What’s the Best Ink for Signing a Guitar?

For a white or cream plastic pickguard, use a black fine-point permanent marker. For a black pickguard, choose a fine-tip silver paint pen labeled for plastic. Both give the autograph enough contrast to read from across the room. If you want the musician to sign the guitar body, check with the guitar maker first to see what’s suitable for its finish.

Where Should You Have a Guitar Signed?

If you plan to display the guitar, hold it upright and choose a spot where the entire signature will be visible. On an electric guitar, look for an open section of the pickguard clear of the strings, pickups, and knobs. On an acoustic guitar with a smaller pickguard, check that the musician has enough room to sign comfortably.

Test the Pen Before the Signing

Try the pen on a spare pickguard or a scrap of similar plastic. Write a few loops about the size of a signature, let them dry according to the pen’s directions, and check that the lines are easy to read. If your paint pen needs priming, do that on scrap before handing it to the musician.

How to Display a Signed Guitar

Give the autograph time to dry before placing the guitar in a gig bag or letting the case lining touch the ink. Avoid spraying clear lacquer over the signature, since it can cause the ink to run.

When you’re ready to display the guitar, measure its full length, widest point, and body depth. Depth is especially important for an acoustic guitar. Compare those measurements with the cabinet’s interior dimensions in our Guitar Display Cases collection to find a fit that gives you a clear view of the autograph.