Easiest way to remove and replace Squier headstock decal

[/\/\3phist0]

I'm not the OP, but thanks!! The hard parts on that bass were the pickup routing and electronics.

I realized that and corrected.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I care. Not that it's a Squier logo. I play a Rascal and Paranormal Jazz '54 on stage, and they're both amazing basses.

But I care because I want something fun and personal to me.

Sorry, I meant no one except you.

 

[leonard]

The original decal looks nice. To me it sounds like the bass is very personal to you already.

 

[GodsLove66]

At this point, it's a VINTAGE Squier....I'd say leave as is, but hey, it's yours to do whatever.

 

[Bortron]

I did it. It wasn't hard. I removed the neck and sanded the entire headstock and neck. Did a final sand with 800 grit. I blended two stains from Home Depot to get the color I wanted and applied and dried. The back of the neck got an orange oil and beeswax finish.

I applied several waterslides and let them dry. Then I used a rattle can and applied a clear coat...maybe 4-6 coats.

Is it perfect? No, but it is good and fun!

View attachment 7102824

Thanks, that looks really cool, good job! If mine came out looking like that, I'd be more than happy.

I'd probably only do the front of the headstock, rather than the entire neck. After all, that's a thing with coloured headstocks, so I figure it's fine with a natural wood one too. I just don't want to mess up the feel of the neck.

 

[BassNugget]

Thanks, that looks really cool, good job! If mine came out looking like that, I'd be more than happy.

I'd probably only do the front of the headstock, rather than the entire neck. After all, that's a thing with coloured headstocks, so I figure it's fine with a natural wood one too. I just don't want to mess up the feel of the neck.

Yep. Remove the neck and all the hardware (tuners, string tree, etc) before you sand. Use painters tape to cover areas you do not want to sand/stain, etc. When staining and doing clear coats, make sure you pack the tuner holes with tape or some other material so that you don't change the diameter of the holes. You don't want stain or paint to build up in there.

I sanded the entire neck because my bass neck was poly finished. I played my entire professional career on Music Man basses with oil and beeswax finishes, so I wanted to replicate that on my bass mod. I also used the same sand papers to round the fretboard and take off the sharp fret edges. Worked perfectly, and the bass feels a bit more like a Music Man.

 

[Bortron]

Thanks, very helpful! Yeah, I'll be sure to mask everything in sight. One of the guitarists in my band has some experience with finishing guitars (he literally built a guitar from a tree he chopped down himself, and he did the electronics on this one for me), so I might enlist his help when it comes to doing it. He has a natural finish on the neck and headstock of that guitar, but he achieved that just by oiling the wood like you did, so he doesn't have experience creating a matte finish with a clear coat. But he's a practical guy, less likely to mess up than me!

I'm not too fussed about the neck finish personally. I can cope with matte/satin or gloss, as long as the gloss is suitably smooth. But this neck feels good with the matte finish already, so I'm happy to leave it alone.