Got my new strat pickups, now I need to vintage-ize!!

[prsnstrat]

UGGGHhh!! I'm putting new pup's on my Am Std Strat finally, and I need help picking out a good 'vintage' color combination for a pickguard/pup covers/knobs that will give it a cool vintage vibe. All white is cool but I need something different.

The colors I'm dealing with are 'Mint Green', 'Parchment', and 'Aged White'. It can be a mix and match or straight color...but this choice has me perplexed. It was much easier picking out my pickups!! (Van Zandts by the way ;)

Anyone out there have any insight? It's like trying to help your wife pick out curtains...too many choices!!

Thanks for any expereince or advise.

Brandon

[trisonic]

Well, I like the combination of snot, sorry "mint" green guard (assuming it's a threeply guard - the single ply never aged to that colour) with the covers,knobs and switchtip kind of yellowed.
Unless it's a new Chapin where I have everything blinding white.

Best, Pete.

[clothwiring]

Would you want to get a normal pickguard then color it yourself? Coffee, tea, stains, marks etc etc?

[Johnnytone]

What color is the guitar?
Maple or rosewood neck?

[prsnstrat]

I have the 3 color sunburst with maple fretboard. Never thought of the self-coloring idea...=)

Thanks,

Brandon

[Jack The Riffer]

I did the home aging thing on my strat (p/u covers, knobs & selector tip) Tried coffee with no results then used tea and worked like a charm. Just use 2 bags per cup of boiling water and let the bags sit for 5 minutes or so. You want to put the parts in while the water is hot but not boiling and let them sit for about 10 minutes or less.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/jtriffer/strattele.jpg

[prsnstrat]

Wow if that's the strat you home treated it looks great! I wonder if it would be tricky to do the pickguard as well? Don't the am standards have the foil backing on them? Thanks for the tip, I think i'll try that with the pup covers/knobs/selector.

[Jack The Riffer]

Wow if that's the strat you home treated it looks great! I wonder if it would be tricky to do the pickguard as well? Don't the am standards have the foil backing on them? Thanks for the tip, I think i'll try that with the pup covers/knobs/selector.

Thanks, it's a cheap n easy thing to do and kinda fun. I tried doing the pick guard but it didn't work for whatever reason so the covers & knobs were good enough me thinks.

[Troubleman]

I like parchement guards with yellowed covers/knobs, and snot-guards with "worn-looking" but not necessarily yellow covers/knobs. I don't like any of 'em to look at all new....

jb

[Igneous]

I did the home aging thing on my strat (p/u covers, knobs & selector tip) Tried coffee with no results then used tea and worked like a charm. Just use 2 bags per cup of boiling water and let the bags sit for 5 minutes or so. You want to put the parts in while the water is hot but not boiling and let them sit for about 10 minutes or less.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/jtriffer/strattele.jpg

Hey bro, im in the middle of a strat project myself. Looking for an ash body with pr drilled holes. anyway, is that vintage white? Im torn between vintage cream or olympic white, but that one there loooks creamier. Arghh!
thanks-Ig

[Jack The Riffer]

Hey bro, im in the middle of a strat project myself. Looking for an ash body with pr drilled holes. anyway, is that vintage white? Im torn between vintage cream or olympic white, but that one there loooks creamier. Arghh!
thanks-Ig

Mine's artic white so sez fender.

[bagpipe]

I tried doing the pick guard but it didn't work for whatever reason I think some pickguards are more accepting of this colouring method than others. I have a white Allparts pickguard on my partscaster. I tried using the "coffee" method of colouring it and got absolutely nothing. It was still Pearly White after two days of sitting in the coffee. Maybe I should have tried tea ?

[Jack The Riffer]

I think some pickguards are more accepting of this colouring method than others. I have a white Allparts pickguard on my partscaster. I tried using the "coffee" method of colouring it and got absolutely nothing. It was still Pearly White after two days of sitting in the coffee. Maybe I should have tried tea ?
I tried tea with a pickguard and it did nothing. Then again I'm impatient as hell and only gave it ten minutes which is all it took to color the knobs & p/u covers. Go ahead and give the tea thing a shot and let me know:D

[gkoelling]

I tried the coffee grounds method on a p/g and no results. I had it in a zip lock bag for about a week. I understand that some plastics used today just won't take this method.

OTOH, I said the heck with the p/g and tossed it in a closet for a few years. A couple months ago I was looking for something else, came across it and it yellowed on its own. Go figure.......

[prsnstrat]

It's strange...I tried the tea thing last night, left the pup covers and caps/knobs in for almost 10 hours, and this morning nothing had really changed at all. Maybe my 'tea solution' is too dilute. ;)

[Jack The Riffer]

It's strange...I tried the tea thing last night, left the pup covers and caps/knobs in for almost 10 hours, and this morning nothing had really changed at all. Maybe my 'tea solution' is too dilute. ;)

Gotta be strong n hot. Did you use Lipton or some sort of foo foo herbal shit?

[big mike]

LOL

Some pickup covers and knobs don't accept the coloring.


I tried it with Rio Grande versions, nothing.

Genuine fender seems to work. No clue on the P/G other than I seem to like 3 ply white with aged covers a lot (like Riffer's strat) I also had Mint Green with the aged fender yellow and it looked good on a 3 tone burst.


Good luck!

Foo Foo herbal....LOLOL

[prsnstrat]

I like the foo foo thing. I used Lipton...but it was just warm not hot. I'll try again tonight, i'll mix coffee, tea, and soy sauce and see if I have anything left in the morning! haha

Thanks.

BRandon