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FAQS

For some of you who are new to skins and skinning a guitar, below are a series of questions we regularly receive covering this topic. Of course, if you have questions and you’re not seeing them on this page, by all means, send us an email and ASK AWAY!

Q: Will the skin ruin my existing finish?

A: The answer is NO – it will NOT. Epiphone guitars are finished in a catalyzed polyurethane and their finish is practically indestructible. The skins have a low-tack adhesive on the backside to adhere to the surface of the guitar, so if you decide to remove the skin at any point, and there’s any residue left on the guitar, that can easily be removed with mineral spirits. You could even use lacquer thinner, too – that will also not harm the existing finish.

Q: I'd love to buy a skin but I'm afraid I won't be able to apply it. What ARE MY OPTIONS?

A: You have THREE options:

1. If you don’t feel confident enough that you can do this yourself, seek out a friend who is a handyman or woman and have them help you. We supply you with a HOW TO e-guide that walks you through all of the steps, so allow your helper to use the guide to assist the two of you.

2. Bring it to a local guitar repair guy and have him or her apply it. You can give them the e-guide to follow, so they should be able to handle this task – for a fee, of course.

3. We have a great applicator guy that we use to apply skins for customers who cannot do it themselves. The only drawback is, you have to pay for the install by him, and you have to pay for the shipping of your guitar body both ways. This is the most expensive option, so we urge you to consider one of the first two, and only use this option if necessary.

Q: Is there any special prepping i need to do to apply this to my guitar?

A: With the 1-piece pre-cut and the uncut skins, these are designed to be permanent solutions, and as such, you can clearcoat over top of them, if you choose. In terms of prepping, if your plan is to clearcoat over top and you’ve applied a skin, then before applying, you’ll need to dull the entire finish on your existing guitar. If you don’t do this, the new clear will not bind to the existing finish as it’s too perfect. There needs to be some grit in the surface in order for the new clear to bind.

If you just want to apply the skin and get rockin’, then you can do that too, and no special prepping will be needed. Although I called the 1-piece pre-cut and the uncut skins permanent solutions, they CAN be removed if clear hasn’t been applied at any time.

The 2-piece pre-cut skin is meant to be a semi-permanent solution meant to allow someone a way to rapidly change the look of their guitar without having to remove the parts. These skins are ideal for someone who likes variety and who may also play in a band and may want a few different looks for the same guitar – i.e, ROCK Set – Flames, Snakeskin, or TIGER Stripes – COUNTRY Set – Paisley, Americana, etc.

Q: Are there any tools I'll need to help me apply the skin?

A: We include a sheet of tracing paper if you purchase an uncut skin. Watch our videos to see how we use the tracing paper to help to perfect place the skin. Other than the tracing paper, you’ll need scissors, an X-Acto knife, and some masking tape.

We sell something called Knifeless tape which will cut your skin perfectly. If you have a Les Paul custom and want to preserve the binding, we recommend buying the knifeless tape to help you with this. Again – watch our videos to see how we use knifeless tape.

Of course, you do NOT have to purchase it – we show a couple of other methods that can be used as well.

Q: What if I get an air bubble while applying it?

A: We use the best vinyl available today for our skins, and the vinyl is very forgiving. If, when applying, you get an air bubble, simply lift the vinyl back off, then reposition and work that area with your thumb to work out the air bubble. 

The vinyl has tiny little air pockets on the adhesive side and this allows air to escape which in turn, prevents air bubbles.

When applying, we recommend that you go slow – pressing down the skin with your free hand as you apply. If you haven’t done so yet, please watch our videos to see how we do it. There’s no real trick – just slow and precise.

Q: I Have a specific design I want but I don't see it here. Do you do custom designs?

A: The answer is YES, we do custom designs all the time. On this site, we’ve only published the most popular series that we have available from our main site, INZANE SKINS. Over there, we have 3X as many series but it’s somewhat overwhelming. We kept it to a minimum here but if you have a design you’ve seen over on the INZANE SKINS site, or even a design of your own, contact us and we’ll do what you want!

Q: What do the skins cost?

A: Uncut skins are $64.95 plus S/H; and both the 1-Piece Pre-Cut skin and the 2-Piece Pre-Cut skin are $74.95 plus S/H 

Q: What is the cost for a custom skin?

A: There’s no way to give an answer to that because we simply don’t know what you want. We base all custom work on an estimate of time we think is required to do the work. We are very fair in our pricing, and there’s nothing we cannot do. Send us an email and let’s discuss what you have in mind – that doesn’t cost ANYTHING!

Q: Are the 2-Piece Pre-Cut skins reusable?

A: The answer is – YES, with some stipulations.

The one thing you have to keep in mind when applying and removing the 2-Piece Pre-Cut skins is to be careful not to stretch them. If you apply and remove them several times (maybe you’re switching between a couple of designs), and stretch them a little each time, soon enough, they won’t fit around certain areas like they once did. So, just take extra care when removing, and just go SLOW.

The other thing to keep in mind is to avoid touching the backside’s adhesive with your fingers – especially right on the edges of the skin. The constant exposure from the oils in your skin’s fingertips will eventually start to weaken the adhesive. Eventually, it may not stick down as well as it once did. 

Just keep those two things in mind when using the 2-Piece Pre-cut skins and you should be able to use them over and over several times.

Q: I purchased a new Epiphone about a year ago and it was made in China. Will you be offering a pre-cut skin for the Chinese Epiphone?

A: The answer is – YES.

Creating a perfect pre-cut skin takes numerous hours of precise measuring so I just have to put aside a day to do it. Look for it in late October. 

Q: I'm in the U.K. DO YOU SHIP OVERSEAS?

A: The answer is – YES, we ship around the world.

We ship through the United States Postal Service and you have two options when ordering: 

1. Regular First Class Mail

2. International Priority Mail

The cost associated with International Priority Mail is high – but this covers tracking and insurance in case your skin were to go missing (which has only happened twice in 12 years).

If you choose First Class Mail for shipping, keep in mind that we can show proof of your shipment going out, but once your package leaves the U.S., we can no longer track it, therefore, if it goes missing, we are not responsible for its loss. 

Although Priority Mail in costly, it’s also worth it and guarantees that you will receive your order. We would ship another one to you if it were to go missing because you paid for its coverage – we would recoup the loss from the Post Office.

Q: DO YOU OFFER A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE?

A: We guarantee that your skin will be shipped to you free of any defects.

If you’re not happy with your purchase, you may return it for a full refund (minus shipping) provided you have not removed it and placed it on your guitar.

The 1-Piece and 2-Piece Pre-Cut skins are designed specifically for Korean Epiphone® Les Pauls®, so please be aware of that. If you do not own that specific model, then you are buying a Pre-Cut skin at your own risk.

If you own a different model, then we recommend that you purchase the uncut skin, then just use our easy-to-follow instructions to apply it. It’s not as difficult as it may seem.

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