Partscaster Headstock Decal Help

ms21

Right guys I'm in the process of building a strat. Oly white in nitro with a rosewood fretboard. The good stuff. Here's the thing, I gotta put something on the headstock and need your help.

I can go for something like pictured below. It's a Japanese dragon. The cool thing about this is that both the neck & body are from Japan.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/PGUQr2X.png[/img]

Or I can go for something like this. El Clasico. It's labelled "Sylvan" ie "Consisting of wood".

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ccHL3c2.png[/img]

The thing is, the dragon is cool. It's just, if you're gonna recreate a 60s strat, I can't help feel the best way to honour it be to stay classical. Would love to hear what you guys say!

Jonathangus

Jonathangus

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210527/posting-pics-from-imgur-2021-update

SteveRobinson

I'd go dragon, it looks really great.

I think a cool way to apply it (thinking of Japanese wood blocks here) would be to get a rubber stamp made for each of the sections and some black and red ink pads.

ms21

SteveRobinson said:

I'd go dragon, it looks really great.

I think a cool way to apply it (thinking of Japanese wood blocks here) would be to get a rubber stamp made for each of the sections and some black and red ink pads.

It does seem to just fit and at least if I were using an AllParts neck + Hosco Body, it would be coherent too (both Japanese made). Got a few others I might post up.

The reason I keep coming back to the classic sort of handwritten design, with text underneath is because this really is just a strat copy. Head to toe, SSS. And I'm building it because Fender aren't offering me the goods at any level below custom shop! So this is just gonna be my strat. Worried that putting some majorly alternative decal on there is gonna ruin that a bit. 

Your suggestion sounds great, though - I was just gonna send a PSD file over to Rothko and get them to print it. I'm assuming if I went the rubber stamp route, it'd have to be before it was coated?

SteveRobinson

ms21 said:

 assuming if I went the rubber stamp route, it'd have to be before it was coated?

Yes I think the ink would take better on bare wood.