Lake Placid Blue - how does it age?

[hindutimes]

Hi there,

I'm very close to choosing a new guitar (just have to decide on colour), and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with Lake Placid Blue and how well it ages?

I'm referring specifically to the true version of LPB (i have been told its the correct version) which can be found on the 64 AV Tele (I think this is nitro), rather than the other versions of the colour.

Does it darken? Does it go greener?

I'm caught in two minds between the blue and the white, but I know white has a tendency to go cream / yellow over time, which is putting me off a bit.

Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks,


R

 

[chipbutty24]

Google

 

[Ronkirn]

It would depend on the type paint used.... real Lake Placid was Nitro, with nitro clear coats... Nitro turns amber with time.. amber + Blue = green.... thus the color would migrate toward a more blue green tone.. as seen in the Jag above

Ron Kirn

 

[sonny wolf]

I have seen examples of lake placid blue appearing as sherwood green due to heavy aging.

 

[Telemarkman]

It would depend on the type paint used.... real Lake Placid was Nitro, with nitro clear coats... Nitro turns amber with time.. amber + Blue = green.... thus the color would migrate toward a more blue green tone.. as seen in the Jag above

Ron Kirn

I'm sorry to arrest you there, Ron ... Lake Placid Blue (used from 1960 to 1973) was actually acrylic (Lucite). Many of them didn't have a nitro clear coat, and they stayed a beautiful medium blue color even as old. Alvino Rey's 1960 Tele is a good example of this. It can be seen in Duchossoir's "Bible" p.38

 

[Ronkirn]

Lake Placid Blue (used from 1960 to 1973) was actually acrylic (Lucite).

that's what I meant to say... I'm old.. gimme a break...

r

 

[Telemarkman]

I forgive you old man. I guess you have forgot more things than I will ever know ...

 

[hindutimes]

Thanks for the responses. So the finish on the guitar I'm looking at ((link removed)), is that nitro and likely to green over time?

If so, how quick is that process....are we talking months, years or decades of playing?

Finally, is there anything I could do to reduce the speed at which it ages (not putting it in direct sunlight etc)?

 

[soulman969]

Thanks for the responses. So the finish on the guitar I'm looking at ((link removed)), is that nitro and likely to green over time?

If so, how quick is that process....are we talking months, years or decades of playing?

Finally, is there anything I could do to reduce the speed at which it ages (not putting it in direct sunlight etc)?

It's possible that the lacquer finish will yellow a bit over time but not the paint finish itself. How long? Very long, decades is more like it.

 

[schotter611]

AV '64: This nitro lacquered LPB blemishes and gets duller real fast. I got mine from a guy who apologized for all those little scratches; he had it for less than a year and could not quite explain where he produced those (the wrong cloth I think). I had 2 weeks of intense band practice and where my forearm and little finger rest, it is already dull (after cautiously polishing off the sweat with the included fender cloth...). Chips came off where I do not remember hitting it, more scratches that expeced where I hit with the pick a couple times...

I know, this probably does not relate much to your worry about yellowing. But even if there's natural yellowing at some point, by that time you'll have a pretty worn looking guitar. This lacquer won't need the road to look road worn.

As for the yellow, I'd say keep it out of the sun and LPB will look as it does now for a very long time.

 

[hindutimes]

Thanks for the response. It really is only the colouring that I was worried about, but you have exactly the same guitar? What are your thoughts on it generally?

I quite like the idea that it'll bash up easier, but it was really just whether the colour would change much.

 

[schotter611]

but you have exactly the same guitar? What are your thoughts on it generally?

Hmmm. Overall, I love it (not sure, though, if we are still honeymoninng..)

Disclaimer: Not an old Telemeister here, just played in several bands (from R&B to anything Post-Punk) over the period of 25yrs (with a huge break in between).
I always wanted a Tele that feels 'like a Tele' (or what I expect it to feel like). And one that sounds great when clean.
For me, who has been playing an SG Special for the longest time, the sturdy(ish) neck (especially above 5th-7th fret), less 'plastic' surface feel, the whole vintage frets and radius thing, make for a refreshingly 'real' guitar feel. More work, more 'active' playing, more wrestling a wooden plank. But I feel I get much more out of it. My 80's SG now feels like a toy when going back.

As for tone, my Tele experience is limited. But I played a busload of them recently so let me try: This one has a clear, resonant voice with slightly 'woody, midsy' character.
To me, single coil Teles all have a 'ringing clarity' in common. But while the current AM ST is more 'ethereal' and 'glassy', the AV is more earthy. Single notes more 'substantial'. The highs are there: Complex, brilliant, but with a 'woodsy' character. At the other hand, it is less 'humbucky' sounding than say the latest Deluxes. Single Coil but 'robust'.
The bridge PU bites nicely, with a good amout of growl and the neck PU (initially not my favorite but now my go-to PU) is warm/wooden but far from 'wooly'. It still picks up a massive amount of detail (revealing when you have a bad guitar day....). 'Complex' is probably the best word.
A few hickups I had (or have): The threaded bridge creates a slighly weird spacing AND some strings seem to not oscillate freely and I am planning to changing out the saddles. The headstock does not tilt backwards enough to guarantee a clean break so you have to add winds to keep the strings low behind the nut.
This and the lacquer specialty is probably the flipside of the 'vintage correct' coin but nothing that keep me from loving this plank.
Hope this helps.

 

[soulman969]

Thanks for the response. It really is only the colouring that I was worried about, but you have exactly the same guitar? What are your thoughts on it generally?

I quite like the idea that it'll bash up easier, but it was really just whether the colour would change much.

FWIW I had a 66 LPB Jazz Bass that showed no finish discoloration after 10 years and of course now I wonder why I ever sold it for far less than it's probably worth today slightly yellowed or not.

I also have a '95 LPB Tele that shows no signs of discoloration 18 years hence however it's not a lacquer finish. If yours does discolor somewhat over the years I'm sure it will be the result of some mild yellowing in the lacquer not the paint itself.

 

[Colgin]

AV '64: This nitro lacquered LPB blemishes and gets duller real fast. I got mine from a guy who apologized for all those little scratches; he had it for less than a year and could not quite explain where he produced those (the wrong cloth I think). I had 2 weeks of intense band practice and where my forearm and little finger rest, it is already dull (after cautiously polishing off the sweat with the included fender cloth...). Chips came off where I do not remember hitting it, more scratches that expeced where I hit with the pick a couple times...

I know, this probably does not relate much to your worry about yellowing. But even if there's natural yellowing at some point, by that time you'll have a pretty worn looking guitar. This lacquer won't need the road to look road worn.

As for the yellow, I'd say keep it out of the sun and LPB will look as it does now for a very long time.

If you don't mind, I would love to see pics of your guitar now that is showing some wear. I just purchased this exact model and am curious how it will look. Based on my very limited experience, and some wear in the finish out of the box (this was a store demo model), I have to think this will start looking fairly reliced within a year even from just home use.

 

[schotter611]

here goes. Tough to depict w. a snapshot camera.

 

[schotter611]

hmm...it actually reads quite well on those shots. In person, the scratches are less obvious as the sparkle and intense color kind of subdues them...plus I used some sharpening to make this visible.

 

[Brad-K]

The American vintage series by fender is uses a 'flash coat' lacquer, which means that it is given a poly as a sealer, then a lacquer sealer and then a very thin coat of nitro. they are buffed less because of how thin the lacquer is. its color might fade a little over time but it's unlikely that it will be significant. it also won't age as well as an all nitro guitar because poly finish tends to come of in chunks or chips whereas nitro doesn't