What kind of Finish.....cause I am stumped!

[LagrangeCalvert]

Is the 50's MIM strat finished in Nitro,Poly,or what?....mine is 8 years old now and its starting to yellow...its giged about 3 times a month, but lives in a smoke free atmosphere with me keeping the sweat wiped off it....what gives...its not "crazing/checking" at all cause I try to take care of it...I want it to age naturally and not too hard....that doesn't mean I don't play it like I stole it if you know what I mean. Soooooo any idea ppl.

[Jimi75]

The entire Mexican series is painted with poly laquer.

Naturally aging with poly lacquer is pretty difficult. Poly is pretty resistant and it leaves not much room for the wood to develop - it's like a tight jacket for the guitar. Of course the white plastic parts on your guitar as well as the maple neck will age - but slowly.....

The yellowing is not normal due to my understanding. Anyway, after eight years I guess you have to live with it - I'm sorry - you can never foresay in which way the instrument develops.

[ShortBuSX]

What do you clean it with?

[Brian Krashpad]

What do you clean it with?

Me, I just use a cloth with some water and teeny bit of soap to keep it clean, and then lemon oil the fretboard.

Here's what Fender says:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/099-0508-000/ :
"Fender Instrument Care Kit by Meguiar's
Traditional guitar polishes often leave your guitar looking worse than before you started - leaving light scratches, a smear of oily fingerprints and a dull haze all over your guitar's body. Why use some cheap old no-name guitar polish, when you can use the same brand car enthusiasts trust on their $1 million Ferraris. Now you can! For the first time ever, Meguiar's®, the world's premiere car care manufacturer, has developed the ultimate finish care system for guitars - exclusively for Fender®! This three-step system, created by Meguiar's chemists, works on both acoustic and electric guitar finishes - new or vintage, nitro or poly.

First, start with a light spray of FENDER MIST & WIPE finish enhancer and then wipe your axe dry with a FENDER ULTIMATE WIPE detailing cloth. This safely cleans the finished wood surfaces of dust, oil and fingerprints. FENDER MIST & WIPE can also be used to maintain a lustrous finish between regular cleaning and polishing, and removes those nagging fingerprints without buildup! FENDER SWIRL & HAZE REMOVER, a deep cleaner for fine-finished woods, can be used to remove light pick marks, sweat stains and scratches on your guitar's body and pickguard. And, it restores the original luster and depth of finish by removing hazy chemicals and cloudy swirl marks.

Lastly, an application of FENDER POLISH & CONDITIONER nourishes your guitar's finished wood surfaces, and makes the plastic and metal surfaces shine. In the end, your instrument will feel clean and smooth - not sticky or oily (especially glossy neck finishes). Just like the day it was born. Your instrument deserves the very best, right? You've worked long and hard to acquire your dream guitar; don't settle for less. Get your own Fender Instrument Care Kit by Meguiar's and start spreading the love!"

[Iago]

actually my tele is a oly white classic 60's and 6 years old. it's also is getting more yellow, specially on the edges of the body. I dont know what gets yellow, if its the paint under the poly or the poly itself. just use a clean rag and it will be alright. You dont need to use products on the fretboard cos yours is maple.

[Tone2TheBone]

I thought any poly finish would turn yellow like it does on furniture coated in poly. Or are there different types of poly?

[Brian Krashpad]

I thought any poly finish would turn yellow like it does on furniture coated in poly. Or are there different types of poly?

I have an 80's MIJ Squier P-bass that has yellowed, I assume it's a poly finish:

[M29]

Sometimes things that turn yellow can be reversed if you set them in the sun for a while. How long I don't know it is worth a try though.

M29

[abraxas]

Excuse me, when you are talking about "poly", you refer to polyurethane and not polyester right? Because all MIMs are finished with the former material.

[LagrangeCalvert]

I don't mind it aging, but as said, it doesn't let the guitar breathe...kinda saddens me they don't just spray nitro on the mexi's cause well....there in mexico and exactly where are the laws on pollution. I know thats a selfish thing to say, but it still makes me mad.

[Brian Krashpad]

Sometimes things that turn yellow can be reversed if you set them in the sun for a while. How long I don't know it is worth a try though.

M29

In my case anyhow, the yellowing on the above bass is perfectly uniform; I think it looks great.

If it were yellowing unevenly, though, I'd consider a "sit in the window" treatment.

They say that the intentionally "greened" inlays on Les Paul Classics can be faded with a similar treatment of sunlight. But those don't bug me. I have a Ric 620 whose inlays look like that naturally.

[Tone2TheBone]

In my case anyhow, the yellowing on the above bass is perfectly uniform; I think it looks great.

If it were yellowing unevenly, though, I'd consider a "sit in the window" treatment.

They say that the intentionally "greened" inlays on Les Paul Classics can be faded with a similar treatment of sunlight. But those don't bug me. I have a Ric 620 whose inlays look like that naturally.

You can clear up the ugly green inlays on LP Classics by letting them sit in open sunlight? Hmmmm that may come in handy someday.

[Brian Krashpad]

You can clear up the ugly green inlays on LP Classics by letting them sit in open sunlight? Hmmmm that may come in handy someday.

Dunno. I have seen people on teh intranets say that though.

May be totally apocryphal.

[Plank_Spanker]

I don't mind it aging, but as said, it doesn't let the guitar breathe...kinda saddens me they don't just spray nitro on the mexi's cause well....there in mexico and exactly where are the laws on pollution. I know thats a selfish thing to say, but it still makes me mad.

Nitro is a much more involved (translated - expensive) finishing process than poly - and it's not all about environmental law. There's wet sanding, buffing, etc, involved with nitro - higher labor costs. I don't expect too many MIM Fenders to be sporting nitro finishes any time soon.

Even nitro coated white will yellow over time - that's just the way it is. Poly is actually a lot more durable than nitro, and can suffer tons of abuse and still come out nice and shiny. It's the refinishing that is poly's "achilles heel" - it's a mother bear to strip.

Accept the yellowing if you truly like the guitar. It adds "character".

[duhvoodooman***]

Just a word of caution from the resident chemist--I'd be VERY careful about putting instruments out in direct sunlight for prolonged periods (i.e. more than an hour or so). The effects of high-intensity sunlight--particularly its ultraviolet component--can be quite unpredictable. Depending upon the specific chemical nature of the material exposed, it could have a bleaching effect or it could actually cause severe yellowing, or anything in between. Personally, I wouldn't go there....

[LagrangeCalvert]

Just a word of caution from the resident chemist--I'd be VERY careful about putting instruments out in direct sunlight for prolonged periods (i.e. more than an hour or so). The effects of high-intensity sunlight--particularly its ultraviolet component--can be quite unpredictable. Depending upon the specific chemical nature of the material exposed, it could have a bleaching effect or it could actually cause severe yellowing, or anything in between. Personally, I wouldn't go there....

+1 DVM....not to mention heat. I have seen necks warp and throw a good setup out the window at outdoor venues for people who set their guitar out in the sun....even in the cases they can bake Sucks I know but you couldn't get me to get it in the sunlight unless I was playing outside, then I would still have it in the case or in the shade until I got ready to play.

[Brian Krashpad]

I think the person who reported doing that to fade the LP Classic inlays didn't actually put his guitar outside in the heat or other weather, iirc he set it in front of a window in a climate-controlled house (or other building).