Can You Put Stickers on a Guitar?

Can You Put Stickers on a Guitar?

Sooner or later, it is going to happen. You’ll lose interest in how your guitar looks.

It might have had an incredible sunburst tone to it, but now that finish seems dull and dated.

When you add stickers to the instrument, some players believe that it adds new life to the visual aesthetics.

You’ll also find people opposed to the idea of putting stickers on a guitar. Some unsavory words are found on musical forums in discussions about this topic.

The No. 1 rule of being a musician is to be yourself. If that means you want to put stickers on your instrument, go ahead and do it!

There just might be a few consequences to manage if you change your mind after.

Can you put stickers on a guitar?

Can You Put Stickers on a Guitar?

Although using guitar stickers can negligibly affect the sound, it is safe for musicians to put them on the instrument. Unless you plan to layer the entire guitar with stickers, it won’t change how you play. However, removing a guitar sticker is much more problematic.

The issue you’ll discover when putting stickers on a guitar is that the wear and tear on the instrument’s surface won’t be equal.

If you decide to take the sticker off a year later, you can find a permanent silhouette of the original color waiting for you there.

When you have a practice guitar at home that never goes out to live performances, it won’t matter if you have stickers or you don’t use this decorating method.

Some guitarists have one or more stickers on all of their instruments.

If that’s something you like, then be you. When it is something you’d rather avoid, let the instrument’s craftsmanship speak for itself instead.

When you’re unsure of what approach to use, some musicians decide to put stickers on their hardshell case instead of the instrument.

It’s a reasonable compromise when you don’t want to deal with the criticism that some people freely offer when they agree or disagree with your position in this matter.

Does Putting Stickers on a Guitar Affect the Sound?

Does Putting Stickers on a Guitar Affect the Sound?

If you place stickers on an acoustic guitar, you can change the sound profile significantly with enough of them. This effect isn’t as strong on electric and bass guitars.

According to Fender, the effect is negligible unless you’re layering “99.9% of the instrument” with stickers.

It doesn’t matter where you place the sticker. It can be on the sides, back, or the soundboard.

You’ll get the same resonant result almost anywhere!

The one place you wouldn’t want to place a sticker is on the fretboard. If you interfere with the strings or your chord fingering, you could alter your playing style and how the instrument sounds.

You might see some minor changes if you add stickers to the undersaddle pickups.

Even there, Fender says that you’d need to amplify the guitar about ten times higher than normal to detect the tone variation on an electric guitar.

Their opinion is that you’re more in the realm of not hearing instrumental changes when adding stickers more than seeing something undesirable from your string action.

Since it is easy to add stickers to a guitar and you won’t end up with a worse tone, is there a downside to putting them on your instrument?

electric guitar stickers

Should I Put Stickers on My Guitar?

If you plan to keep the stickers on your guitar forever, there’s nothing wrong with this decorative idea.

Since you can make your own vinyl products with tools like a Cricut, you can have a lot of fun expressing your personal style.

The problem that guitarists face when putting stickers on their instruments involves removing the decorative item.

That’s because anything you apply to the adhesive to remove it will damage your guitar’s finish.

Even if you use alcohol or water to remove the sticker residue, you will negatively impact your instrument.

That’s why it isn’t safe to put stickers on your guitar. You might even discover that the finish underneath the decorative item is already ruined before you get the chance to scrape the paper or vinyl away.

If the guitar’s finish is damaged or cracked already, the process becomes even more difficult. When you use the wrong solvent, the results could be disastrous.

That’s why you’ll want to follow these steps to remove unwanted stickers from your guitar.

  1. Take it to a local professional repair shop. The technicians at your store have experience removing the stickers without scratching or delaminating your instrument.
  2. If you don’t have a local repair shop, start the sticker removal process by carefully peeling up a corner with your fingernail.
  3. Using a slightly damp towel, apply the moisture to the adhesive while you slowly work the sticker away from the instrument’s body.
  4. Have patience with this process. It’s going to take a lot of time to have the adhesive disengage from the guitar.
  5. You’ll eventually get the entire sticker separate from the instrument.
  6. Check the area for any remaining adhesive. If you find leftovers remaining on the body, you can use a gentle circular scrubbing motion with the damp cloth.
  7. The adhesive will eventually clump together. You can physically remove it from the guitar’s surface at that stage.

Although the steps are time-intensive, you can at least be thankful that you’re dealing with a sticker instead of someone carving their initials into the guitar’s body.

That issue would require an entire refinish of the instrument.

■ Adhesive Removers to Use on Some Guitars

If the damp cloth methodology doesn’t help you get rid of an unwanted guitar sticker, you can use a handful of adhesive removers to get the job done.

Once you try an adhesive remover, you’re increasing the risk of damaging the instrument. You’re using the following products at your own risk.

Goo Gone Original Liquid
  • 8 Ounces
  • Sticker Lifter
  • Safely Removes All Sorts of Stickers, Labels, Decals, Residue, Tape, Chewing Gum, Grease, Tar, Crayon, and Glue
Get it on Amazon
Goo Gone Original Liquid• This product uses a petroleum and citrus mix that works well for most surfaces.
• You’ll need to be careful around any fabrics or rubber that could be associated with your guitar.
• It does an excellent job of removing the residue that other techniques can’t touch.
• You’ll want to apply with a Q-tip to get the best results.
3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover• When you have a heavy-duty sticker to remove from a guitar, this product can get the job done.
• It’s a solvent-based formula, which means you’ll need to work quickly to avoid damaging your instrument.
• You’d want to work in a well-ventilated space and apply the cleaner to your towel for light dabbing only.
Oil Eater Original Cleaner-Degreaser• Some stickers can leave behind oil stains.
If you’ve encountered that issue, you’ll want to consider this adhesive remover.
• It doesn’t contain a petroleum-based solvent or anything acidic, which eliminates many of the damage threats.
• You’ll need to dilute it with water for spot cleaning.
Custom Shop Series KW-901 Prep Cleaner• This product is another solvent-based cleaner that works well on painted surfaces, including plastic and fiberglass.
• It does an excellent job of removing grease, wax, and other unwanted materials from the instrument’s body.

If you don’t have access to these products, you can look at the various adhesive removers that come with unique application methods.

  • Sprays and liquids. You apply these cleaners to the sticker residue directly. If the product is stubborn or could ruin the guitar’s finish, you could saturate a rag for more control.
  • Wipe removers. This product is similar to baby wipes, except it is designed to remove the unwanted adhesive left behind from a removed sticker. You might need to rub at the affected section for several minutes to achieve a positive outcome.
  • Soy-based removers. This eco-friendly option is usually made with approximately 60% soybean oil. It handles most sticky substances without a high damage risk, but you’ll want to avoid items that contain xylene to get the best results.
  • Citrus-based removers. When you use a product like Goo Gone, you’re getting a cleaner made with about 80% fruit extracts. The remaining ingredients are cleaning chemicals that work well for light jobs.
  • Solvents. This option is the cleaner of last resort for sticker residue that won’t come off using other methods. It has the highest risk of damaging a guitar’s finish.

When you select a cleaner for your guitar, you’ll want to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully before beginning.

You’ll receive a list of substances it removes with the surfaces and materials it is safe to be on when working.

You might consider testing a small dab of the cleaner in a hidden spot on your guitar to see if it could damage the finish. If you don’t experience an adverse reaction, you should be safe to use the product.

If you see the finish react negatively to the cleaning product you selected, you’ll want to choose a different adhesive remover to finish your guitar.

Black Guitars Age Well with Stickers on Them

You’ll find tone and color changes happening underneath an acoustic guitar as it ages. The same problem occurs with most electric and bass instruments.

The one exception to that rule is a guitar with a black matte finish.

When you add stickers to that instrument, you won’t have a glossy finish to ruin. The coloration remains the same since the color is consistent.

The materials could be there for more than a decade without creating a significant visual change to the guitar.

Would You Put Stickers on Your Guitar?

Some people say that stickers on a guitar give the instrument some personality. Others note that the best way to express yourself is by showing off your playing style.

The truth about putting stickers on a guitar is that it is a subjective experience.

Although some people have strong opinions about this topic, the truth is that nobody can judge what another player wants to do with their instrument. It’s an entirely subjective subject matter.

For many people, the decision to put stickers on a guitar often involves the price paid for the instrument.

If you’re in your teens and have an entry-level $200 guitar, most people would shrug at the idea of decorating it that way.

It would be almost expected in some circles.

When you reach your mid-30s and play a $2,000 guitar, would you put stickers on that instrument?

For me, I wouldn’t use stickers at all. I’d want the resale value of my guitar to stay as high as possible in case something happened and I needed the money.

What about you? Would you put stickers on your guitar?

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