Vintage/old Pickguard-look.

[Andy H]

Hi - I am new to this forum. I hope this is the right forum for this kind of question.

Ok here's my question:

I got a new Strat with a new white and clean pickguard. Now I've seen (on the Fender homepage) that there are some Relic models which look like old, used guitars. I am very pleased with the red finishing of my new Stratocaster so I don't want to alter the finishing. But I thought it would look very cool to have one of these aged-looking pickguards with plenty of old-looking, yellowish areas on it. (Around the switches and pickups, etc...)

Is there a way to alter the synthetic material of the pickguard to give it this old, yellowish vintage-style look? (Not the entire pickguard - I know that there are custom spare parts including vintage-white pickguards)

Or does somebody know how Fender handles this problem?

Thanks in advance!

Edited April 26, 2006 by Andy H

[stevenhoneywell]

I've heard of some people using Cumin on pickguards/ pickups. Your guitar would smell like a surry house though

[dremelfender]

It is! I use smoke from an incense stick...works really well. I have pictures in here somewhere:

http://spaces.msn.com/dremelfender/Persona...5&_c=PhotoAlbum

Edited April 26, 2006 by dremelfender

[George Brown]

use a teabag, nice and simple

[dremelfender]

Actually, it depends a bit on the type of plastic used. I've found that original Fender ones hardly take staining from tea, coffee, shoe polish and what have you. That's why I ended up with smoke! (see above)

Edited April 26, 2006 by dremelfender

[Andy H]

Thanks for the replies so far mates!

I think I will try dremelfender's incense stick technique first (nice pictures of your guitars by the way...) because I just found someone who got one of those sticks - I will tell you the result!

Edited April 26, 2006 by Andy H

[dremelfender]

That's grand Andy H...and thank you!

[tirapop]

There's a thread on this board about Kiwi brown shoe polish.