Brown Kiwi polish really works in relic'ing

[Brian H]

The green pickguard on my Fender Japan '62 reissue looked too green to me, so I used the Kiwi brown shoe polish trick to give it a very slightly aged look. Everything else on the guitar looks essentially new, so a heavy relic'ing would look weird. I wanted it to look like the guitar has been played very little in the last 40 years, just if the plastic has turned.

Came out excellent, I think. Wiped it on, wiped it off immediately. Rubbed with a little naptha. Repeated the process several more times. Did it just a TOUCH on the parchment pickup covers + knobs + switch tip (bought from Callaham, along with the bridge assy).

Here are a couple pics in normal and dim lighting:
http://www.kurtsequipment.com/62strat/62strat13.jpg
http://www.kurtsequipment.com/62strat/62strat10.jpg

more pics can be found here, including pics of the new guts, for anyone interested:

http://www.kurtsequipment.com/62strat/

With all the mods (not counting the Fralin pickups), the guitar still cost less than a used US 62 reissue.

[ragtweed]

Nice work!
Nice, clean wiring job too. I noticed that you installed a baseplate on the bridge p'up. I might try one of those out. What kind of tone cap is that? Overall, that Strat looks like a beauty!

[Brian H]

Thanks! It's a metallized mylar. I really like them as guitar tone caps, and I've experimented with a bunch of types (ceramic, paper in oil- Jensen, bumblebee, etc). I've got a .022uf + .015 in my SG, and the one in the above strat is a .1uf.

[photoweborama]

Very nice, I did the same thing on my mint green pick guard also. Makes it look uneven and more real.

[Dwell]

I guess that works pretty good for those who don't smoke. Mine don't need the Kiwi to turn that color.

BTW, you'll get better tuning stability if you get that string tree up on a post like on the MIA '62 AV guitars. Without a post, there's too much downward pressure behind the nut.

[butnut]

Nice job...I've been a fan of Kiwi quite a while now...it rubs off eventually with hard play, but I reapply and it seems to hold the 'stain' 2nd or 3rd time around. Gotta clean the plastic well first, and it seems some plastics will just not hold the color...still, a quick way to add a few years of smokey gigs.

[photoweborama]

Yes, it does wear off and certian polish will remove it pretty quick. I redo it also. I tred the coffee thing also, but some plastic won't take it at all.

[Brian H]

Thanks for the string tree tip, Dwell.

I don't THINK the polish will come off of my guard. We'll see, I s'pose. I cleaned it with naptha beforehand and cleaned it after each application. Each time, the naptha would take a bit of it off. I probably did at least 6 coats to get the slightly aged affect that I wanted.

[photoweborama]

There are some plastics I've used it on that seem to hold the color pretty good, my knobs, it seems to come off. I think it will stay on they way you did it.