The Song Fight Bulletin Board

For the past 15 years, the only acoustic guitar I owned had purple sunburst finish. Chicks dug it. Also, it tended to not look like anyone else's guitar in the room at open mics or jam sessions. If I accidentally left it somewhere, I would trust all my friends to recognize it as "Jeff's purple guitar". It can be seen in this picture, being played by the guy on the left next to me:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-a ... 1_8489.jpg

I have now replaced it as my main guitar for playing out with a different instrument that is better in most ways, except it is very plain looking. There is really nothing about it that says it is mine. See:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31nNfocyyRL.jpg

So I am looking for suggestions about how to customize/personalize it in a way that will not lessen the value of the guitar. Modifications/decorations that are generally in the bounds of good taste but will set it apart from others. It's not like it's the most expensive guitar around, but it is nice enough to not want to mess it up.

Thoughts?

Get a funky strap and keep it on there?

Write your personal information on a piece of paper and wrap it around the 9v battery?

Tie a friendship bracelet around the headstock?

Replace the tuners with something flashy?

Pickguard decoration?

I have a pink sparkly heart sticker on my scratch plate. My daughter put it there without me knowing - but it serves the purpose well. Likewise the fairy stickers on my Macbook differentiate it from my wife's.


When I was in a band years ago, I used to hang black fluffy dice from the tuning pegs of my bass. Chicks dug that

Upgrade the end pins: http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... sku=360515

Take a tip from old Woody:

I've always preferred this version.

I think what the guys here are trying to say is: You can paint on the guitar and/or put stickers on it without significantly affecting its sound.

If you're still wary about audio quality or defacing a brand-new instrument, though, you can always just get distinctive accessories. A unique strap, or keep a Songfight pick between the strings or something.

Jerry Garcia used to put all sorts of old hot-rodder decals and stuff on his electric guitars. And then one time when the guitar was back at the luthier for some sort of service, the guy replaced the decal with pearl inlays. Apparently it took Jerry several months to notice the change.

But, yeah, acoustics are tougher to personalize. If you have a bridge pickup in the guitar, you could get one of those circular hole-filler things and personalize that...

I've seen a technique that caught my eye a few times. (a story of a local beach girl that I shouldn't go into right now) but she had this really bad ass etching on her guitar that her friend did that owes a glass blowing shop in Venice.

Anyway, it looked like etched glass on the top of the guitar. It was all this ivy stuff, but I'm sure I could get a big .....
.......______________________ fill in the blizank.

Dont know but around here, pretty or cool dont matter, its how you play that thing, but you would not believe the good musicans cum out of the woodwork here in NC. man i have seen homeless people borrow a guitar and be the best on open mike. I would probably just add beer and second hand smoke to enhance the sound, looked like a martin

Billy's Little Trip wrote:glass blowing shop in Venice.

Billy's Little Trip wrote:a glass blowing shop in Venice.

But then everyone would be able to see through the walls!