# Aging a Pick Guard



## Oakvillain (Mar 7, 2008)

How does one age (white to light beige/brown) a pick guard and pups? Looking at the "road worn" guitars at L&M it looks like they throw them in the oven! Will a few days of good sunlight do it?

Thanks fellas/ladies(?)


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

You might want to send a PM to *al3d*...he has done a lot of relicing and is very skilled at what he does.


Here is a link to one of his recent builds:
http://www.guitarscanada.com/Board/showthread.php?t=24606

Maybe he can do the work for you.

Someone told me (or I read) that you can get white plastic parts to age by submerging them in VERY strong coffee/tea and leaving them there...I tried it with a snow white plastic pickguard ....no luck at all .....

Good Luck with this.

Dave


----------



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

greco said:


> Y
> Someone told me (or I read) that you can get white plastic parts to age by submerging them in VERY strong coffee/tea and leaving them there...I tried it with a snow white plastic pickguard ....no luck at all .....


Apparently this only works for certain pickguards, depending on the material they're made from. I tried it for days with a white Allparts pickguard and ... nuthin! It was still as white and shiny as it was when I bought it.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> Apparently this only works for certain pickguards, depending on the material they're made from. I tried it for days with a white Allparts pickguard and ... nuthin! It was still as white and shiny as it was when I bought it.


Mine was a stock Fender pickguard on a MIM strat. 

Cheers

Dave


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> Apparently this only works for certain pickguards, depending on the material they're made from. I tried it for days with a white Allparts pickguard and ... nuthin! It was still as white and shiny as it was when I bought it.


I just did 2 from all part, aged them very nicely... you got to be very imaginative with that material


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

al3d said:


> I just did 2 from all part, aged them very nicely... you got to be very imaginative with that material


No teenie, tiny hints for the OP? 

Like....starts with ______ and ends with ______

j/k BTW...your methods are ones you have taken the time to research, develop, etc and I respect that. 

Cheers

Dave


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

greco said:


> No teenie, tiny hints for the OP?
> 
> Like....starts with ______ and ends with ______
> 
> ...


Well..it involves a Goat...a Black crow and some prayors..


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

al3d said:


> Well..it involves a Goat...a Black crow and some prayors..


Thanks....Seems easy enough to figure out 

kkjwpw...apologies to the OP

Dave


----------



## Oakvillain (Mar 7, 2008)

I don't get it Alain? What's the big secret?

I used to make dovetail/tenon/hands saws and ran a successful business doing it. For those that couldn't afford one I shared my technique so they could make one themselves. I even sold them the spring steel that was made in Sweden. All woodworkers shared their successes and failures. 

What's the big secret about aging a pickguard? Do luthiers not share information? Sorry I asked, I"ll figure it out myself.


----------



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

look here...pick guard aging vid on youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt2sYarAWiY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IPXN_Ipmfw&feature=related


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Oakvillain said:


> I don't get it Alain? What's the big secret?
> 
> I used to make dovetail/tenon/hands saws and ran a successful business doing it. For those that couldn't afford one I shared my technique so they could make one themselves. I even sold them the spring steel that was made in Sweden. All woodworkers shared their successes and failures.
> 
> What's the big secret about aging a pickguard? Do luthiers not share information? Sorry I asked, I"ll figure it out myself.


no..you can ask for sure..but before asking all the time, you can do as we all do....do some research, trial and errors.


----------



## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

i never did try it, but ive seen guys spray the pickgaurd with lacquer, and then age the lacquer- you can rub things into lacquer that wont stick to plastic.
id think that if you misted the guard with a lacquer, then used steel wool to blend it in, then played with dies and stains and dirt, you could get it.
but like al3d says, its not an exact science- you have to research, try things, experiment, and learn what works best for each of the many types of plastics.

i had some pickup covers- i needed to make 2 new ones match an old one.
i put a tupperware dish full of coffee, and the covers, in the microwave. one minute- no result. 2 minutes, great result.
got lucky that time.
next time i tried it, after 1 minute the covers warped and shrank to unnusable condition. all depends on the composition of the plastic i guess lol.

if i was to try aging a pickguard, id put it in a tray of coffee, then bake it in the oven and see what happens.
if that didnt help, id spray it with lacquer, then rub filth into the lacquer, and see where that gets me- if its a failure, at least i can remove the lacquer and start again...
kinda sounds like fun-

i do know that a mim pickguard will yellow and age if you smoke a couple packs a day and play the guitar a lot- and itll look very realistic


----------

