Pickguard tan line!

  • Thread starter Thread starter cusebassman
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cusebassman

Freakin' sweet
Sweet crackers...

Searched high and low for this, and it seems its a futile topic, but I'll ask anyway :p

I removed the pickguard from my Takamine last night, and need to pick up some naptha, as some sites have recommended (to get rid of the residual glue). Is there nothing to be done about the tan (lighter wood underneath the pickguard) beyond simply using the guitar until it balances out (if it ever will)?

And if nothing can be done about it, I might as well put the thing back on (it looks so nice without it, aside from that weird-looking light spot) - what kind of glue would suffice?
 
The only way to get rid of completely is to refinish. I know you didnt want to hear that. It will get less over time but it pretty much always going to be there.
 
Oh, its okay - I figured there wasn't much to be done about it. The finish on this particular model is very light, so the difference isn't major. Just thought I'd ask :p
 
Even a refinish won't do it, because it is not just the finish which has yellowed. The wood under the finish has yellowed, and it goes quite deep. The only way to completely get rid of it and still have a guitar is to re-top the thing (which is a really bad idea). We've run into this a lot over the years.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I figured it was the rest of the wood yellowing, and as such, the lighter spot can't be treated like a "stain".

The only thing I can think of is to cut a cardboard negative of the top of the guitar that exposes only the part that used to be covered by the pickguard, and place a light on it for some ridiculously long period of time :D
 
Light said:
Even a refinish won't do it, because it is not just the finish which has yellowed. The wood under the finish has yellowed, and it goes quite deep. The only way to completely get rid of it and still have a guitar is to re-top the thing (which is a really bad idea). We've run into this a lot over the years.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...
Yeh, but you can wash out with various things when you refinish a top so it's near invisible. It does depend how much the spruce has shaded I'll grant you. It's really not worth the hassle.
 
cusebassman said:
I figured it was the rest of the wood yellowing, and as such, the lighter spot can't be treated like a "stain".

The only thing I can think of is to cut a cardboard negative of the top of the guitar that exposes only the part that used to be covered by the pickguard, and place a light on it for some ridiculously long period of time :D
Click to expand...
It's not that simple I'm afraid. You ain't going to get it to catch up. There are chemical changes to consider as well. Both washing out a re finish or replacing are not really an option for you. I'd live with it.

Washing out is a very skilled process employed by antique restorers to remove fresh work marks and match the existing patina. It involves both removing colour and putting it back. To do it right is incredibly hard.....
 
Thanks for the advice :) I wasn't going to bother, as the color difference isn't that great, and I don't want to end up doing more damage than good for such a little cosmetic change. If I get lots of "Oh my God that guitar is sooo ugly" comments, I'll put the thing back on :p
 
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