Aging a poly finish

[Philly Q]

I even tried staining it with nicotine (lol don't ask) in different ways and it was pretty close but still not quite there

I once read an interview with one of the guitarists in Kix (Ronnie Younkins or Brian Forsythe, can't remember which one) and he said he used to hang up his guitars in a shed with a row of smoking cigarettes standing on the floor underneath - to simulate years of playing in smoky clubs.

Ridiculous but, apparently, true.

Some good info about relicing (and some great pictures) here.  (Caveat: I haven't tried any of this stuff so, y'know, don't blame me if it goes horribly wrong...)

[WezV]

i am just brewing up some coffee now- guatamalan elephant bean, a strong blend available from whittards!!

been through the parts box and i have a few white parts i am going to try and age today just so i can test if the coffee thing works.  i will take before and after photos for you all

[Watsonica]

very strong tea or coffee seems the most common way to get the aged look on plastics - i still havnt gotten around to  trying that because i dont use much white plastic on my stuff often but i get through a lot of coffee beans and often think that burying pickup covers in the used grounds would be a good way to go

I'd thought of that too..and would probably work better than my "quick-method" (lol)....those old covers look so great tho, the pick wear on them, and the middle cover has some "crackle lines" from natural stress and age, you have to see them really to appreciate it.

I once read an interview with one of the guitarists in Kix (Ronnie Younkins or Brian Forsythe, can't remember which one) and he said he used to hang up his guitars in a shed with a row of smoking cigarettes standing on the floor underneath - to simulate years of playing in smoky clubs.

(lol) We actually did try blowing our cigarette smoke onto it and quickly realised that it would take an enormous amount of time, we took some old pipe filters that he had tho and smeared them over the cover, that was about as close as we got. Thanks for the tips and the link!

The covers and knobs on my guitar are acually darker than the ones in these photos>> http://www.relicdeluxe.com/plastic_pickguard_knobs.asp

[WezV]

Ok, first round of experiments - moderate success, not overwhelming though!

I soaked into in hot coffee/tea with the grounds and leaves and left well along for a few hours.  then i took them out and let them dry.  Finally i wiped them over.

Start and finish pics below, plus a couple of inprogress shots



So there is a little difference but its certainly not huge.  I think there are two main issues, the shiny plastic surface and the time i left it all for.

So i took them out and fine sanded the bits you would expect to see more wear and its all gone back into the grounds.

The problem seems to be that it wil make them look dirty but it wears off a little quick - hopefully the fine sanding will help it stick better.  

So far it looks like this method could work but i dont think it will be as controlled as the wirewool and tinted wax method

[Kilby]

Remember to clean down the plastic surfaces with either detergent or alcohol, as the release agent (from the moulding process) may prevent proper uptake of your die.

Rob...

[Watsonica]

That's quite nearly the results we got from out 'nicotine' experiments WezV, but were probably even less permanent..the colour of my original covers are about the same tint as the dogear P90 in your 1st photo.

[Prawnik]

I thought it was Eric Johnson who built a "smokehouse" for his guitars; he doesn't smoke himself but claimed that exposure to cigarette smoke improves a guitar's tone.

Maybe it wasn't Eric Johnson, but it sounds like the kind of thing he'd do.

[Watsonica]

I thought it was Eric Johnson who built a "smokehouse" for his guitars; he doesn't smoke himself but claimed that exposure to cigarette smoke improves a guitar's tone.

Maybe it wasn't Eric Johnson, but it sounds like the kind of thing he'd do.

It's exactly the sort of thing he'd do ,although I don't think he ever did :lol: ...

..but then we're talkin bout a guy that can hear the difference in a wah pedal when he changes the colour of his shoes... :|

[Philly Q]

I thought it was Eric Johnson who built a "smokehouse" for his guitars; he doesn't smoke himself but claimed that exposure to cigarette smoke improves a guitar's tone.

Maybe it wasn't Eric Johnson, but it sounds like the kind of thing he'd do.

I haven't heard that story, but if true it's typical Eric Johnson - the bloke from Kix puts a few cigs on the floor of his shed, EJ builds a "smokehouse".  :lol:

Bet he can hear the difference between Camels and Lucky Strikes too.