Aging a pickguard and TRC?

s4001 · Post by **s4001** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 7:21 am

Isn't that TRC clear plexi, not molded plastic? My '68 TRC looks like that, but the original PG is still bright white.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:43 am

The "vintage" TRCs are clear plexi/acrylic/methyl methacrylate.

(The last term is the chemical name for the stuff--surprise and bore your neighbors!)

The photo printed above by my kind friend Ilan, is of a vintage TRC, made of clear acrylic and back-painted at the factory. It's an oldie, because over the years, the paint has yellowed along the edges (undoubtedly from atmospheric conditions).

The molded TRCs, I'm pretty sure, are of a thermoplastic alloy like ABS. This will have a white pigment put into the mix at the converter/suppliers. This pigment will yellow in the same way from the same factors and contaminants, except this aging will not be merely at the edges, but along the entire exposed surface of the TRC, because it's the whole surface that's exposed to the atmosphere.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:45 am

I might add a bit of a philosophical bit here:

If Rics have been equipped with white plexi guards since Ricks have had white guards, why try to visually age them? White acrylic doesn't turn yellow. It's counterintuitive to fake 'em. Why I didn't make this my first answer, I don't know, except to say that I'm a bit slow on the uptake these last couple of weeks.

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:18 am

Paul, I think the thing is that all the other bits of the bass subtly change with age but the plastic bits don't, so they seem to stand still in time (wish I did)so after about 40 years it looks like the bass has had a bit of an obvious face lift.

One might have a bass with yellowing neck, checking finish, oxidising chrome but seemingly hot bio-washed pickguard and TRC.

Just my 2 cents.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:25 pm

Absolutely agree, Bob. Those are the facts.

Fact: White acrylic doesn't age. So, do we want to change it so it does look aged? (Everyone knows about aged Fender "Mint Green" guards, made from a less stable and less durable material)...

So, in accomplishing this aging on acrylic guards, we are producing a look that "looks right" to our relic-addled eyes, but would not exist in the Real World.

So we have something better than a "Relic" Fender--we have a "Twilight Zone" Rickenbacker!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:57 pm

take a file and put some divits in your frets to simulate fretware ... then put on a big brass belt buckle when you play your bass ... then hang it on the wall in a smokey room for a few months ... and make sure your hands are dirty before you play it ...

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 11:20 pm

LOL...

FWIW I really don't like the look of the mint green Fender guards. Our guitarist has one on his Strat and thinks it looks cool. To me it just looks a little ill. Hope he's not reading this..!

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:54 am

Bob, you can tell your guitarist about Fatboy Guitars - worth looking:

http://geocities.com/tall_arms/fatboy/strat.htm

The best looking aged white 3-ply vinyl guards I've seen.

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:13 am

Ilan, Now those guards DO look cool IMHO. The one that John has got just looks a bit green, and not a very nice green at that.

Those 62 knobs and guards are hard to believe they are not the real thing. Do Fender put stuff like that on their Custom Shop gear? All the CS relic instruments I've seen look as if they have been attacked with an angle grinder...!

squid · Post by **squid** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:14 am

I get where Ron's coming from with the aged pickguard thing. It's a question of personal preference as between contrast and harmony. I like ambered CV with Fireglo (and Montezuma Brown) because, and this is my totally subjective view of things, the binding provides too much contrast. The bursts are so lovely that I want the binding to fade away a bit. This isn't always the case with every colour. Bright white binding looks amazing with Jetglo, Midnight Blue and Mapleglo IMO. But even when you amber the guitar, you're still left with the bright contrast of the white guards. When my AFG arrives, my solution will be to try out some gold guards and such. Hopefully I'll find one that suits my taste. For that OME look, the bright white guards and TRC must stay, but if you're trying to make the whole instrument look "of a piece" then different colours and shades for the guards and TRC are worth investigating.

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:10 am

I think the "aged to death" look works because if you get another scratch, you won't be crying. You always remember your first "ding." I like buying player guitars, that way I don't have to worry.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:46 am

"... The one that John has got just looks a bit green, and not a very nice green at that."

I know, I had one of those on a Geddy Lee Jazz bass. I have a 1972 black Fender Precision with its original white pickguard, it has aged very nicely, yellowed unevenly, not a hint of green in it.

"Those 62 knobs and guards are hard to believe they are not the real thing. Do Fender put stuff like that on their Custom Shop gear?"

Not really. They have done some very nice work aging and distressing the paint and the metal parts, but the plastic parts are very far from looking authentic.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:59 am

and don't forget ... are real old Ric bass will have chips in the headstock ...

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:43 am

You know what a real deal old white Ric pickguard has, that a new one doesn't?

A vertical crack above the neck pickup's upper mounting screw.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:51 am

ya ... my old 68 had a hairline crack ... I forgot about that ...