Official Luthiers Forum!

I am on the Klingspore mailing list and last month they had a branding iron on sale for about $50. It included a custom made branding iron made to order. I had always wanted to brand my guitars but the prices I had seen for branding irons was just too much money.

I bought one of the irons, and then had to send in the paperwork to get the head custom made. I just got the head back today and had to try it out. One of htese is in spruce, the other in curly maple.

What do ya think?? worth the $50?

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Looks like it's an electric one Ken. At $50, that's a total steal. I've always wanted one of those but Lee Valley is the only place near me that I know of that sells them and they are about $100 for an electric one. the Non-electric branding irons from Lee Valley are about $50 so if yours is electric I think you got a great deal there.

I like the branded look on guitars. Martin has been doing that for years now as well as many boutique builders. And it's pretty obvious if it ever gets removed.

Nice touch.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Hi Ken,

Looks like you got a great deal. I have been wanting one of those for a while and the Lee Valley was just too pricey. I went to the Klingspor website and couldn't find it. Was it a one-time promotion?

BTW - how did the flamenco you were commissioned to build work out?

Best regards,
Max

_________________
Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Hey Ken,

The brand looks cool, do you get a choice in size???

Cheers

Kim

Someone a year or so ago posted this link for branding irons:

http://www.brandingirons.net/

These are a little more spendy, but I really like the signature brand.

_________________
Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Where on the guitar would you put your brand?

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Do another picture with scale item (quarter, nickel, etc).

Mike

I dont know if it was a one time email only sale or what, but when I saw the price I couldnt resist. It is an electric model and takes about 10 minutes to get hot enough to use it. It comes in a plastic box and has a little metal gizmo that holds it up to keep from setting something on fire. You have to buy the iron, then choose from 3 different kinds of heads, fill out a little form with what you want on the head and send it off. In about 3 weeks the head comes back to you. You do not get to choose the size of the head or petters.

When you brand wood, it takes about 10 seconds max, even on the hard maple. Very clean and professional looking.

As far as where to brand... I was thinking of branding the backstrap inside the guitar, far enough down so that it couldnt be reached easily or possibly branding the back of the headstock.

Here is the link to it

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

The flamenco is complete except for the saddle. It has been sprayed with 12 coats of nitro and I am waiting for it to cure so that I can do a final finish sanding and then buffing before installing the saddle. Should be ready in a week or so. This guitar is a lefty, so I wont even be able to play it except for just plucking a string or two. My customer is getting excited too

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

It looks good Ken, but it looks huge?
Unless its an illusion. Would it fit on a center seam reinforcement?

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Howard--

If I actually overcame my inherent frugality and purchased the signature iron, I would put an imprint on the neck block.

_________________
Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

it will easily fit on the center seam backstrap. it is 2 1/2" long and about 1/2" tall

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

At the risk of being pedantic, that would be backstrip.

A back strap is something entirely different...

...sorry Ken, beat you to it.
I've been using a brand on my backstrip and serial # stamped on the heel block instead of a sticker for several years now. Cleaner, more permanent and unique.
I pre shape and sand my backstrips, brand up a bunch, toss the ones that don't cut it and fit it in the regular manner. There's a little bit of a feel to "rolling" the brand on the pre-shaped strip, but it's not hard after a few.
Sorry about the blurry photo- battery is low in the camera. Iron is crystal clear.
-C

PS got my brand from brandnew.net . They'll work from any art you provide. I seem to recall it was about $75

_________________
Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Thanks Ken. I thought it looked huge too. The scale brings it into perpective.

Nice!

Mike (who can't thing of a brand name)

Charles, I believe it was your post on here about a year ago that got me to jonesing for one of these things in the first place. I love the look of your burner, but somehow couldnt justify the cost of it at the time. When I saw these advertised for less than $50, I couldnt resist any longer and jumped on it. The email sale price was lower than what you see on the web site. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing your experience with them. Now I can do somethng similar and it didnt cost me a whole lot of money either.

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

I'd be careful using a hand held brand on a part of the guitar that's not easily replaced. The big boys (Tacoma brands their headstock logos on some models) have automated equipment that ensures a clean brand every time.
By the time you've branded the back of a headstock you're pretty deep into the construction and it would be a shame to have to toss a nearly complete neck on account of a mis-brand.

I prefer to brand the part, QC it and only use it if it passes.

Yes, the brand itself will last virtually forever. Mine uses a standard soldering iron for heat that you can change out when it dies.

Just my .02¢

-C

_________________
Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Here's mine

I used to put it on the back of my headstock but now put it inside on my neck block.
The serial # is stamped under it.
It's about an inch tall and 1 1/2 inches wide.

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hi Ken,

I assume that the cat / dog, neighbours cat / dog / neighbours are all nervous now.....

Sebastiaan

Dang !!! I hadnt even thought about it, but that may be more fun than watching the grass grow



Todd,
I thought about that too and almost went that direction on a couple of occasions. Please dont take this as a personal dig, because it is not meant that way at all. I decided against the rubber stamp method for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was afraid that the ink would run into the grain of the wood due to capillary action, much as CA does in wood and would just make a mess. The most important reason I ditched that idea is that somehow it seemed that a branding iron with "burned in" permanancy seemed to me more professional looking than a rubber stamped message.



John, I didint see that in Miami or I would have drooled all over your guitars. (I was already lusting after the little grey shaded one anyway)
That brand is REALLY REALLY nice looking!! Well done my friend, well done indeed!!!

*******************************************


Charles and John, What do you use to brand the serial numbers? Is this an iron also and if so can you elaborate on how it is done? (changing the numbers, keeping them all aligned, ect.) I would appreciate the info.

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

I stamp my serial #'s rather than brand them. I got the stamp set from our really good hardware store, who sells them in sets or individually. I use a letter pre-fix to denote the model and then numbers based on year and completed sequence for that year. I don't get too fussy about alignment, but I suppose one could make a jig t hold the stamp straight and spaced.
-C

_________________
Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

you havent had any issues with the ink spreading out due to capillary action? Maybe that answers another one of my fears about inks...

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Yes, what Todd said. Sorry for the confusion- not an ink stamp, but the kind you hit with a hammer.
I'll try to get a pic up tomorrow or so. This thread has already got me thinking about a simple little jig/holder
to get the numbers straight and evenly spaced. Oy, another jig...
-C

_________________
Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

GOOD DEAL! I have a set of the numbers already, but nothing to hold them with or line them up. It never crossed my mind to use them for serial numbers. When you said stamps, I had envisioned rubber stamps with ink. It never crossed my mind that you were talking about imprint stamps.

I'm anxiously waiting to see what you come up with

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H