Hi. I’m putting together a cheapish guitar kit which has a nasty very cheap looking white pickguard. Obviously I could buy a better one (but I’m going to stick the guitar in a charity raffle, so don’t want to spend too much more). Has anyone had any luck aging this kind of plastic? I’ve heard steel wool and then tea or coffee soaking overnight?
1 Like
I am not sure about that Scott but maybe clean it up and let the lucky winner deal with it, if it was me and I won it that is what I would do cheers Hec
1 Like
Toss it down the drive way and leave it outside over night? That seem to be how my kid aged all the expensive stuff I bought her over the years.
If it was a different place and time I would say take it to the club let a drunk girl put a couple of cigarettes out on it, and then maybe puke on it while your in the bathroom. 
2 Likes
Depends on just how aged you want it. I’d skip the steel wool and go with tea, if that will produce the color you want. Other household things that stain different colors are ground cumin or curry powders. Maybe test small places on the back side first.
1 Like
Not to come across rude, but why on earth would you want to do this?
The outcome of the raffle will be random and there’s a high probability that a non-guitar player will ‘win’ it (unless the charity is for musicians benevolence … 
)
I’d be put off by receiving a scutty looking prize. Leave it as is and let the new owner decide whether to age it or leave it pristine.
3 Likes
cheap coffee would be my first idea ^^
1 Like
Thanks for the comments everyone. I ‘found’ a cream pickguard I’d forgotten I had, so it’s a moot point now. Though the brilliant white back plate is now soaking in tea, so we shall see.
The build is done with just a weird glitch to troubleshoot. The pickups work when the pickguard is out, but once it’s positioned and screwed down the neck pickup doesn’t, well, pick up. It’s the selector switch, as when forcing it a bit it works. But it behaves perfectly when taken out of the guitar body. I did copper shield the cutouts - earthing issue somewhere?
Anyway, here’s what she looks like. Did a custom headstock cut and added some abalone knobs. Also put some Fretlook blue inlays in.
1 Like
Thanks - now you have me thinking of Turmeric and a whole new build!!
1 Like
Oh yeah, tumeric! Definitely with an experiment 