Members walfordr Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Does anyone know how a "photoflame" effect is actually done? Is it a paper sheet stuck on the wood? Is it some sort of photo sensitive paint which is then exposed and developed? If you have a batch of photoflamed guitars are they all absolutely identical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarxide Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 It's a photo glued to the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members walfordr Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by TheDarxide It's a photo glued to the wood. Colour or just grey scales? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I'm not sure. I'm tempted to suggest that a base material is laminated to the face of the guitar, and then the guitar is run thru a printer which inkjets the pattern on. Or sheets of pre printed material are laid over the guitar and vacuum adhered, trimmed and bound. It's probably not a "photo-emulsion" based process, but stranger things have been done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarxide Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by walfordr Colour or just grey scales? colour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members batotman Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 It is wood dyed to resemble flame (or whatever you could want). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulSter Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Fender Foto Flame Telecasters and Stratocasters Here's a cut and paste a la Google-- The Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mazi Bee Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Actually, according to my and others research, this is the way Fender does their fotoflames, which is different than others it's not actually a photo: They chemically etch a basswood cap to give it the look and texture of flamed maple, then they stain it and clearcoat it. The body is solid alder with an etched basswood cap on the top and bottom. One of my Fenders has tons of releicing, dents and scrapes, and it's definately all wood, no paper at all. However, some cheap guitars do glue paper on top of the wood, like those cheap Dean camo models. I saw one at Sam Ass that had the top peeling off like bad wallpaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members batotman Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Mazi Bee Actually, according to my and others research, this is the way Fender does their fotoflames, which is different than others it's not actually a photo:They chemically etch a basswood cap to give it the look and texture of flamed maple, then they stain it and clearcoat it. The body is solid alder with an etched basswood cap on the top and bottom.One of my Fenders has tons of releicing, dents and scrapes, and it's definately all wood, no paper at all.However, some cheap guitars do glue paper on top of the wood, like those cheap Dean camo models. I saw one at Sam Ass that had the top peeling off like bad wallpaper. Thats what I found although every time the question comes up I forget where I found it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Mazi Bee Actually, according to my and others research, this is the way Fender does their fotoflames, which is different than others it's not actually a photo: They chemically etch a basswood cap to give it the look and texture of flamed maple, then they stain it and clearcoat it. The body is solid alder with an etched basswood cap on the top and bottom. One of my Fenders has tons of releicing, dents and scrapes, and it's definately all wood, no paper at all. However, some cheap guitars do glue paper on top of the wood, like those cheap Dean camo models. I saw one at Sam Ass that had the top peeling off like bad wallpaper. +1000 I have one that looks just like the blue-burst above (except it's HSS & Floyd). It's the best sounding and lightest Strat I ever played. It's probably my favorite guitar. Mine has a few dents and dings too and it's definitely all wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Mazi Bee They chemically etch a basswood cap to give it the look and texture of flamed maple, then they stain it and clearcoat it. The body is solid alder with an etched basswood cap on the top and bottom. That would prb be better called "faux-to-flame" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by k4df4l That would prb be better called "faux-to-flame" HarHarHarHarHarHar!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulSter Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Mazi Bee Actually, according to my and others research, this is the way Fender does their fotoflames, which is different than others it's not actually a photo:They chemically etch a basswood cap to give it the look and texture of flamed maple, then they stain it and clearcoat it. The body is solid alder with an etched basswood cap on the top and bottom.One of my Fenders has tons of releicing, dents and scrapes, and it's definately all wood, no paper at all.However, some cheap guitars do glue paper on top of the wood, like those cheap Dean camo models. I saw one at Sam Ass that had the top peeling off like bad wallpaper. Hmmm... I wonder if they have used more than one technique. The folks on this site http://www.xhefriguitars.com/page7.html seem pretty up on this stuff. PaulS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norcal_GIT_r Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by PaulSter Hmmm... I wonder if they have used more than one technique. The folks on this site http://www.xhefriguitars.com/page7.html seem pretty up on this stuff. PaulS Thats the way I understood it was done. Here's my 95 foto flame deluxe custom tele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Norcal_GIT_r, that Tele is sizzlin'!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norcal_GIT_r Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by pete n. Norcal_GIT_r, that Tele is sizzlin'!!! Thanks Pete..Your strat looks sweet also!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulSter Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Norcal_GIT_r Thats the way I understood it was done. Here's my 95 foto flame deluxe custom tele. My Strat isn't in the same league as that Tele! Very nice indeed. Are those Bardens? Cool Rails? How is the guitar overall? Mine is put together really nicely. I took out the stock pickups and put all the electronics from my Amer Dex (VN pickups) in there. Those pickups are okay to me, but definitely way better sounding in the RI than in my ash Amer Dlx. Seems like they favor the basswood. Also, the 7.5" neck radius + period correct vintage frets is kind of a bummer for me, given my aggressive bending style. PaulS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norcal_GIT_r Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by PaulSter Very nice indeed.Are those Bardens? Cool Rails? How is the guitar overall? Thanks Paul, yes those are Bardens in my tele. The guitar is a tone monster and plays like butter. It's one of the nicest teles I've ever played. Construction is top notch on this guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Norcal_GIT_r Thats the way I understood it was done. Here's my 95 foto flame deluxe custom tele. That is one of the coolest Teles I've ever seen... so jealous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BowerR64 Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I had this one cheap headless guitar and the top looked like some steve vai jem or somthing. If you looked at it really close you could see the ink jet dots that make up the colors. It seriously looked like somthing you could print on a printer from walmart. This is the kind of guitar you only sell online with pictures. When some one sees it upclose they wont buy it. Only made to look good in a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Etching the flame pattern in sound impressive, though I'm sure it's much closer to simple running the veneer or base material through a printing press. They can apply other liquids, dyes solvents etc though a press, not just inks. Maybe they use lasers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anubae_obscura Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Norcal_GIT_r Thats the way I understood it was done. Here's my 95 foto flame deluxe custom tele. First time i ever saw an exact copy of my aunts tele...looks just liket hat..plays like buttah...i should have it...she NEVER plays...k.....crying/wining off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by k4df4l That would prb be better called "faux-to-flame" Touche'!!! Is it true that you can always tell a photo-flame frome the real deal because the photo doens't have that three dimensional illusion of movement ("shimmer") that real wood grain does? It would seem that it would be possible, using birefringent dyes, to even mimic shimmer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mazi Bee Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker Touche'!!! Is it true that you can always tell a photo-flame frome the real deal because the photo doens't have that three dimensional illusion of movement ("shimmer") that real wood grain does? It would seem that it would be possible, using birefringent dyes, to even mimic shimmer... These flames shimmer. They do have an authenitc quality to them in person: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WHY_U_TRY Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 beautiful Tele Bryan...the pictures you guys have shown would make me feel NOT ashamed at all to have a foflame...are foflame guitars much cheaper I'm assuming ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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