The Steel Guitar Forum

They also do this on custom boats, completely changing the color and look of an older hull.

Michael Sheehan wrote:They also do this on custom boats, completely changing the color and look of an older hull.

I didn't know about that!

I will advise it's very important to choose the most durable vinyl wrap available so you get as long a life as possible. Believe me, you don't want to be redoing this every couple of years

Something that's meant for a waterproof surface like a boat (or in my case, a snowboard) should give long lasting protection. Also a highly durable vinyl is a little thicker and easier to work with than some of the other vinyl I tested. Another plus with my snowboard vinyl is it didn't require a heat gun to activate the adhesive. I tried the 3m vinyl that required a heat gun and it was really touchy. Every time I tried to heat it up to activate the adhesive, the surface bubbled or wrinkled or was ruined in some way. I'm sure there are people who can work wonders with the thinner 3m vinyl, but I'm not one of them

Paul Franklin Junior plays a Franklin guitar similar to this design. Vinyl wraps can totally change the look of a pedal steel and help protect the finish as well.

The Mullen, Franklin, MSA and Jackson guitars all look great with their custom wraps. I think this technique is going to take off like a rocket.

black carbon fiber wrap on this beauty...

I had this done to a mica Mullen I owned, and it looked really good.

Unfortunately, , the shop that did it removed the decals from the front apron without my consent. No biggie, Mike was happy to sell me replacements when I chose to bring it back to original.

I’m considering doing this again, but I don’t want to sacrifice the builders decal . Any suggestions ?

I've done a Zum and a Mullen with wrap. I just ordered new decals. You wouldn't want to wrap over them anyway...they'd just leave an impression in your work and it's nearly impossible to trim around them properly.

If it's a brand that no longer supports the labeling and such, I guess you'd have to come up with an alternative.

These days though, graphic houses are everywhere and can probably spit out decals and labels as necessary...even give you a custom color. Example here of one I had done at a graphics shop to match the orange wrap I used on the cabinet.


I did my Mullen with a brushed alum. front and did the black decal myself by downloading a photo of the label and fashioning with a water slide kit from a hobby shop.

Jerry Overstreet wrote:You wouldn't want to wrap over them anyway...they'd just leave an impression in your work and it's nearly impossible to trim around them properly.

This^...the labels have to go. I tried a test section of my snowboard wrap (which is thicker than many available vinyl wraps) but the label surface area underneath still clearly showed through. Also, the Mullen label is clear and shows the pattern underneath so no way to cut around it.

What I did leave in place was the pearl inlay strips. I pushed the vinyl down around them very hard so their surface showed clearly through the vinyl...I think it looks cool

This one here is a vinyl wrap.
I called it the Alligator man.
It went to the big pond.

Just made a change to my vinyl wrapped Mullen. I was always a bit bummed the arm pad covered so much of one of my favorite parts of the space pattern. Well, last weekend I bought a 70's BMI 12 with pad from a friend for my new restoration project.

The BMI arm pad is much thinner than the Mullen so I pulled the Mullen pad and replaced it with the BMI. Now I can see about an extra inch of the vinyl pattern

And check out the condition of the BMI arm pad...50 years old and it looks like it just left the factory! And this was a gigging guitar for a few years in the late '70's

Here's an idea I've had for a long time, I'd be glad to see someone run with it: steels where you can slip in different front panel inserts. Tired of black? Pop in a red, orange, purple, psychedelic, whatever design insert you can get fabricated.

I just haven't time for what I think could be a worthwhile project and commercial venture.

John McClung wrote:Here's an idea I've had for a long time, I'd be glad to see someone run with it: steels where you can slip in different front panel inserts. Tired of black? Pop in a red, orange, purple, psychedelic, whatever design insert you can get fabricated.

I just haven't time for what I think could be a worthwhile project and commercial venture.

I think someone did that John...I'm thinking Dekley or BMI maybe? Can't remember now. I like the idea.

Jerry, I never knew about that, or forgot it in my dotage!!

Yeah, well I know about forgetting things for sure, John! Anyway, if memory serves, seems to me it was BMI. Someone said you could take off one corner of the endlplate and slide the mica out.

Wish they were all like that. Really shouldn't be too hard to have a special top moulding and a groove in the bottom moulding that would allow such a thing.

Be interesting to see what you come up with.

Jerry Overstreet wrote:Yeah, well I know about forgetting things for sure, John! Anyway, if memory serves, seems to me it was BMI. Someone said you could take off one corner of the endlplate and slide the mica out.

I just picked up a 70's BMI and the back panel mica is held in place by a few metal screws. Take them out and the mica comes off then you have access to remove the crossbars and knee assemblies. Very clever.



Of course the rest of the mica doesn't come off so easily

While you’re being a bunch of wild and crazy guys, when is someone going to put led lights in/on their pedal steel timed to light up with every pluck of a string !!...Jim

A Jackson guitar with a Pollock wrap
That’s perfect, Dawn!

Perfect for me. Most of what I play on the steel comes out as abstract expressionism whether I want it to or not

James Quackenbush wrote:While you’re being a bunch of wild and crazy guys, when is someone going to put led lights in/on their pedal steel timed to light up with every pluck of a string !!...Jim

Ah, a pedal steel version of the 1970-'75 Rickenbacker "light show" 331 guitars and 4001 basses. The lights changed according to the frequency of the played strings (red for high, yellow/green for mid range, bass for low). Groovy

YEAH........THATS THE TICKET !!!!

Another interesting path to pursue is the huge offering of laminates produced by Wilsonart (www.wilsonart.com). They have tons-o-stuff from solid colors, very convincing stone patterns and wood grains, metals, lots of cool retro mid-century modern designs (boomerangs, mother-of-toiletseat, etc). Many surface finishes as well.

What I’ve been looking for for some time, to no avail, is what I’ve heard referred to as “clown barf” plastic. Most players would recognize this as the nitro cellulose thumb picks that used to be available that looked like many random colored chips of plastic fused together. Ever seen those? I’d love to find me some of that stuff in sheets!

Anyway, take a look at Wilsonart.com. Also, back in the 50’s, the founder Ralph Wilson, made his home in Texas a showcase of architectural laminates. A showroom of sorts for his wares, as well as being his personal residence. Ralph is gone, but the house has been preserved. Look for it on YouTube or Google. Fascinating!

Mark McCornack wrote:What I’ve been looking for for some time, to no avail, is what I’ve heard referred to as “clown barf” plastic. Most players would recognize this as the nitro cellulose thumb picks that used to be available that looked like many random colored chips of plastic fused together. Ever seen those? I’d love to find me some of that stuff in sheets!

A clown barf pedal steel?? The mind reels!

--Al Evans

Yes, indeed.
I found it (or at least close)! It’s a Wilsonart laminate, and their part number is Y0026. They call it “Tutti Frutti”, a rather poor mis-spelling of C-L-O-W-N-B-A-R-F, if you ask me.
Not terribly conservative, but wouldn’t this be just stunning?

Tutti Frutti! Wow, I can't even imagine what kind of music you'd be inspired to play with a pedal steel looking like that

.... “ a Whop Bop-a-Lu-Bop, a Whop, Bam, Boo!”

- Little Richard, 1955

Mark

Mark McCornack wrote:.... “ a Whop Bop-a-Lu-Bop, a Whop, Bam, Boo!”

- Little Richard, 1955

Mark

Well played Mark