Any tips on how to relic a maple strat neck please?

marktheharp

As above .just want to lightly relic a maple neck glooped in poly....
Thanks in advance  and apologies if this has been covered before.don't mind re-directing to other  threads etc..? 
Cheers 
Mark. 

WezV

Are you after colour, wear, damage etc. Or is it mainly about feel?
its all a bit harder because it's poly but if you have some pics of the current state and the desired outcome it will help the guidance.

marktheharp

Thanks wez  .I have dulled the black poly body with a scouring pad and put some wear on it . And am pleasantly suprised... the neck is just a generic Chinese import  amber tinted thick poly,maple neck. I don't want any gouges out of the neck,just want it to look a bit aged ,very lightly relic  look... 
I can never put pics on here but I can  try to put a link to Facebook  pics..? 

marktheharp

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10208332717056315&id=1256111981

marktheharp

Above link should work. If someone on Facebook can copy and paste the pics. Would be greatly appreciated...
Cheers 
Mark 

axisus

I really don't like the finger wear you get on maple fretboards, either genuine or done by someone - where you get all those dark patches. I think maple looks better if you take all the finish off and let it all get dirty.

WezV

Start with the scouring pad again.

if the poly is thick I wouldn't suggest wearing through anywhere or adding chips and damage

is the tint okay, or are you looking to change the colour?

Lebarque

Play it every day for twenty years!

marktheharp

Quite happy with the tint.just want it to look a bit older/worn,maybe darken it  ever so slightly?.
So if I start with the scouring pad ,will that just take the shine off ,similar to the body? Thanks for replies  everyone  

lamf68

Lebarque said:

Play it every day for twenty years!

Quite possibly the most boring, overused, unhelpful and unfunny quote when anyone ever asks a question about ageing a guitar, I hate seeing this spunked about in a thread, what's the point? anyway, to the point, Poly is shit to try and age, the only joy you'll have is the old rubbing the back of the neck off with sandpaper and staining it using Iron Oxide, you can then break through the paint on the front of the fingerboard by getting a blade and scraping along the inside of each fret, laborious and requires a steady hand, once you've scored the paint deep enough to get into the wood, get more of the Iron Oxide solution and paint it along the frets, this will seep into the wood and create them many lines you see on all 70's maple fender necks, I had them on my old precision bass and while i'm only doing this work on nitro necks i see no reason why it won't work on poly, the paint will lift slightly but that can be sanded back flat once the solution has dried out
you'll end up with this effect which i think looks super authentic.

marktheharp

Thanks Rich.
Just googling iron oxide'!
  

marktheharp

AKA 'rust' ...  

lamf68

marktheharp said:

AKA 'rust' ...  

hahahahahahaha...I went all technical with the Iron Oxide!!! sorry man, just get half a ball of wire wool pop it in an airtight tub or small jar cover it in Wilkinsons Vinegar stuff, think they sell it as something for cleaning glass, make sure the wire wool is completely covered, but don't pour so much that its all liquid in there, give it 3 or 4 days and that's the stuff, I'm lucky enough to have a tub of it in powder form that i mix up when i need it, i think you can buy it from furniture places online, all them ones for doing "Shabby Chic" it is definitely there, just never had to buy it, seriously though, this scoring of the frets works beautiful. It's never failed for me

marktheharp

That's cool Rich. Thanks mate..

marktheharp

I have had a read up on these various methods.and the poly can be a bitch  to get off..! And am thinking to play it safe and just lightly take off the shine off back of neck with a scouring pad... my diy. skills are limited and don't want to mess up the frets etc...as it is a nice neck and the guitar plays great..  
Thanks everyone for advice .

flyingv

lamf68 said:

Lebarque said:

Play it every day for twenty years!

Quite possibly the most boring, overused, unhelpful and unfunny quote when anyone ever asks a question about ageing a guitar, I hate seeing this spunked about in a thread, what's the point? 

Totally agree @lamf68 ;

jimification

Iamf68 - super helpful post, thanks!

Bork

If you find bare wood, some graphite powder can give the wood (and paint cracks) some funk.