Finish to keep autographs on from rubbing off my Seagull?

[Deadduck]

Yup, you read it right. My Contemporary Christian band had backstage passes to meet MercyMe, Jeremy Camp and two other bands at a recent concert. Nice guys, I enjoyed talking with them. While there, I got them to sign the back of my old Seagull S6 with a sharpie marker. I know, not for everyone, but I think it looks pretty cool. A couple of the guys were like "Hey man, I hate to sign that Seagull, its a nice guitar!" I told them they wouldn't touch my Taylor or Martin!
So what kind of finish could I use on the back of this guitar to keep the autographs from rubbing off. I was thinking of something in a spraycan so the brush wouldn't make them run. And I would prefer something with a matte finish. Any ideas?
Thanks!

[classicalman]

Any spray lacquer will work or a fixatif product.

[Serenity]

I don't know. I'm not sure what that would look like after you are done with it. to make it look right you'd have to spray the entire back and sides and if the laquer ever turned color or didn't bond right you have a real mess on your hands.

Do you still play the Seagull? If not so much, then I'd retire it and hang it up rather than try to preserve the autographs with some finish. That's the problem with getting a working guitar autographed.

Unless you are Willie Nelson and don't give a flip....which I think is pretty much the way to go if you are going to have a guitar autographed.

I'm not sure what kind of value you attach to the guitar or the autographs but in pretty much any form of collectable I've ever heard of you, under no circumstances, put a lacquer or anything on an autographed object or do anything irreversible....anymore than you'd put finish on a baseball or laminate a rookie card.

[SteveS]

I would look into Howard's Restor-A-Finish. My only concern is if the solvent in the product will remove the ink. Test it first. It is a very good product. I've used it on coffee tables and my 75 year old Steinway.


http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

[classicalman]

I used the Howard's product on a 100 year old arts and crafts clock that was painted black and it worked great BUT it loosens the original finish and as you rub it into the wood and creates a "new" finish by mixing it's solvents with the old finish. The end product is amazing but my guess is that it would remove your sharpie signatures.

Saranwrap will work too... just kidding...

[bnjp]

is it a satin finish? If not, why don't you use those clear static cling sheets and cut them to cover the autographs? Don't know if those stick well to satin though.

[Rockerbob]

Have people sign the Seagull, but play the Martin.

I had Tommy Emmanuel sign the face of my '58 00-18.

[Deadduck]

Thanks for the replies so far, you've given me some things to think about.
I still play the Seagull, mainly at youth camps and other events where I don't want to expose my more expensive guitars to the weather or unauthorized touching. The Seagull looks pretty rough on the front, some finish coming off, several dings, etc. That cedar is some soft wood. So it isn't a collectible and I'm not really worried about value, but I don't want to mess it up too badly either. I don't want to retire it because it serves it's purpose well. It is a satin finish.
Any other ideas? I'll have to think some more on this one.
Thanks everyone.

[gregmirken]

Do not use the Howard's product; it will make mud of your signatures, as Classicalman surmised. Seagulls are nitrocellulose finished. DEFT, a nitrocellulose lacquer, is available in satin in an aerosol can. This would be the product to use. If you're not an ace with a spraycan, practice on something first. You want to spray a wet coat, but not so wet as to cause the marker to bleed, or cause sags. Sign your name on something, and experiment to see how much finish you can load on before the marker bleeds.

Greg Mirken