Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just bought a maestro type tremolo from AllParts UK and would really like to have a go at engraving the lyre and Gibson logo on it. I’ve googled for weeks to find a flat image to use as a template, but none of the shots I have are either close enough or clear enough. Does anyone have a sharp flat (straight on view) image or a scan they could let me have or point me in the direction of? Cheers!
It’s to add to a natural burst SG Std.

Have you tried over at everythingSG.com?

I'd say you're SOL...I'd get some line art generated and hit the tailpiece with some flat white enamel over some Bulldog adhesion promoter. I'd carbon-copy the art onto the flat white and get out the engraver.

Still, this is a lot tougher to pull off that first glance would indicate. And, one slip and you're screwed, as a slip can't be buffed away. Good luck.

Thanks Richard - I've searched ESG but no luck. Perhaps I'll join and ask!

Thanks Paul. SOL - Something Outta Luck?? I'd thought of printing on a sticky label and etching through that, but I like the idea of the paint as it seems as though you could see the cut clearer . What's the Bulldog adhesion promoter function?

It is a risky task and I still might bottle it and ask a pro for a price for the job. I'll have a few practice runs on other things first.

Thanks again.

This is the SG.

Mark, Bulldog (available in a rattle-can, so not too pricey) is what is used to allow ordinary paints to grip materials like stainless steel (which is what the tailpiece is made from). Without Bulldog, you would paint the tailpiece and it would peel within days, if not hours, as it dried and shrank, pulling away from the polished stainless steel.

Bulldog is available online as well as from auto paint vendors.

So, you guys who can't find those BT parts could use Bulldog coated with matte black epoxy paint (2-pack) in lieu of powder-coating. Advantage is that the part doesn't have to be heated as with powder-coating. Disadvantage is that it could chip in heavy use, more readily than powder-coating.

Thanks again Paul. You're a goldmine of info.