Olympic/Arctic White to Vintage White:

[supersoldier71]

Do current Fender white finishes age to "Vintage" white?

It's my understanding that the current finishing methods don't allow the white to yellow with age.

And I really want a vintage white Strat.

 

[soulman969]

The '62 re-issue Strat was made in vintage white. Here's one listed on Reverb.com. I'm not saying it's never happened but I have never seen an Olympic or Arctic White yellow to this degree.

https://reverb.com/item/113006-fender-62-reissue-stratocaster-1986-vintage-white

image removed

 

[oatsoda]

Here's my '11 Oly white Am Spcl. with her clothes off, and you can see the fine direction she's headed, so yeah, time and UV do it. And also with her PG back on, just to show how nice it looks with a WBW guard.

 

[supersoldier71]

Here's my '11 Oly white Am Spcl. with her clothes off, and you can see the fine direction she's headed, so yeah, time and UV do it. And also with her PG back on, just to show how nice it looks with a WBW guard.

Niiiice. That's what I'm looking for!

 

[BryMelvin]

I've got one e series Tele has not yellowed any where near that yellow from 89 to now. And it's played outside weekly in AZ sun all summer and half of winter. With the pickguard off there's a big difference, but not even close to the color of that 62 reissue.

 

[rze99]

Niiiice. That's what I'm looking for!

Me too

 

[soulman969]

Niiiice. That's what I'm looking for!

So what you really want is an Olympic White that ages to more of a tan or cream color and not the more yellow vintage white right? I have a 6 year old Olympic White Jazz Bass that's beginning to show some signs of a color change but it will never be as yellow as vintage white is.

 

[johnnywizzo]

I got to play a 40th anniversary Am STD Stratocaster a while ago. It had a rosewood fretboard, and the body color was a very pale pastel yellow. The owner did not know what to call the color. I was wondering if perhaps it was Olympic White that had yellowed over the years, but I can't seem to find out what colors Fender produced on this model. Whatever it was, it was beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have a photo. Any opinions?

 

[oatsoda]

I know that in '94 which was the 40th ann year, the Jeff beck strat was released in vintage white, which looked pale yellow, and I think they also did a strat plus that year in that color, but pretty sure the Am Std was Oly.

My tele up above does look a little more yellow in natural light than it does in those photos, so good chance what you played was just an Oly Std.

 

[lee2112]

Just throwing out some info for my fellow North Carolinian!
I've got 2 strat scratch builds going with one planned to be Oly White. From reading it seems that originally (late 50's to very early 60's) they did not clear coat this color. Google vintage oly white strats and you can see some originals that are very relic'd and yet still very white. 62 or so you see them very yellow so maybe then they started clear coating everything around that time.
So most if not all the yellow is in the clear coat aging. If you're wanting something to slowly age then I guess the key is knowing exactly what it's clear coated in. Then apply sun.
We're an odd lot. Modern paints and UV protection everywhere else in our life but see all the negatives in a 1950's nitro paint job as positives when it comes to our guitars.

 

[supersoldier71]

Just throwing out some info for my fellow North Carolinian!
I've got 2 strat scratch builds going with one planned to be Oly White. From reading it seems that originally (late 50's to very early 60's) they did not clear coat this color. Google vintage oly white strats and you can see some originals that are very relic'd and yet still very white. 62 or so you see them very yellow so maybe then they started clear coating everything around that time.
So most if not all the yellow is in the clear coat aging. If you're wanting something to slowly age then I guess the key is knowing exactly what it's clear coated in. Then apply sun.
We're an odd lot. Modern paints and UV protection everywhere else in our life but see all the negatives in a 1950's nitro paint job as positives when it comes to our guitars.

No doubt!

I ordered a Deluxe Roadhouse Strat in "vintage white" to get the color I want, but it's on backorder, and I'm SERIOUSLY considering canceling that one and just going with an Olympic White AmStd and waiting for it to age.

 

[musicalmartin]

My friend has/had a 63 white P bass from new and it had gone to cream /brown patches but still just about white in some places he played in a lot of smokey clubs .I am out of touch with him or I would photograph it .It was revelation in natural aging .if you reliced one like it few would buy it .The neck was an orangy brown colour .I last saw it in about 1984.He still had the case and receipt.

 

[Obsessed]

I do love the vintage white look on strats and have considered swapping out my CAR body for one as I try to rebond with my strat. The Roadhouse is gorgeous, but you do realize the electronics in them?

I think buying an old body is probably better than waiting to see if a new one changes over time. You can find some nicely natural aged Olympic white bodies on fleaBay, but the good vintage ones are spendy (I have been watching).

 

[drmcclainphd]

Do current Fender white finishes age to "Vintage" white?

It's my understanding that the current finishing methods don't allow the white to yellow with age.

And I really want a vintage white Strat.

By accident I discovered that Wipe-On-Poly later waxed with carnauba turned the originally blinding white appliance epoxy finish on one of my 12 string builds to a creamy ivory. At first annoyed, others complimented the look. I later tried it on my Fender arctic white Prodigy bass and got the same result. It's easy to do, it's easy to remove if you decide to, and although it does wear off in spots like road wear, it's just as easily re-done. You can adjust/increase the effect a layer at a time, but to add more poly you have to remove the wax first. Wax remover that does not remove poly is common. I've seen the vintage white, and it looks beige compared to the slight golden yellow tint I happened upon. All that clear poly and wax gives it depth. If you try it and aren't impressed, there's poly remover just as there is wax remover. The 12 string hasn't needed recoating in almost 3 years, so it seems fairly long lasting.

 

[supersoldier71]

I'm fine with the preamp since it can be bypassed via the S1 switch if I don't dig it.

And I may like it!

I have Duncan noiseless in my current Strat and have been toying with the idea of adding Clapton-style electronics.

 

[Cat MacKinnon]

In my experience, the answer is...probably, maybe, sort of. I mean, there are very few paints that won't change color to some extent; it just depends on the paint formula. Modern paint tends to yellow far less than old lacquer, but most other industries don't want that yellowing. Most of the modern Fenders I've seen will yellow a bit, but Oly tends to be a bit more noticeable than Arctic (I'd guess that it at least partially has to do with the pigments in Oly, which is a bit more "yellow" than the stark bluish that is Arctic White.)

Neither will yellow nearly as much as the old nitro finishes did though, so I wouldn't expect that (at least not for several decades.) Besides that, there's no way of knowing if and when Fender may decide to change paint suppliers, so some years might end up yellowing more than others (or a supplier changes their own formula, or whatever.)

 

[Shaunpski]

This is my '96 Am Std. It has spent a fair amount of time out of its case.

 

[Iago]

This used to be Olympic White. (Classic Series 60's, 2001):

It didn't take long to start yellowing.

 

[Obsessed]

This is my '96 Am Std. It has spent a fair amount of time out of its case.


View attachment 278931

That is as sweet as they get! Absolutely stunning. Did that start as Olympic White?