneath it to 600 grit before applying the decal. Kind Regards, Simon

IS THIS GUY WEARING PRISON CLOTHES???

@@christophergregory5531 Yeah it's all the fashion in the UK.

If it is a spray on finish then it will be fine. Wipe or brush on finishes do not work with decals. Kind regards, Simon

THanks for all your help.

Oh yeah, good point! Kleenex, tissue or toilet paper all work well :)

Hi Davey, you need to lacquer the wood first. Prep the headstock with lacquer, sand to 600 grit, apply the decal, leave it to fully dry, then lacquer over it. We include more comprehensive instructions with each decal :) Simon

@@rothkoandfrostuk5909 thank you. I was about to royally mess up my guitar..thank you for halting my screw up 😉

@@giffyfaces Phew, just in time! :)

I didn’t let it fully dry for 24 hours and instead I sprayed the lacquer as soon I set the decal. Luckily it looks good.

+ShortFingeredShreder Actually, the headstock must be lacquered, sealed or painted before applying the decal. Decals will only work on smooth, non-porous, non-oily surfaces so they aren't suitable for bare wood and we don't recommend over oil finishes. They'll work on headstocks with finishes such as nitrocellulose lacquer, cellulose paint, pre-cat lacquer, waterborne lacquer, sanding sealers etc on them. The headstock in the video just has clear nitrocellulose sanding sealer on it. Once the decal has been applied you then need to seal it in with a clear top coat that is compatible with the finish underneath, for example nitro lacquer over a cellulose sealer. Hope this helps.

So long as it is sprayed on yes, this should be fine. Brush on varnishes do not work as they tend to take the decal straight back off.

Rothko and Frost UK thank you

Hi Linden, We have merged it in with our main site, www.rothkoandfrost.com Kind regards, Simon

Thaaaanx!

You should maybe make a comment of this too, cause i had the same question, so i'm guessing a lot of people do

@@mcchickenmcdicken This now redirects to our guitar decals page, check it out at www.rothkoandfrost.com/guitar-decals-i40

Hi Kasper, Sorry you had trouble with the application. Please could you email us with your order details so we can fix this for you? Best wishes, Simon

Thanks for the feedback. They are indeed very thin. The film is made to our spec, we have gone with a very fine one so that once applied the decal edges will vanish easily even under a low build vintage lacquer such as nitrocellulose. Of course, this is then a trade-off as the thinness makes them more fragile. We include a sample piece of material with each order for practising with, and we're nice folks here at R&F so any trouble please get in touch via email and we'll sort something out for you.