will Oly/Arctic "white" still AGE under POLY?

ruger9 · January 15th, 2010, 06:24 PM

I've always heard nothing changes once it's under poly... will the Olympic & Arctic white still yellow over time, even tho they are under poly?

mutato · January 15th, 2010, 06:28 PM

I believe it's the poly that ages, thus giving you that yellowed look. Paint might a little as well.

My first guitar, which my friend now owns, was a 1986 MIJ Contemporary Strat (shown). Obviously poly coated Oly white. Faded to a nice color.

My '75 Oly White Strat also is faded to a nice yellowed color. Poly coated as well.

sonny wolf · January 15th, 2010, 06:38 PM

Poly will age but at a slower rate than nitro.If you expose it to a lot on sunlight and/or cigarete smoke it will age.

thaus · January 15th, 2010, 07:32 PM

I have a really old squier body that is the vanilla-pudding colour but was white. Poly does age but slower.........

thaus · January 15th, 2010, 07:35 PM

Here's a pic I came across at another site of a mid 70's Mustang.......look at the finish checking! And that's supposed to be poly........

nadzab · January 15th, 2010, 09:59 PM

Yes, it will.

ruger9 · January 16th, 2010, 08:46 AM

SO exposure to direct sunlight WILL speed that process?

(I know, people are going to think I'm crazy, but I just LOVE that Vintage White, and don't want to repaint if I don't have to... I'm willing to wait for the natural fade, but I don't want to wait 20 years...)

K-Line · January 16th, 2010, 06:59 PM

If it is modern poly, that use UV protectants in it. You could possibly be 6 ft under before you get any real noticeable yellowing. The oly polys did not have this newer paint technology.

CeltRocka · January 17th, 2010, 10:33 AM

look at the difference between the front and back of my 87 Korean squier.taken in the same light.Guitar is always stored on its back so front is exposedto light more

SunburstYummy · January 17th, 2010, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeltRocka

look at the difference between the front and back of my 87 Korean squier.taken in the same light.Guitar is always stored on its back so front is exposedto light more

Did you relic that Strat yourself or has it just aged like that? Is it a Poly finish?

Thanks.

CeltRocka · January 17th, 2010, 02:06 PM

Relic'd it meself and yes it is a poly finish

Basher · January 20th, 2010, 04:59 AM

Here's my modified '88 Strat Plus which shows that the pre-yellowed "vintage white" finish gets yellower with age. Presumably this makes it "even vintager white"...

With jackplate removed to show the original finish:

Truth be told, I'm not mad keen on the yellowing. I like the effect in moderation (like CeltRocka's Squier) but I wish mine was a bit less yellow! I've experimented with rubbing the body lightly with 0000 steel wool and this seems to lighten it up a bit (presumably I'm removing the yellowed surface of the top coat?). I'm probably going to disassemble the guitar and do it a bit more thoroughly as I quite like the effect. I'm not going to start throwing screwdrivers at it or anything - just a light relic feel and a lighter shade (of pale

).

mutato · January 20th, 2010, 08:29 AM

Although my MIJ Strat did play hard for two years in smoky clubs, it was always stored in it's case for the majority of it's 24 years. Never on a stand in a sunlit room. So if you keep your guitar for over twenty years in it's case, you'll expect some mild yellowing of the poly.

If you are keen on getting more yellowing, I'd say use our good old sun and have it in a room on a stand. But make sure it's not heating up! Then you might get too much expansion/contraction resulting in finish checking.

Robert1950 · January 20th, 2010, 10:29 AM

I have Jimmie Vaughan Strat in Oly white that is around three years old. It is kept at home, no smoke, no sunlight. i"m retiring in five years, so, I can expect to be well aged long before this one, right?

Outlier73 · January 20th, 2010, 12:59 PM

First I want to clarify that the paint is not under poly. The paint IS poly. (as is the clear coat. - Polyurethane) Nitro paint (Nitocellulose Lacquer) is a quick drying Lacquer that was used in the auto industry for years before the development of more durable Poly based paint. Nitro paint and nitro clear coats well yellow more than Poly over time and they "relic" faster.

I wouldn't bet on the bannana pudding color any time soon, but if you take off the pickguard in a few years, I bet you will see a color change still.

Basher · January 20th, 2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outlier73

I wouldn't bet on the bannana pudding color any time soon, but if you take off the pickguard in a few years, I bet you will see a color change still.

I suppose that's why I've been surprised at just how much more yellow my Strat Plus has gone. That's 100% poly (as far as I know), it's not had much exposure to sun (I live in the UK

) or smoky bars as I've never gigged with it. In fact it's spent most of it's life in the case!

I'm beginning to wonder if there was something in the already yellowed "vintage white" finish that was supposed to speed up the ageing process in some way?

Outlier73 · January 20th, 2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basher

I suppose that's why I've been surprised at just how much more yellow my Strat Plus has gone. That's 100% poly (as far as I know), it's not had much exposure to sun (I live in the UK

) or smoky bars as I've never gigged with it. In fact it's spent most of it's life in the case!

I'm beginning to wonder if there was something in the already yellowed "vintage white" finish that was supposed to speed up the ageing process in some way?

very interesting. Could it be nitro paint? very interesting indeed. How old is it again?

I have an 82 smith start that I reuined several years back by stripping the paint off and staining.... To make a long story short, I'm actully having it re-finihsed now (the right way) in vintage white nitro paint. It's aready quite yellow and I wonder what affect age will have on it. Can it get more yellow? maybe just darker? Yours seems to be getting darker for sure.

Basher · January 20th, 2010, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outlier73

very interesting. Could it be nitro paint? very interesting indeed. How old is it again?

It's a 1988.
I believe that all strat plus models were poly paint.
I've no photos from the first 10 years or so I had it but I knew it kept on getting yellower, year-by-year. One day I changed the pickups out and was shocked by how pale it was under the scratchplate. Very odd as it seems to go against all the rules about poly not ageing (or ageing very little). I've seen a few guitars from this era that seem to have the same thing happening so maybe it was something in the paint during the 80s/90s?

It's difficult to compare with more recent guitars as Fender don't seem to offer this finish any more on production instruments so there are not many 5-10 year old vintage white strats about.

ruger9 · January 21st, 2010, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outlier73

I wouldn't bet on the bannana pudding color any time soon, but if you take off the pickguard in a few years, I bet you will see a color change still.

If that's the case, after I get done upgrading all the parts (it's a used MIM I bought as a project guitar) and get her the way I want her, I'll shoot vintage white myself.

ToneRanger · January 21st, 2010, 06:28 AM

My white mid 80’s Squier – obviously poly – had yellowed slightly but not dramatically, especially compared to how the p’up covers and knobs had. It had been apparently been played in bars in such and had some of that nicotine staining, but not the body as much. To get that “banana pudding” color I actually sprayed a coat of “vintage tint” nitro from Guitar Re-Ranch – the stuff you would normally use for the neck – and it NAILED it. If you already have an Oly white and trust yourself with a paint can it might be a lot easier than actually trying to use another coat of paint, and mine is already showing some natural “nitro” ageing…

(BTW - Basher, that '88 looks FANTASTIC to me! Looks just like the 60's strat that Jeff Beck used to record "Guitar Shop" in the late '80's - and I had never seen that color anywhere else - almost a mustard yellow...)

Outlier73 · January 21st, 2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruger9

If that's the case, after I get done upgrading all the parts (it's a used MIM I bought as a project guitar) and get her the way I want her, I'll shoot vintage white myself.

If you are going to spay, do what ToneRanger is suggesting. Pick up some tinted clearcoat from Guitar Re-ranch. they have some good instructions there on how to do it. You'll probably need to wet sand your current clear coat to prep it. You might even consider masking the pickguard and jack plate and bridge and spraying the tinted clear coat w/ them in place to simulate the faster aging where exposed.

Basher · February 3rd, 2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToneRanger

(BTW - Basher, that '88 looks FANTASTIC to me! Looks just like the 60's strat that Jeff Beck used to record "Guitar Shop" in the late '80's - and I had never seen that color anywhere else - almost a mustard yellow...)

Sorry ToneRanger - I've only just seen this

Thanks for the kind words. I seem to recall seeing JB with a mustard/yellow "vintage" looking strat somewhere but I can't find it on google. I think they did a graffiti yellow one for him once but that's much brighter.

Anyway that's a nice tip with the tinted nitro over poly suggestion. I didn't think you could do that! If I were any good with spray (which I'm not) I'd buy a 50s classic vibe Squier in the (very) white finish and have a go at yellowing it a bit.

Outlier73 · February 3rd, 2010, 12:33 PM

definitly do some research though before spraying to make sure that Nitro clear will stick over poly. I can't say if it will or wont. I just don't know.

sarNz · February 3rd, 2010, 12:57 PM

my 1998 am std has a clear difference between whats under the pickguard and not. The color is ocean turquoise so it looks a little greener than under the guard.

ToneRanger · February 3rd, 2010, 01:40 PM

Like I said - it worked on mine...

NorthShore · February 3rd, 2010, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToneRanger

Like I said - it worked on mine...

That looks fabulous. Nice job.

DKoor · February 3rd, 2010, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert1950

I have Jimmie Vaughan Strat in Oly white that is around three years old. It is kept at home, no smoke, no sunlight. i"m retiring in five years, so, I can expect to be well aged long before this one, right?

As it is now, I'm planning this very Strat in my collection

.

Basher · February 4th, 2010, 07:27 AM

Tone Ranger - that Squier looks fantastic. I love that color and thats the exact shade I wish the classic vibe white strat came in.
I particularly like the way that the forearm contour has whitened, presumably where the topcoat has worn through a bit.
Great job!

ToneRanger · February 4th, 2010, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basher

Tone Ranger - that Squier looks fantastic. I love that color and thats the exact shade I wish the classic vibe white strat came in.
I particularly like the way that the forearm contour has whitened, presumably where the topcoat has worn through a bit.
Great job!

Yeah, being nitro it's definitely showing wear quicker than the poly did - it's actually yellowed further from when first applied and darkened slight under where my wrist sits next to the bridge as well as wearing off under my forearm. Also, in person it's actually just a titch darker - about the color of butter...

sevycat · February 4th, 2010, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaus

Here's a pic I came across at another site of a mid 70's Mustang.......look at the finish checking! And that's supposed to be poly........

Nice, I like that. Now, that's the relicing I like to see.

fenderkev · February 4th, 2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basher

Here's my modified '88 Strat Plus which shows that the pre-yellowed "vintage white" finish gets yellower with age. Presumably this makes it "even vintager white"...

With jackplate removed to show the original finish:

Truth be told, I'm not mad keen on the yellowing. I like the effect in moderation (like CeltRocka's Squier) but I wish mine was a bit less yellow! I've experimented with rubbing the body lightly with 0000 steel wool and this seems to lighten it up a bit (presumably I'm removing the yellowed surface of the top coat?). I'm probably going to disassemble the guitar and do it a bit more thoroughly as I quite like the effect. I'm not going to start throwing screwdrivers at it or anything - just a light relic feel and a lighter shade (of pale

).

Glad to see you've still got the Plus Basher. Have to say apart from the colour ageing, its in fantastic condition. Looks like you stuck with the Holy Grails too. Great pups!

Dice · February 4th, 2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevycat

Nice, I like that. Now, that's the relicing I like to see.

The anti-relic guy!

My '65 Mustang is looking very similar. Gotta love an old Nitro finish...

Of course, the "next best" thing is an artificially aged Nitro finish.

Basher · February 8th, 2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderkev

Glad to see you've still got the Plus Basher. Have to say apart from the colour ageing, its in fantastic condition. Looks like you stuck with the Holy Grails too. Great pups!

Cheers Kev.

Yes, the "Strat Minus" has led a pretty sheltered life really.
It's currently "back in favour" and getting a few hours playing now and again. I decided not to risk messing about any more with steel wool or suchlike - I've seen too many bad amateur relic jobs already!

I think I've just got to accept that it's a very yellow strat!

My only gripe is the weight - at 8lbs 11oz it's right up into Les Paul territory!
Still, I doubt that I'll ever be gigging again so it isn't really an issue when playing sitting down.

fenderkev · February 8th, 2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basher

My only gripe is the weight - at 8lbs 11oz it's right up into Les Paul territory! Still, I doubt that I'll ever be gigging again so it isn't really an issue when playing sitting down.

Yeh some of those early Corona made Fenders were a bit on the heavy side, though not as heavy as a 1976 Ash bodied Strat I owned back in the '70's. My Plus is 8lbs 7oz and I never thought it heavy 'til I tried the newer Am Std Strat's. Those are a lot lighter.

Muddy T-Bone · February 8th, 2010, 11:35 PM

I'm the original owner of an '86 Oly White, and my contention was reading through these posts, was that there is no way in heck that a poly finished guitar was going to yellow.

The guitar is never cased, but rather stored on a rack where I can quickly play it when the mood strikes. So...plenty of UV to make it patina.

Well I got curious to prove myself wrong. Guess what? There is no way in heck that poly yellows over a reasonable period, 24years in this case.

Here's a crappy cel phone pic of 24 years of no patina on a poly finish.

ruger9 · February 9th, 2010, 06:41 AM

WOW. I'm very surprised that there's ZERO yellowing!

I have decided to, in the future, shoot the body with reRanch's Vintage White (and then clear coar with Acrylic instead of laquer, so it doesn't age any more.). I don't mind guitars taking awhile to "age", it's kind of a cool process actually, but I WANT vintage white, and I don't want to wait 24 years and not get it...

DKoor · February 9th, 2010, 10:19 AM

My humble opinion is that every guitar must be influenced by sunlight (not thru glass mind you, only direct exposure).
The real question is whether the sun will effect guitar body and particularly neck (frets, warping etc.) in a bad way so you get fret buzz, neck bending (as far as I know this isn't possible to fix in many cases) etc.

For heck sake, a car color (which I presume is far, far endurable than anything applied on guitar) will be different after couple of years.