Maple necks too white

[goddamn electric]

Hi guys, Im going to buy a cheaper fender strat, highway one id imagine so i've got something to carry around with me and worry less about. i love srtats with maple fingerboards but not when the maple is very white and cheap looking as is the often case on cheaper guitars. Is there anything that can be done to give it that yellow look which the higher end ones come with?

cheers

[gingataff]

A good dose of UV light should get it yellowing up a bit but a poly finish will probably take a lot longer than nitro to get that vintage tint, a couple of years in the window will probably do it.

Edit: Highway one have nitro on the bodies, I'm not sure about the necks but if they do it's in your favour.

[Philly Q]

Edit: Highway one have nitro on the bodies, I'm not sure about the necks but if they do it's in your favour.

The H1 necks have a "satin urethane" finish.  I haven't had mine long enough to see how the colour ages. 

They do look a bit pale, but personally I prefer that to the really orangey vintage tints - e.g. the Eric Johnson which looks awful.

[goddamn electric]

cheers for the replies guys. Philly what do you think of the the highway 1? its either that or one of the mex classic 70's as i like the bigger headstock and 70's styling. I've tried the classics and was really impressed with them for the money. Either way i'll be upgrading the pickups. The only problem is cosetically id ideally i'd love a white strat with maple neck and the closest the Highways get to that is the honey blonde colour which i dont really like.

[Philly Q]

I don't have a Highway 1 as such, just a couple of H1 necks on Warmoth bodies.  I have tried a few H1s though, great guitars for the money.  The Classic series are really good too, but the Mexican quality control still seems a bit variable.  I also love the big headstock and '70s logos!  :)

Personally I prefer the H1 for the bigger frets and flatter 9.5" radius.  If you want a "player" guitar rather than a vintage-correct piece, I'd go for the H1.  Apparently the thin nitro finish on the bodies gets beaten up really quickly, so you'll have a relic before you know it - if you like that kind of thing!

[WezV]

if its not nitro it wont age quickly.  personally i would do it with tinted finish but there are many housewife remedy way

some people swear by brown shoe polish.  i havnt tried it and wouldnt want to but i thought i would put it out there

personally i would be respraying with tinted lacquer like these
http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/lacquer.html

[Philly Q]

if its not nitro it wont age quickly.  

Certainly true, but I've seen a couple of '90s Fender necks recently, with the tuners removed, and I was surprised how much the polyurethane had yellowed.

Might've just been dirt though!

[WezV]

they do all age ... after 10 years you will see a difference.  but if its a pale non-nitro neck you are going to be waiting a long time if you want a vintage amber colour

[gingataff]

they do all age ... after 10 years you will see a difference.  but if its a pale non-nitro neck you are going to be waiting a long time if you want a vintage amber colour

This might sound silly but I am asking this in all seriousness:
Do you know if anyone has ever tried putting one one a sunbed for a while? Could the heat damage the neck before any change in colour?

[Will]

Try looking at the les paul forum. They do weird stuff over there

[goddamn electric]

Cheers for the advice guys, really appreciate it!

[the guitar repair workshop]

Hi,
removing the finish from the fingerboard and letting it age with natural sweat/ finger grease ala blackie and evh etc is a great look, can be helped along with some lemon oil with a tiny (and i mean tiny) bit of tint.

the mojo build up on a wicked looking old maple board really sets a guitar off in my book :)

(dont get me wrong i dont mean actual gunk that collects - i've scr@ped soo much of that of guitars in my life...dread to think...shudder)

[TheDev01dOne]

I think just leave it and let it age naturally, especially if it's a higway 1, the body will age along with the neck and eventually you'll have a good worn in guitar with a story behind it, aging the neck purposely straight off the bat might tarnish your relationship with it in the years ahead (Dr Phil eat your heart out!)

Seriously though this question comes up a lot on the Telecaster forum and the general consensus seems to be to either live with it and let it yellow itself, or put in a fair bit of effort and refinish it with a tinted lacquer.. You can get cans of it from Reranch, Stewmac etc. maybe the same stuff Wez suggested, didn't check the link..

You could do it partially, just scuff up the old finish and spray on the new one over the top.. Or do a full refinish and strip the neck completely and finish it with a vintage tinted lacquer (also gives you the option of going nitro if you're that way inclined)

Seems like a lot of effort for a small aesthetic difference though.