Covering headstock decals?

[SMILEYSIXX]

I've seen people use a strip of masking tape or maybe duct tape to cover logos on their amps, but does anyone cover headstock decals? How do you do it without damaging the headstock?

[MonkeyBass]

Why do you need to?

[SMILEYSIXX]

Just interested. I've heard of dudes covering amp logos to shut up gear snobs who would regularly discount their gear because of its brand. My favorite bass is my 84 SQ and I've had people praise the hell out of it and then criticize it for being a Squier. I don't get why people focus on brand instead of sound. Who cares what kind of bass or amp made the sound, what's important is the music. I wanna cover the headstock to stop people from focusing on the kind of bass I play and focus on what it sounds like.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

Just interested. I've heard of dudes covering amp logos to shut up gear snobs who would regularly discount their gear because of its brand. My favorite bass is my 84 SQ and I've had people praise the hell out of it and then criticize it for being a Squier. I don't get why people focus on brand instead of sound. Who cares what kind of bass or amp made the sound, what's important is the music. I wanna cover the headstock to stop people from focusing on the kind of bass I play and focus on what it sounds like.

often logos are covered to avoid copyright clearance issues for tv or film.....just use something like the green masking tape painters use ....it won't harm your finish

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

often logos are covered to avoid copyright clearance issues for tv or film.....just use something like the green masking tape painters use ....it won't harm your finish

This is the ONLY time I would ever consider covering up a logo. I would never do it just to mollify a gear snob. If a gear snob has the decidedly bad manners to come up to me and insult my equipment, I'd explain to him just how badly wrong he is, then I'd tell him to go sit on a Fodera, pointy end up.

[SMILEYSIXX]

There are a lot of reasons for covering logos, I've even heard of some people covering decals because they don't want to freely support a company when they could be endorsed to do so.

I didn't think masking tape would be harmful but I wasn't sure.

[MonkeyBass]

I've played plenty of cheap basses on stage but I've found that being able to play it really well usually shuts the snobs up.

But yeah, I'd bet painters tape would be all good.

[SMILEYSIXX]

I just got my Squier back from the shop. After all the mods, on an SQ series which is a great bass to begin with, the total cost was about $800 dollars. This one guy at my school is a pretty good bassist and I figured he of all people would appreciate the instrument. One look at the headstock and he said "800 for a Squier? Squiers suck no matter how much you put into them." as is it made even a shred of sense. I just dislike how so many people will discredit the quality of an instrument based on its brand, so I wanna take the opportunity to judge it away from them and make them listen to the music not read the label.

[xgator4u]

Put a sock puppet on it.

[heath_r_91]

Originally Posted by SMILEYSIXX

because they don't want to freely support a company when they could be endorsed to do so.

That is the case with many people that I know. If a company wont help out a musician, the musician wont help out the company by openly advertising through the logo.

Definitely not always cheap equipment, many times it's very very expensive equipment that this is done to.

[slawie]

Painters tape (masking tape) is fine for the short term.
If the tape is on there for an extended period of time
the adhesive becomes brittle and can react negatively
with the finish of your bass dependant upon the amount
of exposure to direct sunlight/heat making it a pain to remove
cleanly.

Solution is to replace the tape every couple of weeks or;
tell the snobs to go forth and multiply.

my 0.2c

slawie

[SMILEYSIXX]

I actually figured out a way to wrap a bandana around the headstock so that the logo is covered, but the tuning heads aren't affected... minus the kind of awkward appearance, this may work...

[THORRR]

I'd probably come up with several pat answers to their critiques depending on how jerky they are:

1. Yeah - well - I'm working a gig tonight and your'e not
2. Go P**s in your boot willya?
3. Did I ASK you what you think?
4. A** Hole! Get away from me!
etc
etc

Also you should know that if your decal was a waterslide decal, and not silkscreen-painted on, you can soak it off
with a damp sponge held there long enough to soften it.
It'll peel right off once the moisture gets under the decal.
It's water soluble. That is, if you ever want to remove it at all.

[JazznFunk]

The obvious irony in all this seems funny to me. Most musicians, whom it seems folks are catching the flak from in the first place, would be able to tell what brand an instrument is WITHOUT a headstock decal just by looking at the headstock. I can see confusion coming from Fender/Squier stuff since the headstock is the same, but for most anything else you can tell from the design. Folks can tell what an SX is, what a Lakland is, what a Fodera is, etc. etc. So why cover it? Seems like youthful posturing to me.

[JimmyM]

i've said this before but i think it bears repeating:

gear snobs...i call them "audience members watching me work."

[SMILEYSIXX]

The bass is guaranteed to be a Fender or Squier based on looks alone. Like I said, I'm not trying to hide my shame of using a Squier or anything, I would just rather have people listen to the music instead of focusing on what brand I'm using.

Oh, and THORRR, I've already used number 1 before because its very effective.

[JimmyM]

listen smiley, you tell the gear snob idiots that your pal jim has done giant arena shows using an $80 steinberger copy and a $90 sx pj.

[Jon_West]

Originally Posted by heath_r_91

That is the case with many people that I know. If a company wont help out a musician, the musician wont help out the company by openly advertising through the logo.

Definitely not always cheap equipment, many times it's very very expensive equipment that this is done to.

That's ridiculous.
They should make their own amps and cabs in that case.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

listen smiley, you tell the gear snob idiots that your pal jim has done giant arena shows using an $80 steinberger copy and a $90 sx pj.

Hell, even I'd look dumbfounded at someone who told me that... but then again it's one of those things that's so ridiculous sounding that it must be true.

[JimmyM]

ah, a skeptic, eh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf6kxSLyNLQ

if you freeze frame at 2:36, you can briefly see me playing my other sx bass, a sunburst sx p copy. that one wasn't a blem like the $90 one, so it cost me $110.