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Thread: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

  1. #1
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    Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    I hope you don't mind me posting another thread but I felt encouraged after receiving great answers in my last one about custom colors.

    In the Design Guide the FCS offers a lot of options for the white plastic parts: white, aged white, eggshell, parchment, vintage as well as mint green for the pickguard.

    I understand that back in the 50s and 60s, the plastic parts were probably just considered white all the time, with slight changes in material in 59, 65 etc.

    Now with these different whites, does FCS just try to replicate different stages of aging? I guess that's the case. But is there "more" to it? What is the difference between eggshell and parchment, for example?

    Is "vintage" in "vintage white" just referring to a color and an aging level?

    And: When you do a custom-spec'd vintage Strat and just use the "base model parts", are you always getting pure white? Even when you specify a (journeyman/heavy) relic job.

    Really interesting when you just get into it. I'm looking at a '63 Strat currently which seems to have a "white" pickguard with "aged white" plastic parts. I actually like the combination but I guess it's purely a random spec on this guitar, nothing that really goes back to the 63 spec?

    Please feel free to delete this thread form the get-go. Threads like this are rather random and a bit tiresome, I know—the answer in many cases is already out there and takes just a bit of reading and time.

  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    No need to apologize! This is a great thread. I have no answers, but I'm totally interested to see what the others know.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    this is actually a meaningful thread. The different colors matter when you are trying to build a guitar or match a missing switch tip or replace a lost whammy bar.

    recently I saw an illustration of a loaded pickguard. It had parchment, aged white, white plastics on it. It looked very mismatched or partsocaster in a not good way.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    The plastic parts all aged differently, even on the same guitar. When they switched from polystyrene to ABS for covers and knos they didn't change them all at once.

    I think the choice in white plastic is mostly so you can pick and choose different degrees of aging.

  5. #5
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    I owned a '59 Strat once that I'm 99% positive was completely original. The knobs were different colors, the volume knob being the most "yellowed". That would seem to indicate that handling them affects the plastic. These knobs were of the 3 spoke variety.
    There was a time that I became somewhat obsessed with this, & bought great numbers of pickup covers & knobs. I had more than I can count! There seemed to be all kinds of shades & subtle differences. I settled on a set to use on a guitar, & took other sets & just set them on a sunny windowsill. Those sets not only changed shades, they developed a " patina" that I don't know can be reproduced any other way.

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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    Very interesting to me! I'd like to know more. Good question!

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    Yes, like our friends said above, the pickguard, knobs and tips don't always age the same way. They will eventually vary in color and feel.

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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    So will the new white knobs yellow like the old ones?

  9. #9

    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sonicboom2 View Post
    So will the new white knobs yellow like the old ones?
    Not very quickly. They may to a degree depending on the amount and type of light exposure as well as other potential factors but the white plastic that is being used these days, will likely take a long while to show any discernible aging.

  10. #10
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sonicboom2 View Post
    So will the new white knobs yellow like the old ones?
    I think the newer plastics are more resistant to color change due to age and our guitars spend a lot less time in smokey bars. I do know that the gold lettering on the knobs still turns green as they age.

  11. #11
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    I have a couple of Strats from the 80's that get played a lot and the plastic is dirty, but still the original color. The fun part is my Oly White Strat is no longer white, it has turned into a cream color. So while the plastic hasn't changed the poly has.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Forum Member Direstraits's Avatar
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    Re: Fender plastic parts: So many whites — what's the story?

    I've got a late 80's MIJ strat on which the knobs and pickup covers have all aged to ivory/cream, but switch tip & the one-layer 50's style pickguard have hardly aged at all. Authentic aging can definitely vary acording to the plastic used.
    My MIM Jazz bass 3 ply pickguard has aged from bright white to a slightly creamier colour although it's not kept in bright conditions.

    My Mark Knopfler Sig USA Strat came with a mint green pickguard that has changed to a buff colour (almost like nicotine staining) with paler "reverse shadows" above the knobs & switch where the (diffuse) daylight was obstructed as it shone on the guitar while it was held in a rack. It's kept in its case now.

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