Aging an Olympic White bass

[joshuajbrooks]

Hey everyone,

Just got a beautiful 1990 Fender 1962 reissue mij olympic white jazz bass. I love it, plays like a dream. My question is, it has been in a case for most of its' life and is sparkling white still, I love a yellowing white and really want it to go yellow quicker. any way I can do that? Will post pictures once I get it back from its' set up

thanks

 

[GIBrat51]

Well, I suppose you could send it to me, and I'll put it out on the patio this Spring and Summer. Here in the Mojave Desert, I guarantee it will turn Yellow. Really quick. Probably shrivel up a lot, too; but you can't have everything... Actually, IIRC, it really is ultraviolet light - as in, intense sunlight - that will turn the finish yellow. It takes quite a while, though. Just play as many outside gigs as you can, and you'll get there eventually. And, by the way - welcome to TalkBass...

 

[two fingers]

Yeah hang that sucker on the wall in a room that gets sunlight. Done.

 

[phangtonpower]

I'm probably wrong, but I always thought that the yellowing was cause of nitro. Yours is probably poly and will stay white for a long time coming.

 

[joshuajbrooks]

I don't think it's a nitro thing. this one has gone yellow and is the same [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] make as mine

 

[phangtonpower]

I don't think it's a nitro thing. this one has gone yellow and is the same [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] make as mine

But that is painted in vintage white and not Olympic.

 

[Rabidhamster]

The shoe polish trick should Amber it up nicely.

 

[Axstar]

I have an Olympic white Telecaster that is only a couple of years old, and from memory it already has tanlines if you remove the pickguard. White is, as far as I understand, a tricky colour to formulate in a stable manner. You could book the body of the bass into the tanning salon, having removed all the hardware and the neck? No idea how long you would have to give it on the sunbed, so it might be brown after five minutes or looking no different after thirty.

I wouldn't use shoe polish however! It contains carcinogens and is designed to make your shoes look great, not to be slathered on musical instruments. it is a slightly ghetto trick that some use to make maple necks look warmer, but I doubt it will penetrate the clearcoat on your bass. You might get a temporary patchily inconsistent discolouration from the polish, but you won't get a permanent change.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

I bought a "supposed to be Shell Pink" bass body cheap off the bay last year and it was Pepto Bismal pink. Bright pink! I was bummed but it was so cheap I just decided to leave it in the sun for quite a few sunny days last summer and it faded the brightness out of it pretty well and yellowed it.
It's still not faded to shell pink but it's getting there. So yea put it in the sun as much as you can and I guarantee it will yellow the finish whether it's nitro or poly.

 

[Wisebass]

hi josh!!!

Will post pictures once I get it back from its' set up

picspicspicspicspics

before and after

put it out on the patio this Spring and Summer

will be a loooooong thread...... pics everyday!!!

on the sunbed, so it might be brown after five minutes

some of us would call this bassporn put on sunglasses

I wouldn't use shoe polish however!

my wife would kill me for that....

but there are other ways: e.g. put on a tort pickgard!
than your bass will go from white to yellow to surfgreen and then
whenever you think the colour is good: take off the tort the damage will be permanent

or: have fun on your bass, keep it for the rest of your live and age will happen

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Ghastly]

Just play it and forget about it. In time you will get what you seek. In the meantime there's nothing wrong with playing a beautiful bass.

 

[ONYX]

In the early 80's, I bought a Riverhead bass--stark white. Now, 30+ years later, it's a beautiful Nicotine Yellow. The "best" way to age your bass is time. Lots and lots of time.

 

[phillybass101]

Man just keep it and play it. In due time just like our teeth, through use and time it will yellow.

 

[gln1955]

Man just keep it and play it. In due time just like our teeth, through use and time it will yellow.

Maybe blow cigarette smoke on it and dip it in coffee every day.

 

[BusyFingers]

I have an Olympic white Telecaster that is only a couple of years old, and from memory it already has tanlines if you remove the pickguard. White is, as far as I understand, a tricky colour to formulate in a stable manner. You could book the body of the bass into the tanning salon, having removed all the hardware and the neck? No idea how long you would have to give it on the sunbed, so it might be brown after five minutes or looking no different after thirty.

I wouldn't use shoe polish however! It contains carcinogens and is designed to make your shoes look great, not to be slathered on musical instruments. it is a slightly ghetto trick that some use to make maple necks look warmer, but I doubt it will penetrate the clearcoat on your bass. You might get a temporary patchily inconsistent discolouration from the polish, but you won't get a permanent change.

I tried a tanning salon once to age a finish, and it wasn't effective.

But... Direct sunlight outside would probably be a lot quicker. Or hang it in a window that gets at least a few hours of direct sunlight every day.

 

[bassdude51]

I'm gonna go 21st century with my comment and end the sentence with a question...................With the owner's permission, take your MIJ Oly White P Bass to your local Muslim Hookah Bar and hang it on the wall for 3 months?

 

[Rabidhamster]

The shoe polish method isn't so scary and it does work. Less carcinogenic than cigarette smoke to do the same thing, and obviously it doesn't stay on the guitar- you wipe it off afterwards and wear gloves during application. All that's left once you're done is the stain. If it turns out splotchy it's probably because you did a splotchy job.
One can polish their shoes safely and you touch them without even wiping the stuff off so completely.
Not saying you should do it, but it's one of a few relatively consistent tricks for ambering a poly finish quickly.

And let's be honest, what method of aging your poly finished guitar ISNT sort of "ghetto"?
I guess renting a tanning booth is pretty Gucci.

 

[john_g]

Dont listen to any of these other jokers...all you need is a time machine. Yeah, just get your hands on some plutonium, a clock from an old VCR and a bag of Skittles.

 

[LowDownHawkeye]

If UV light is what does it, what about a black light from a hardware store? Ive got two fluorescent black lights that I had intended to use for making my own circuit boards, though that project has not gotten off the ground just yet. I don't remember them being particularly expensive.

 

[Rabidhamster]

If UV light is what does it, what about a black light from a hardware store? Ive got two fluorescent black lights that I had intended to use for making my own circuit boards, though that project has not gotten off the ground just yet. I don't remember them being particularly expensive.

Nope. UV lights can be bought and would do the trick, but would be dangerous to your eyes and skin. Black lights aren't dangerous but also wouldn't fade/Amber the guitar. They are good for hanging above fuzzy paintings however.

High powered Grow lights can work too- not talking about those green plant bulbs from the Walmart , but the ambering is a sort of a 1-season sort of color shift and the lights can heat your guitar plastics too much if you aren't careful.