On my 2004 50th Anniversary MIA Strat I just bought used, the 3 layer (white/black/white) pickguard has some discoloration from the smoke and I'd like to be able to clean it back to white again. Any suggestion?

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

Naptha (regular lighter fluid) and then rinse with water.

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You might be on to something big here, the un-relicing process.

Wouldn't that be nice!!

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Thanks! I'll try it and let you know how well it works.

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

Glad to help!

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Martian my anti relicing partner how ya been.lol I will never forget I had bought a mint Tele that was 4 years old at the time that the guy left the paper on the pickguard and it actually became one with it and I could not get it off for nothing. I brought it to my friend Mike and he took the strings off and started squirting lighter fluid on and rubbing it in and I was freaking out and he was cracking up. The next thing BAM it came right off. Lesson learned. He is a lot like you = a genius with guitars.lol

What's doin?!!

Yep, that lighter fluid is great for many things including soaking gunky parts (like skanky bridge saddles) until all the crud comes off of them. No brushing, rubbing, scrubbing, etc.

I wouldn't call myself a genius. Rather, after 41 successful years as a FORMALLY trained ( and not by some 'luthier school'), NYC tech, one indeed does pickup up a few tricks along the way.

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The naptha didn't work. Any other ideas?

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

LOL!! Love it.

masterhacker ... how about soaking it in a sink of hot water and a fair amount of bleach for a hour?

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

All in favor of the "Anti-reliced" or "Un-reliced" guitar. I like the look of a natually worn relic, but the homemade jobs just look a little artifical to me. I once bought a Squire to try my hand at making a relic, but just couldn't bring myself to put sandpaper to a perfectly good guitar.

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"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul..."

-Emily Dickinson

Hello!

I would try one of the following:

1. White vinger and water
2. Sugar soap
3. Lemmon juice

I 've used all of the above at some point to successfully clean the nicotine off plastic light fittings, etc, though i've never tried it on a scratchplate.

If none of the above work why not light the naptha and go for that "Hendrix Relic" look.....Job done.

Enjoy!

Andy

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Pending Greatness

I think I would try some polishing compound. The final stage kind of stuff (that removes scratches and swirls).

I used it to remove what looked like a nasty scuff from a tennis shoe. It polished it up nicely ... bright and white ...

Personally, unless it smelled, I would leave it discolored ... JMO

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I'm with Orville... (except for the part about using a polish )

The coloration is part of your guitar's unique character. It may or may not be from smoke. My pearloid is white but not perfectly white and it has never even seen a cigarette let alone been in a smokey environment.

I just fear if you keep mucking around with heat, chemicals, and abrasives... you'll eventually find that magical combination that is going to destroy your original pick guard.

Why not buy a replacement to appease your need for white, and store the original away for safe keeping?

Obviously then, that discoloration is not from smoke. Whatever it is, is impregnated in the dye of the pickguard.

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