CUSTOM
SCRATCHPLATES
& PICKGUARDS
crafted with passion in the UK
TO YOUR DESIGN
or from our ever-expanding
library of innovative designs
FROM ONLY £26.99 DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
CUSTOM
SCRATCHPLATES
& PICKGUARDS
crafted with passion in the UK
TO YOUR DESIGN
or from our ever-expanding
library of innovative designs
FROM ONLY £26.99 DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
CUSTOM
SCRATCHPLATES
& PICKGUARDS
crafted with passion in the UK
TO YOUR DESIGN
or from our ever-expanding
library of innovative designs
FROM ONLY £26.99 DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
CUSTOM
SCRATCHPLATES
& PICKGUARDS
crafted with passion in the UK
TO YOUR DESIGN
or from our ever-expanding
library of innovative designs
FROM ONLY £26.99 DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
CUSTOM
SCRATCHPLATES
& PICKGUARDS
crafted with passion in the UK
TO YOUR DESIGN
or from our ever-expanding
library of innovative designs
FROM ONLY £20.99 DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
>>> WELL THIS IS FRUSTRATING <<<
We’re currently away from the studio on an extended Autumn break & living it up with family & friends whilst we can . . . All enquiries will be answered as quickly as humanely possible whilst away as we have some email access & plate orders will start the moment we’re back in the saddle on Monday 1st November
The SCRATCH-IT! NOW online plate designer is still working, so by all means fill your boots & have a play whilst we’re away . . .
Our scratchplates are produced in full colour and heat bonded onto the back of acrylic giving a permanent bond which is not only durable but sweat and beer resistant too – even at Glastonbury . . .
We have extensively tested numerous methods of producing our plates and, of course, have chosen the highest quality process available – printing onto exterior grade vinyl and heat bonding onto the rear of 2mm shatterproof acrylic, which has excellent flexibility when mounting along with great scratch-resistant properties.
Our templates have been tested on real guitars to ensure they fit and are laser-cut to ensure consistency and the finest possible edge finish, so they have straight edges rather than being bevelled, but that's not a problem because the vast majority of our plates have images on so the bevel simply isn't required. All body screw mount holes are countersunk and aluminium shielding foil is applied to the rear where required.
All our plates are produced to your exact requirements and are custom made for you - we always proof via hi-res PDF files and we expect to have your new plate winging its way to you around one week after receiving your sign-off and although we always endeavour to complete your order at pace please allow up to 14 days during busy periods, but we'll always message you to let you know of progress.
Our online SCRATCH-IT! NOW designer is a straightforward no-nonsense way of generating your scratchplate exactly how you want it to be. In order to produce the best possible quality plate it’s absolutely vital you supply us with a high resolution JPEG image - some of the bigger plates are nearly 400 x 300mm and to ensure the highest quality reproduction please ensure your original image is 300dpi at actual size and saved as a RGB JPEG - which means your JPEG could be around 8Mb or more. Of course smaller images will still work - think of it as enlarging a photograph to hang on your wall: the bigger the original file the better the end result. Due to the size of image involved plus the accuracy required, we strongly recommend you use a laptop or desktop PC or Mac to aid positioning rather than your mobile or cellphone - as size really does matter in this case. Ahem. The maximum image size uploadable is 12Mb with a maximum dimension of 4500px.
Right, how does it work? Well, simply go to the SCRATCH-IT! NOW page, select your preferred weapon of choice and various colour options and upload your JPEG image by clicking on the ADD YOUR OWN DESIGN button, where in a jiffy you’ll see your image positioned in place - oooh it’s Am Aze Ing! You can move your image around by clicking anywhere on it, plus scale it by dragging on the bottom righthand corner and also rotate it by dragging the top dead centre arrow icon, & to keep speeds up your image will be a lo-res preview. Once you’re happy with your plate, simply click on ADD TO CART to confirm your design and follow the subsequent onscreen prompts for your details and all’s done.
If any of this is Double-Dutch to you, please get in touch as the last thing any of us want is for you to be unhappy with a plate that’s not up to your expectations or is causing you techno-stress. Sorry, that was more Double-Dutch wasn’t it - let’s just say that if you’re in any way unsure please either phone a friend or get in touch with us, as we’ll happily do the donkey work for you by formatting & placing your image for an extra £15.00 - plus we’ll give you a proof too, so you can ensure you’re totally happy before we commence production. Additionally, we also offer a full design service - again, just drop us a line or give us a call so we can get a handle on what you’re looking for.
Finally, please don’t forget that we also have an extensive library of innovative images to choose from which are also fully scaleable plus a gallery of INSPIRATION to get your juices flowing . . .
We ship all over the world from SCRATCH-IT! Towers, & offer the following tried-and-tested options:
UK DELIVERIES
STANDARD - FREE
Royal Mail First Class Signed Delivery
Signature required upon delivery
95% of the time landing the day after posting, although occasionally takes a little longer depending upon how busy the Post Office peeps are
NEXT DAY DELIVERY - £9.99
Royal Mail Tracked 24 Delivery with Signature
Fully tracked online with signature required upon delivery
Does what it says on the tin - delivery due the day after posting
EUROPEAN DELIVERIES
STANDARD £12.99
Royal Mail Tracked & Signed International
Fully tracked online with signature required upon delivery
Usually arriving anywhere in Europe within 3-5 days, but occasionally taking up to 14 days
PLEASE NOTE WE CANNOT CLAIM LOSS FOR 30 DAYS
BESTEST £20.99
UPS Standard Europe
Fully tracked online with signature required upon delivery
European wide delivery guaranteed within 7 days
WORLDWIDE DELIVERIES
STANDARD £14.99
Royal Mail International Tracked & Signed
Fully tracked online with signature required upon delivery
Usually arriving anywhere in the world within 5-10 days, but occasionally taking up to 14 days
PLEASE NOTE WE CANNOT CLAIM LOSS FOR 30 DAYS
BESTEST £25.99
FedEx Priority International
Fully tracked online with signature required upon delivery
Worldwide delivery within 3 days
All plates are sent fully insured and tracked & require a signature upon delivery for your peace of mind, and of course we'll advise you the tracking number immediately when your new plate has left the building.
Naturally we offer the best possible shipping options available on the planet, but COVID-19 is still occasionally causing some disruption, so please bear with everyone & chill - as nothing is cast in stone at the moment but we're all working as hard & efficiently as we can.
Did we mention? International shipping is available from directly within the shopping cart & you can choose the speed vs. cost of service you really need
Oh easy peasy! Simply click on the SCRATCH-IT! NOW link the top of the page & you'll launch our online designer - there you can choose your exact guitar or bass & either upload your own image or choose from our library of designs along with selecting the relevant colours & configuration of your weapon of choice & Bob's your Mother's Brother - hey presto, you can order your plate to your design right there, pay via PayPal, credit or debit card & we'll do all the rest, including Emailing you a PDF template & visual using your chosen design by return to ensure all's exactly as you're expecting it to be.
Worry not - we can cut a plate to any shape & we’re more than happy to generate a template to fit your any standard guitar or bass FREE! Yes, that’s right, completely gratis! Why would we do such a crazy thing I here you ask - well, it’s simple, we’d really like to increase our library of plate templates & the best way for us to do this is to use the real McCoy! Oh, hold on a minute though, let's make this crystal clear though shall we - we mean a TEMPLATE free - not the actual plate - we'll create the correct shape for a standard factory model which means you don't need to worry if yours isn't listed on the website, because we'll make it happen!
By far the most reliable way of ensuring we can exactly match your plate is for you to take it off your guitar and scan it as a hi-res 300dpi colour or greyscale photograph. Simply scan it with the BACK of the plate touching the scanner glass (don't worry, we'll digitally flip it so you don't end up with a lefty if the original is a righty!) & with a contrasting coloured background (which means pop a piece of coloured paper between plate & scanner lid so we can clearly see all the edges in the end result) & save it as a JPEG & Email it to us at hello@gig.ink - if you don't have access to a scanner then a couple of quid well spent is to visit a local copy shop or printer & ask them to do it.
Failing that, simply pop your original in the post to us, which naturally we'll return with your new plate.
So ultimately if your guitar or bass isn't listed just drop us a line or give us a call to let us know what you're after - as we may already have a template on file - but if not we'll confirm & ask you to either scan & Email your plate or pop the original in the post to us, & we'll do all the nitty gritty via Email rather than the website.
Confused? Don’t be - just give us a bell or drop us a line if you need further help.
Again, absolutely no problem for us - simply select the CUSTOM configuration option in any of the plates in the SCRATCH-IT! NOW online designer - noting there’s a £10.00 charge for any bespoke cutting - & let us know EXACTLY what you’re looking for in the NOTES field of the shopping cart - which is underneath the DELIVERY ADDRESS field in case you miss it.
We'd be delighted to! If you'd prefer not to use our online tool or if you'd like us to design a plate for you, just give us a tinkle on 01234 604616 or drop us a line via our GET IN TOUCH section - simply complete your details & press ‘SEND’ - Hey Presto, tis done.
We’ll give you a call or drop you a line in return to quickly establish exactly what you’re looking for & the best way to achieve this, as no two plates are the same. Pricing is competitive, starting at £25.00 & you'll be dealing with a bonafide time-served graphic designer who has a passion for music & providing the best, along with playing a bit too. Yep, that's right, it's me!
Now, you’d think a guitar scratchplate is simply a guitar scratchplate wouldn’t you? Oh no - good ole manufacturers like to twist our melons man & tweak the shape of plates by teeny tiny amounts so we ALWAYS Email a PDF template upon receipt of orders which MUST be checked against your weapon of choice. Why? Well, plates that don't fit for whatever reason are as useful as a chocolate teapot &, let's face it, we both want your new plate to be perfect.
Clearly this is a potential problem if you’re buying a plate as a surprise gift - so can we cordially lovingly politely absolutely definitely maybe insist that if you’re not 100% sure of exactly which make, model & inside leg measurement of axe you’re buying for, then simply be prepared to present your loved one with a lovely colour printed visual of their plate, so they can triple-check all the finer nerdy points about plate fit themselves - something along these lines:
Hey look, here at GIG.INK we do know that despite being a bizarre concept there are some peeps who can’t tell the difference between a Strat & an SG, a Jazz & a Jazzmaster or Gear4Music from Geddy Lee - let alone whether it’s made in America, Japan or Timbuktu - & despite having a library of over x600 templates there is a remote chance that we may not have yours on file already which means we’ll need a scan of the original plate or simply pop it in the post & we'll match it, as plate fitting is comparable to choosing a lovely piece of clothing for your lovely loved one - you may (or may not!) know the size, but sizes vary & there's only one surefire way of ensuring a perfect fit - which is to test for fit.
Mind you, even easier than that, we offer vouchers to let your loved one design their new plate just the way they love it in their own time – you’ll find them here - but just drop us a line if you’d like advice as we’re here to help.
Please do note that as a one-man band GIG.INK commits to producing your plate once your order is received & your bespoke visual & template has been sent, so we're unable to offer refunds after this point due to the nature, time taken & production methods of creating our bespoke plates; however you're more than welcome to change the image used during the proofing process to ensure the recipient is a happy bunny & ends up with the exact plate they want, they really really want.
Hey, that's no problem! In our experience so far all lefty plates are simply flipped righties! You can either horizontally flip your image before uploading it AND when placing an order add in a message in the 'Notes' field that the plate is to be a lefty - or simply use the contact form in our GET IN TOUCH section and we can do all via Email if you prefer - but either way we'll always send you a PDF template & visual of your plate to ensure you're fully happy before we commence our stuff.
Our focus is on generating bespoke printed plates so we don't work with traditional multi-ply plastics or celluloid as they're widely available from numerous sources. Our plates are standard 2mm thickness & are effectively single-ply, & as they're laser cut they have straight edges - although don't let that put you off for a moment as a bevel on a printed plate can be visually distracting - just take a look at some plates in-situ in the YOUR PLATES section of our INSPIRATION image gallery by clicking on the Bat Strat shot to see what we've created & how they stand out from the crowd. You'll find plenty more image on social media too - try FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM for starters . . .
Once we've received your order & have generated & sent your visual & template we're unable to offer refunds due to the nature & production methods of our bespoke plates. Naturally your statutory rights aren’t affected in any way with regards to damaged or faulty goods & we're always at the end of the phone or keyboard to chat about our work - as artisans we care about every single order we receive & plate we produce.
We’d love to hear from you about what you think of our plates & if you have any ideas for new styles - in fact we’re very chatty & it doesn’t take much to get us banging on about guitars, basses & design . . .
Can’t find your make & model of guitar? Need help using your own design? Fancy a chat? Whatever the reason, you can get in touch with us here - either fill in the contact form below - along with letting us know where in the world you are if you're not based in the UK; OR drop us an Email to hello@gig.ink OR give us a call on 01234 604616 - our telephone is manned by a real life English human who actually knows our products & is passionate about providing exceptional customer service along with playing a bit of bass too - yep, you got it - GIG.INK is a one-man band :-)
Don't forget though, the answers to most technical questions can be found higher up this page, but to make life easy please remember that:
- WE DO cut & produce plates to ANY shape & configuration - just let us know what you need
- WE DO ship our plates all over the world - you can specify international shipping within the shopping cart
- WE DO print in 6-colour inks on external grade vinyl & bond onto 2mm thick clear shatterproof acrylic
- WE DON'T offer bevelled plates as our plates are laser cut so feature straight edges
- WE DON'T produce multi-ply plates - our plates are effectively single-ply & feature hi-res printed images bonded to the rear of clear acrylic
- WE DON'T offer real light-reflecting pearloid plates - although our pearl images are amazing our plates feature hi-res printed images bonded to the rear of clear acrylic
- WE DON'T offer real celluloid tort plates - although our tort images are amazing our plates feature hi-res printed images bonded to the rear of clear acrylic
- WE DON'T offer metal plates - although our metal images are amazing our plates feature hi-res printed images bonded to the rear of clear acrylic
Did we mention that our plates feature hi-res printed images bonded to the rear of clear acrylic, so we don't offer multi-ply, pearloid or bevelled plates? Smashing. May we cordially suggest that if you're looking for a direct like-for-like replacement for your original factory-fit plate we highly recommend Steve @ Tiny Tone in Manchester or Sims Custom Shop in Kent - just tell em we sent you :-)
Now, how can we help you . . ?
