Guitar Player’s Clueless Girlfriend Needs Help :)

General
1

I’m working on a special project for my boyfriend, a songwriter and guitar player, as a tribute to his late father. I’ve bought an acoustic guitar and want to use an old vinyl album of his dad’s favorite song as the pickguard. Any tips on how to do this while preserving the album label?

I also plan to create a picture collage and find someone to make a custom vinyl for the back of the guitar. I’m considering using his dad’s handwriting or signature for a custom headstock badge but might need help with that.

Any advice or creative suggestions for making this tribute meaningful would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much! :raised_hands:

2

A guitar technician is called a “Luthier”. You might look for local luthiers and ask for assistance. Or you could try asking your question in r/Luthier .

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3

Awesome suggestion! Thanks so much!!

4

This is such an amazing idea! Your boyfriend is definitely going to cry when he sees it. I’d recommend finding a skilled luthier in your area and giving them all the materials. If you post this in a Luthier group, you’ll likely have a local luthier ready to help within a few hours.

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Thank you SO much for the advice and the compliment. I really want this to be a memorable gift for him. I’m pretty crafty and thought about doing it all myself to make it even more special, but I’m worried about messing it up. I love the idea of gathering the materials and letting the pros handle it. Thanks again!

6

It’s probably a good idea to laminate or use a clear plastic pickguard on top of the album’s paper label to protect it, as it might not last long without protection. Consider having these made as an add-on so the guitarist can decide whether to apply it to the guitar (which could potentially damage the guitar) or keep it separately as a keepsake.

7

I almost cried reading it lmao

8

Since you’re aiming for a memorial/art piece, you might be able to handle this with some help from a local sign shop, bypassing the need for a luthier. If you’d like, I can walk you through the process. If you can make patterns yourself and maybe have a friend skilled in Photoshop, it could be a relatively inexpensive project.