Finish yellowing.....

[carfish7]

I have a fine SS Custom that has aged nicely. The perfect blend of finish checking and color change IMHO. It has taken on a creamy "vintage white" hue that is veering towards yellow. I have it hanging in room that gets lots of bright sunlight, but not direct sunlight. It looks like it has "darkened" a bit since I have owned it, so I'm wondering if having it out of the case and hanging on the wall in this bright room will accelerate the yellowing? Will it continue and then reach a point where it will stop or keep yellowing forever?

Can anyone post a pic of a formerly white Hamer that has yellowed a lot?

Thanks!

[murkat]

it keeps going.

it does not stop.

even poly uro's will yellow over time.

No escaping it.

[carfish7]

Will having it out in this bright room accelerate the process?

[gorch]

Sunlight certainly improves ageing. So, keeping it in the case will slower the process.

[Andrew]

The yellowing is damage accelerated by UV or pollutants. Oxygen plays a part but that is unavoidable. Cracking/checking has other causes, mostly wood expansion and contraction. But the lacquer becomes more brittle with aging/yellowing so is more prone.

Aging/yellowing will keep going until the paint becomes so brittle and lacking in adhesion that it will fall off the guitar. I wouldn't try to accelerate the process or even encourage it. As to 'improving aging'.......look up oxymoron!

There is a difference between a mellow gently-aged finish and totally fucked paint, although where you draw that line is a matter of personal taste.

[dgstandard]

here's a pic:

[Caddie]

Naturally aged (krausening), beautiful yellow with gold hardware.... Its gorgeous, sell it now before it goes over the edge.

caddie

[dragan]

[carfish7]

I'd like to avoid those small patches of REALLY dark yellowing. Uniform aging is cool - splotchy? Not so much.

That 4-digit bass is super-cool. Thanks for posting!

[Andrew]

I would love to know more about the history of that white Standard - a most groovy instrument.

It is from 83ish and after the introduction of the Blitz with the same headstock and bridge. But the neck joint is pure Standard.

I have also seen several double Jazz equipped Blitzes.

So why was it made as a four-digit and for whom was it made?

[velorush]

I would love to know more about the history of that white Standard - a most groovy instrument.

It is from 83ish and after the introduction of the Blitz with the same headstock and bridge. But the neck joint is pure Standard.

I have also seen several double Jazz equipped Blitzes.

So why was it made as a four-digit and for whom was it made?

Andrew, if you have a second, please educate me on what makes that a Standard neck joint. To my naive eye it looks like this Blitz bass from your site:

Are there other photos you've seen that are showing the back side of the neck and body?

[Andrew]

I hope this illustrates the difference. Standards have a sculpted neck joint like the top pic.

Blitzes have a joint like a Sunburst or other 80s Hamer. The neck is just glued into the pocket but not blended into the body.

See here for 0699 neck joint:

http://www.hamerfanclub.com/forums/topic/62188-for-sale-4-digits-and-more/page-3

It's not a big detail but did help keep costs down on the Blitz. Many Blitzes were custom made with quite fancy appointments and quite a few plain-jane Standards were built, Blitzes are easily distinguished from the Standards by this neck detail and by their printed 5/6 digit, rather than stamped four-digit, serial number (true up to end 1985).

Headstocks on the guitars are also different. See:

http://www.buddlejagarden.co.uk/hamer/stand3.htm

[velorush]

Thanks! Makes perfect sense now. I just didn't see the difference looking at the front.