Preserving an autographed guitar

[Framar]

A friend on FB (aging rock god) came up with a wonderful idea and is donating one of his acoustic guitars to auction off for relief for the victims of the recent and ongoing floods in British Columbia. He started out with a couple of his friends who autographed it - Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot, David Clayton Thomas, Lawrence Gowan, with more fabulous famous musicians signing it every day. The auction price is over $5000 so far, and I am imagining whoever buys it will have to frame it eventually because it would be a crime to play it and damage any of the signatures.

One person commented that he ought to spray coat the guitar to protect the signatures. This sounds like a terrible idea to me - I think any kind of spray would make the signatures run or bleed.

Any suggestions on preserving these signatures? I am ready to recommend framing behind conservation glass, no spray. No picture lights. And presumably the person who buys it will have very deep pockets and will be able to afford proper framing.

 

[RoboFramer]

It's very easy, make a 3-D copy and store the original in a safe place.

 

[neilframer]

We are working on about 50 signed guitars for a collector.
This is his personal collection.
This is just a sample of the pile.

Usually most of the signed guitars are cheap knockoffs but many of these are actually Gibsons and Fenders and a few Epiphones and Ibanez guitars that are also great guitars.
Some of these guitars are worth thousands even without the band signatures.

This KISS guitar had broken mirror on the front face of the guitar..

All of these 50 guitar frames have hinged front frames that can be opened to touch the guitars.
You don't want to spray anything on the guitars.
These signatures may or may not fade over time.
We use Museum glass and we do whatever we can but there is only so much you can do unless they want to just put the guitar in a case in a dark room and never look at it...

 

[Framar]

In slightly over a week this guitar has gathered up several dozen more signatures, with more arriving every day. Last bid posted was $23,500 and bidding does not end until Saturday the 11th.

People keep suggesting metallic markers for signing the pick guard and I keep trying to at least steer them to a white marker.

I am sure the buyer will end up donating it to a museum, and I have mentioned framing it several times. With the price this high, I know the buyer would be able to afford the pittance for proper framing. A proper photographer is now traveling with the guitar to record the signing process.

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=e823d94cc8a106e61a982551914a4ba7&oe=61B63513

 

[Framar]

Winning bid was $28,765.00. And, after many folks kept begging him to sign - Mr. Greg Godovitz (Goddo) - signed the pick guard with a silver sharpie.

Well, I tried.

 

[Jim Miller]

...signed the pick guard with a silver sharpie.

Well, I tried.

Sometimes trying doesn't work, eh?

First, the silver Sharpie ink will fade to grey. Then it will fade to nothing. Keeping it in the dark may or may not slow the ink's deterioration.

 

[Framar]

Jim, I really tried to get him to find a white marker. But rock stars have more pressing concerns.

I once had The Ramones sign a photograph of mine using a Rapidograph. Dee Dee did OK with it but Joey came close to ruining both the pen and the photograph.

 

[Rick Granick]

Rapidograph? I'm surprised you could get the ink to start flowing at all.
Rick

 

[Framar]

It was freshly cleaned, filled, and the largest tip I had.

It didn't help that the photo they were signing was a glossy colored one.

 

[PaperLoves]

We are working on about 50 signed guitars for a collector.
This is his personal collection.
This is just a sample of the pile.

Usually most of the signed guitars are cheap knockoffs but many of these are actually Gibsons and Fenders and a few Epiphones and Ibanez guitars that are also great guitars.
Some of these guitars are worth thousands even without the band signatures.
View attachment 40523

This KISS guitar had broken mirror on the front face of the guitar..
View attachment 40524
View attachment 40525

All of these 50 guitar frames have hinged front frames that can be opened to touch the guitars.
You don't want to spray anything on the guitars.
These signatures may or may not fade over time.
We use Museum glass and we do whatever we can but there is only so much you can do unless they want to just put the guitar in a case in a dark room and never look at it...

Newbie here, how do you secure such a heavy object to the backing?

 

[GreyDrakkon]

Newbie here, how do you secure such a heavy object to the backing?

I could be wrong, but it looks like Neil partially recessed the guitars in the mat/foam, and WOW DO I WISH I THOUGHT OF THAT! Now I have that in my bag of tricks...For the signed guitars I've done, I used rubber coated formed wires, and foam blocks built up under it to strap it down in place, as well as some supports to hold the weight of it in place.

 

[RoboFramer]

Newbie here, how do you secure such a heavy object to the backing?

It's not rocket surgery really - just think I want to hang this thing on my wall, on a couple of hooks, dead easy. You could buy those hooks or you could fashion your own and maybe paint them to match - if worried about metal against wood, you could cover those hooks with something softer, or not even make them from metal, could use acrylic or something

But if all encased in a frame that could be moved about, the thing could slip off those hooks, so maybe something other than hooks, but not glue, glue is bad.

You're spoilt for choice with attachment points. For me - a mylar (clear archival polyester) strap, the whole length of a fret, under the strings - you'd never know it was there unless you knew it was there. Then there's where the actual guitar strap attaches, two solid points, use them too - you'd have to try really hard to shift it. Then there's those tuning keys, six soild points at least.

..

 

[neilframer]

Newbie here, how do you secure such a heavy object to the backing?

The Fender, Squire and Fender knockoffs have a big plate on the back that bolts the neck to the body with 4 large screws.

Usually we take 2 of the screws out that are opposed diagonally and run them thru the backing from the rear with large fender washers and screw them back into the guitar.
This holds these guitars well.

The Gibson and Epiphone guitars have no plate on the back so we use the tuning pegs with covered wire and we make a hidden bracket to attach to the strap knobs.

The guitars we framed are not recessed but I might use that idea in the future.

 

[Matthew Hale]

I did about 60 guitars a few years ago. I did what Neil described - electric guitars used the screws from the back plates, acoustics (and Gibson-style hollow bodies) used the strap knobs. Gemini used to sell L-shaped acrylic brackets just for this purpose; i had a local fabricator produce ours for way less.

 

[Rick Granick]

A friend has an SG just like that one, same color.
Rick

 

[Framar]

The rest of the story:

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[Framar]

The next chapter of the story:

A poster has been created with photos of the musicians who signed the guitar. This is being sold to also raise money for the BC flood victims. And on the link provided is a list of all of those amazing folks. With the exception of Kris Kristofferson, Canadian musical royalty all! And yeah, Greg probably signs and numbers it with a Sharpie . . .

https://www.shopgreggodovitz.com/?fbclid=IwAR26ZHUcX2Xe4vXtqUXqg-Xg1ZH_FPj06NhTumTAXUyYUujDWF7zjcZKDms shopgreggodovitz