How to age back of neck realistically ?

[yanni]

I did a quite good job shooting my partscaster neck with a tinted nitro lacquer. Compared this to the images in Nachos telecaster book and its pretty spot on. Whats gives me troubles is the back of the neck.

I could do it like Fender CS or Nash does it. Sand it (or don't spray it at all) than darken it with some graphite and oil it. In my opinion this looks really fake. Vintage necks do not look like this at all. Actually the back of the neck has the same color as the front of the neck but just has a worn feeling.

A different method could be to first stain the wood then spray clear lacquer on the top of the neck and the headstock. This way the back of the neck would keep its color. But I am not sure if this would help me.

I think what Danocaster does looks quite nice. What Nacho does is 100% spot on. I am pretty sure they dont just remove the lacquer. They do it some other way.

 

[Mad Kiwi]

Because I used tinted shellac, the more coats the darker it gets. SO...if you then remove a few layers in the normal wear spots it lightens up and looks worn...but is not through to the wood, which i agree, just doesn't look relic'd unless your going for the swamp caster look (which i really dislike). May not be Custom Shop standard but gives the look i was after.

 

[yanni]

Would you mind posting a pic how this looksl lke ? Thanks...

 

[TeleFunk Man]

Just play the crap out of it.

 

[Silverface]

I am pretty sure they dont just remove the lacquer. They do it some other way.

Most do. I always have. It starts with some artistic staining before it's ever finished; then only a limited number of finish coats; then carefully "graduated" material removal by combinations of very fine wet sanding combined with rottenstone, pumice and other fine abrasives used by professional finishers.

It takes years of repetition to get it looking realistic - which is why most don't. There just aren't any shortcuts and really no way of describing the "process" - it changes virtually every time it's done depending on wood grain, hardness, materials used at the time, ambient conditions - and the finisher's mood. It's artwork - it's like trying to explain to someone "how to paint a picture of the ocean".