| I think the OP is referring to 70's Fender necks that have a standard sort of clear finish on the neck but have a darker, yellowed finish on the face of the headstock.
Fender used a polyester finish on the necks in the 70's. It was discovered that the poly finish had a reaction with the headstock decal that pretty much ruined it. So, the necks were still finished with poly, but the face of the headstock was sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer, which didn't affect the decal.
The two finishes looked the same when the instruments were new, so it was all good as they rolled off of the assembly line. Over the years, the poly finish portion of the neck didn't really age or yellow, since it's synthetic. Nitro, as used on the headstock faces, has organic components which are affected by the elements, light, and the passage of time.
Because of this, Fender necks of this era have relatively transparent clearcoats, except for the face if the headstock which ages to a transparent yellow or even orange hue.
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Last edited by 20db pad : 06-28-2011 at 08:00 AM.
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