How to Relic a Pickguard & Other Plastic Parts
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ธ.ค. 2017
- This video is part of a series of videos on how I built a "Custom Shop" style relic Stratocaster. See the playlist here: • Relic Nitro Strat Build
Get the pickguard here: amzn.to/3kIdd3I
Get the pickup covers and knobs here: amzn.to/402UNdU
www.buymeacoffee.com/nathansink
Contact info for product reviews: nathansinkcontact@gmail.com
open.spotify.com/artist/5X9hJ...
/ nathan-sink
/ ncsink
/ nathan_sink_music
#partscaster #relicguitar #howtorelic - เพลง
One of the better relic jobs ive seen , good job
Thanks!
Some people dip plastic components in cofee a couple days to tint, the simulate the natural yellowing. For marking/sanding, I would follow the picking motion to sand and mark. And around the knobs I would do circular, just like turning knobs, and then add random hits, or hits at location that would make sense with the marks on the body that are close to the pickguard if that makes sense. Your strat will look killer.
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks to you for sharing and making these videos of your strat build. I learned a few tips from them as well. :) I found you already had the tip for the coffee dipping later in the video anyway.
Awesome video, Nathan. I see some discussion on aging the pickup covers and knobs. As these parts are a different plastic than the pick guard, its a bit easier to age them. I made a mixture of thick espresso coffee and dark tea leaves in about a cup of water just off the boil and dropped in my white Fender pup covers and knobs. They were "dyed" to a perfect aged white in about 2 minutes. Don't leave them in too long as you can over stain them. I fished them out with pliers after 30 seconds and rinsed to have a look, and put them back in the solution and checked them every 30 seconds or so. Sounds crazy, but it worked for me.......I think the trick is to use very, very hot water and really thick coffee/tea mixture.
I also used an ultra fine light green permanent marker (Cricut) to "tarnish" the gold numerals and letters on the tone and volume knobs. Using a Cricut marker, (available at hobby stores like Michael's), you have a bit of time to wipe off any excess colour and have some "aged" numbers and letters and some not. The ink doesn't become permanent for 24hrs and there's no need to sand. A sharp pointed knife will allow you to "pick out" some of the gold colouring as well.
Rick Robertson thanks for the good info! Yeah, I had a similar experience one time with aging pickup covers & knobs with a coffee mixture. The color took very well. But like you, the pickguard didn't take the color at all.
Never heard of a Cricut marker. I'll have to check it out!
i’ve used muratic acid for aging chrome and metal parts. It’s really a trial and error process but it does work. You need a small seal tight container and not submerge your parts totally but use something to keep them slightly above the acid level. I’ve used rubber or a plastic block in the past. If you submerge your parts you’ve really got to keep a sharp eye on them because it will attack the parts very fast. Be sure to use gloves and eye protection without fail. The fumes can be devistating. Good luck! 👊🏻😎
I’m glad that you clarified that your gray rag was shoe polish and not your underwear. (ha!) For real, a great little vid... informative and not pretentious. If you want the stain to hold you could use a clear coat of hairspray or fixative from your local art supply store. The yellow spray is a bit severe on my monitor. Thanks!
Matt LaRose 😂 yeah, it’s a good thing we cleared that up. Believe me that in person the yellow spray (actually “amber”) was also too harsh. That’s why I went with the brown shoe polish. 💩😉
I just bought the made in Mexico genuine Fender 62 mint pickguard. I took the sheen off the top with Stewmac Micro-Mesh pads. No liquid required with these pads. Then I sprinkled a little Turmeric and even lesser amount of Cayenne pepper around the outside and control area of the pickguard on a baking tray. Then used damp kitchen paper to dab on these areas. After 10 seconds or so the kitchen paper and pickguard starts to stain a lovely hue. I dabbed and swirled around another 10 seconds or so over the spots I wanted to hue and when the colour starts to bloom a little heavier, I put the guard in soapy water to wash and halt the staining effect. Dried it to see the finished effect. Then repeated as per my preference. I would describe the result as an aged plastic effect rather than relic. So I found this to be a really cool and simple way of giving a light shade/hue to areas of the pickguard as per your own personal preference. The hue as you can imagine if you’ve ever accidentally spilt turmeric on your kitchen work surfaces is subtle but noticeable. I was very pleased and recommend it on a light mint / cream coloured pickguard at least. It doesn’t look fake at all as it’s just a hues colour gradient in areas of my choosing. This guard is going on a vintage white relic Fender with a new PuP set and it now looks better than the original darker mint guard that came on the Custom Shop guitar!
DJ T Turmeric! That's a great idea. That stuff stains everything. Kudos & great job. 👍🏻
I learned a trick of using lighter fluid for wet sanding. It dissipates quickly and doesn’t attack the finish, whether it be urethane or nitro cellulose. I’m gonna try it now on my plastic pickguard now and see how it works.
I use linseed oil. Works great
Just a tip for the future, whenever you're sanding, don't go in circles
Bradley Munn right, I know that’s the case for most situations, and I probably should have done it here. But it ended up not making a difference. There aren’t any swirl marks. 👍🏻
Fuck it ... I'm doing circles
looks great
james dacus thanks!
Great vid. I’m old school, I just play my guitar a lot, and hey presto 😉
Thanks! That’s one way to do it. 🤗
I just spent close to two hours doing two AO 60s Jazzmaster pickup covers by hand.
I use wet and dry 1500 and 2500. I don’t like the shiny appearance of new plastic so I dull them right down to a Matt finish and then polish them back up to what I like with Silvo polish and then diamond knife stropping pastes. They don’t age, they just look well used and a couple years old. This method takes a long time but the results are about the same as my genuinely few year old pickup covers. I don’t like to relic things, just knock of the brand new of the plastics. As for the knobs, I have two sets of originals so I just put the dirtiest pair on it. The AV65/AO60s plastics definitely have a green tint that original JM witchhats (circa 1965) don’t have. They’re pretty good though.
New plastics look like they have a thin layer of glass over them. Haha
Sounds like excellent work. Thanks for sharing your method!
Found dark tan Kiwi polish made the guard to “pinky”.
Graham Douglas thanks for sharing the info!
i’ve actually also used up to 5000 grit sandpaper for refinishing bodies after the other gradual steps are taken to get you there. 5000 grit can be kinda hard to find and it’s pretty expensive too. I’ve found it at auto body supply houses though. Probably won’t find it at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Thanks for the tips!
Just buy rubbing compounds. 5k is rare because compounds cover that micron level
When you wet sand the pickguard to remove the shine, are there any scratches our swirl marks visible afterward? Or is the grit so fine that it doesn't show.
•allstopblue • no swirl marks on the pickguard! (Unlike my endeavor with trying to wet sand the body. 😜)
shoe polish looks good
MR thanks!
You should try sanding the pickguard lightly and then put some woodstain on it and then immediately wipe off the woodstain, if you pick the right stain then it should look good.
In my latest endeavor, I've actually used the concoction I used in this video ( th-cam.com/video/THaVYzvgkTw/w-d-xo.html )where I changed the color of my fretboard makers. The PVC cleaner actuallly locked in the color of the shoe polish.
Wet tea bags also work on white. They give it a natural looking yellowed tint. The longer you leave it on, the darker it can get.
R Davis true, but not all plastics will turn color with tea/coffee in my experience.
I put my pickup covers in a box with dirt and smaller rocks. More dirt than rocks. Shook for a few minutes then checked. If you want them aged more keep shakin' then I put them out in the sun for a few days. They look good to me.
Joe bob nice! Whatever works! 👍🏻
@@NathanSink Thank you for dong these videos. I've learned alot from them and employed some of the techniques you used to great success. My first relic job will be done in a couple more weeks. It's looking really good and I'm pumped about it. Thank you again!
Joe bob Absolutely! Glad to help. 😊
What stock colour were the pick up covers and knobs?
Slick Licks With Alex, they were Fender Aged White. There’s a video about them here: th-cam.com/video/gMHPEL9IoGI/w-d-xo.html
Definitely use amber spray very lightly and seal with a clear nitro coat
didn't expect to be ambushed by the Runaway Five
😂
These videos have been great! One thing I have not seen is how did you actually aged the pickups themselves. They look like they have some black spots on them and they look good
gonzcg01 thank you! The pickups are the John Benson ‘63 set. He actually aged the poles for me for little or no charge (can’t exactly remember). That’s probably something best done before the pickups are built, but anything possible! :)
Nathan Sink awesome man!! Best video series I have seen. You did an awesome job? Have you uploaded a video on how it sounds?
gonzcg01 thanks again. I haven’t done a video yet on how it sounds. I’m still editing all the “build” videos, and setting up for recording sound is a bit labor intensive/time consuming. But I hope to get a video up soon!
Best way to colour a pickguard (most are made from PVC) is to use oil based dyes dissolved in THF (tetrahydrofuran). THF dissolves slightly the upper layer of the PVC so it gives a great permanent stain. Shoe polish will eventually wear off whereas this method won’t.
Philippe Van Doren great info! You've got a point. In my experience with the shoe polish, it does seem to come off. However, subsequent to this video, I used a combo of Oatey PVC cleaner & shoe polish (the cleaner slightly dissolves the plastic, like you described) & it seems to stick on & stay. 👍🏻
There you go. Chemistry in action!
What did you put into the coffee solution for the trem arm tip?
Ian Ernest oh, just coffee actually! ☕️ I probably shouldn't have said coffee "solution", haha. I think I put it in the hot coffee at first & then just let the coffee cool off naturally.
Nathan Sink cold coffee is safer. Hot might warp the plastics
Would 800 grit sandpaper work fine??? For the pickguard
AJMFIFA it’d probably be ok. The only problem with rougher grit paper is the possibility of scratch marks being visible.
I'm considering doing this for a DIY project of mine and I'm curious as to how it worked out long term for you.
Did your have to re-apply it occasionally or did it stay on just fine?
It's actually stayed on quite well. As long as your not constantly rubbing it (while playing for example), then it will stay on. It's kind of nice because where your pinky finger (for most people anyway) rests on the guard, the shoe polish sort of wears off naturally, and gives it a really believable look. But yeah, in short, it stays great around the edge of the pickguard, on the pickup covers, & other spots where you don't really ever touch. FYI, this is the latest video I have with the Strat in it and at about 1:35 you can see the pickguard fairly well: th-cam.com/video/iwKzeKXJoxY/w-d-xo.html It's been a few years now and I feel like the tint is still tastefully done.
@@NathanSink Damn that was quick! XD
Thank your for the feedback! Really appreciate it.
Just checked out the video and it indeed still looks great.
You sir just sold a can of shoe polish and earned a sub.
The Harlequin hey, someone else's comment on here reminded me that I actually used Oatey PVC cleaner & rubbed it on (mixed it with) the shoe polish to make it stick. (This was later on, after this video). The cleaner slightly dissolves the plastic so that it accepts the shoe polish. It essentially turns the polish into a dye.
@@NathanSink Thank you a lot for the advice!
Great timing too since just got my new pickup covers last week, so I wanted to work on the pickguard while I'm installing them anyway.
I'm going to keep an eye out for a compareable cleaner to try this with.
Again thank you for taking time to spread the knowledge.
Appreciate that you even remember inquiry from a few weeks ago. :)
It would be posible to use whashes? I dont know if it would work like the shoe polishing
Sorry, I’m not sure what that means. 🤔
Hi this product works for the tuners white button ?
Can't say for certain, but I'd bet so. I've also (along with others) have had success dipping plastic guitar parts (ie Fender pickup covers & knobs) in coffee or tea to make them darker or aged.
Hi! This video is 6 yrs old yet still super useful! I was wondering if the pickguard you used was mint green or parchment white?
Thanks! It was a mint green pickguard. Here is the video showing more info on it (and the pickup covers, knobs, etc): th-cam.com/video/gMHPEL9IoGI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0BvpNlOlK7bFrwng
And here is a playlist for the whole guitar project: th-cam.com/play/PLT0llhi52k8pfgZILIgbDUVNXc24g5T1E.html&si=nG6e36QLT7bUiRt9
@@NathanSink thanks, you're doing the Lord's work haha. Gonna start my own relic project these few weeks. Fingers crossed!
@@alfianbanjaransari4096 😂 Hope your project goes well!
@@NathanSink thanks so much! Learming from the best!
Is the shoe polish black kiwi or another colout
Egel ッ. brown
does it go away if you try to wash the pickguard or something?
Yes, the shoe polish does seem to come off with enough rubbing. On my pickguard it has come off on the areas where my hand/fingers usually are, so it’s kind of a more natural look.
I tried that and when i was done it just didn't look rite to me so i went to the junk yard and got a really old license plate and made a pick guard out of that, on the back of the guitar i used a old small motorcycle license plate for a cover 🎸👍 (edited because of typo).
What a cool idea! 😎
@@NathanSink 🎸👍.
You need a wider angle sprayhead for your can.sold sepperatly
Sjef S that would probably help. 👍🏻
@@NathanSink i use them on everything.sprayed whole cars that way.also the paint lasts longer and drips less. I ussually buy a pack that has 5 different spray paterns.its like 2 or 3 bucks
Sjef S where do you get them? Have a link?
I use to buy them at a local paint specialty store but il see if i can find a link to sommething simmilair
@@NathanSink www.amazon.com/StewMac-Aerosol-Spray-Nozzles-Pack/dp/B01N6V13Q9 something like this but im sure you can find them cheap if you shop around
Is that brown shoe polish?
Yes is it. Kiwi brown.
@Nathan.. What color show polish?
I used regular ‘ol Kiwi Brown.
Awesome, thank you!
@@randzimm glad to help. 👍🏻
Fender branded plastic parts will "age" using coffee or tea. Squier or other branded parts usually don't. Can't say why.
I’ve had that experience too with different types of plastics.
Intro chords?
Chords to the intro song are: C#m, B, E, B, Amaj7. The song is called "I Will". You can listen to the full song here: th-cam.com/video/JQuPSwZrLH4/w-d-xo.html
The problem with the aged lacquer is that it will scratch off... plus it looks fake on plastic. Leave the white in a pan of coffee for a week.
Bender Vision you’re right: coffee does work for some plastics, but not all. I speak from personal experience. Also, I wanted the coloring to vary across the pick-guard, instead of being one solid/consistent color.
@@NathanSink sometimes a little heat works well with lacquer...experiment with a crap pickguard first...
The best way to relic it is to play it 40 hours a day ;)
There are only 24 hrs in a day, last time I checked.
Incorrect
When I go to the Tone Bomb website it says they have not even launched. Where did you get the body???
I believe I bought it from Tone Bomb via eBay. But this was about three years ago. I just looked on eBay & they do have a few things for sale, but it only looks like Tele bodies. You might try Precision Guitar Kits. I’ve heard really good things about them.
I was trying to make my guitar white again why is everybody trying to relic it mine reliced by itself and i want it to be brand new again🥴
Im not a fan of (buying) a relicd guitar..lol!
I would *NEVER* buy one..but,I made one and it was Hell'u fun to do.
Im not only into music, im into artistic type stuff, drawing,painting,ect...I also enjoy making the weird and oddball kinda stuff too, sculpting, ect...
And in my mind, relicing your own guitar was along those lines of art..to me it was.
..plus,when you do this to a guitar its quite "personal" if you will. So,I enjoyed the hell out of creating this masterpiece, lol!
Oh..and I have plenty of guitars that I bought new and play in bands over the years, 20+ years)
And they are naturally relicd, I absolutely do appreciate a naturally worn guitar.
But...all in all,I just simply enjoy and trying my hand at a "relic job" lol...
Oh, and I sold it for 400$...it started life as a 150$ Squire Strat, just plain black and white! Haha! Cheers!✌🤟
Spray the lacquer further away from the pickguard.
Good idea. 👍🏻
My 1959 jazz master that I have played since I got it in 1966 does not look anywhere near as bad as these “Relic” guitars, That are trendy right now. I believe that is the way that the factory cuts down on their number of dumpster rejects. It’s called making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It’s called making lemonade when life deals you lemons.It’s called turning a liability into an asset..
I understand your point, & congratulations btw on owning such a coveted vintage instrument. However, I know from my research & experience that the Fender Custom Shop specs out & sells MANY of these brand new relic guitars (see Wildwood Guitars in the USA & Peach Guitars in the UK, for example). That means people are choosing select woods & high quality parts for these guitars. In other words, they aren’t dumpster rejects. In the same way, for this particular project, I selected a specific body (wood type, weight, contours, etc) as well as a customized neck (profile, radius, materials, etc) and chose top-notch parts (hardware, pickups, electronics, etc). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I believe you are drawing broad conclusions that don’t apply to the majority of relic guitars.
Congratulations on contributing the most boomer-tier comment on this entire video.👍🏻
It's called polishing a turd.
Aren't you gonna be left with a guitar that will, every time you play it, get shoe polish all over your hands?
sempercompellis I haven’t noticed any coming off yet. It’s probably been 6 months now.
sempercompellis one way around this would be to “seal” the polish in with a clear coat of lacquer.
@Craig Willis lacquering a pickguard? are you serious?
@Craig Willis makes no sense. it'll look extremely awkward. never seen a "finished" pickguard before.
Leo pard
It's been done before, not that weird.
can passed as legit
l3ertuz thanks, I think. Haha.
omg, no.
the first 4 minutes were unnecessary
Andy X you can fast forward. 😉⏩
your comment was unnecessary
Man...i am trying to find some useful guitar cleaning tips in youtube...for cleaning up my old...dirty, worn...white Strat pickguard...before replacing it with a new one....and this guy is making his white Strat pickguard...look dirty and worn...and *Relic'd...fgs
Mac Sixtyfive one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 😉
See a real Luthier would know this is NOT how to do it and actually know HOW to "relic" a faked discolored pickguard. 1) Shoe polish will NOT stain a plastic, because it's just a Wax! 2) a real discolored pickguard, PuP covers, knobs is because of a number of factors - the type of plastic used 20, 30, 50 years ago was primitive and it actually turns color with age. Also exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation - the Sun. Also exposure to the chemicals in the air, the guitar case (the felt gives off chemical as it deteriorates!). And the salts and chemicals from your hands and arms. Lastly cigaretter smoke affects plastics and cloths like crazy, you see it in Amp cloth fronts and the Tolex covering of an amp, especially the old Blonde and Tan Fenders. 3) Import plastic "parts" won't easily or at all stain, so forget it. It's the chemical composition of plastics from Korea and China etc. - Luthier / worked for Fender for 30 years and I restore vintage instruments.
Vint Guitarz I'm just a regular guy trying to share my experience and help others who might be interested. So a "real" luthier would tell you to get a vintage pickguard & that's the ONLY way to do it?? That defeats the purpose of relic-ing (beside the smoke thing). I can't imagine that the Fender custom shop uses truely old plastics in all of the heavy relic guitars they produce nowadays.
Vint Guitarz kind of a condescending and unhelpful comment dude. If you’re going to say something like that, you should really offer some constructive and useful information. You said a real Luthier would know how to do this, and that you worked for Fender and restore vintage instruments etc so.. ok then.. put your money where your mouth is? Tell us how to do it? Or are you not a real luthier either..
oh,your the expert then? C'mon show us how a real luthier would do it then??
Actually a colored wax can stain a guitar.. It's happened to me before. No offense, if you want to criticize.. Then offer advice or content on your channel on how to. I have a 84 fender that I need a replacement pu for.. I'm going to try this method from @Nathan..
I know a better way, just play the guitar a lot and watch it age throughout the years
Gavin King guitars don't age like they used to (for good or bad: it's all preference). With the polyurethane & plastics used these days, you'd be hard pressed to see much wear after 50 years.
Nathan Sink
Not the way I play them hahahaha