My Firebird, pimped-up by Hyd-Bro Graphics.

The lovely folks at Hyd-Bro Graphics, a small company that specialises in hydrographic dipping have had a go at the scratch plate on my Robert's Firebird, the result, as you can see, looks absolutely stunning. Thankfully, my playing style on electrics means that I'm easier on scratch-plates/pick-guards than many players so hopefully it will stay looking this good for a long while yet.

My Robert's Firebird with the souped-up scratch plate screwed back on.

Post-dipping in the Hyd-Bro Graphics workshop.

 Obsessive followers, I know you're out there ;) ..may have noticed that I like to do the odd visual modification to my second-hand guitars. For example both my Tokai Strat and Gibson Junior copy guitars are both probably from the early 80s and have a lovely warn-in look from years of previous road-wear. I think though, as they are fairly new to me,  I've had the urge to stamp my own mark on them to some extent, hence the Spiderman sticker (I'm a massive fan)  and a few other things on the strat and some tiny little stars and things I've stuck on the Gibson copy. sacrilege to many I'm sure.

I do really like the loved but worn-looking guitar. Old guitars often sound better and are worn in and play nicely. I also get the sense than an old guitar has more personality through a certain mysterious magic instilled in it from years of playing different venues through different musicians. I like the mystery. However, I cannot personally abide the modern trend for relicing brand new guitars, but that's another story!