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Post subject: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 3:46 am
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Hi folks,

Looking for some guidance. I have a 60th anniversary US-made 2012 American Standard Tele in Butterscotch Blonde that I bought on eBay from a UK dealer. The price was pretty attractive as there were a few tiny scuffs around the top of the neck, possibly where it hung on a hook in the shop. Otherwise no other cosmetic issues. I moved to Singapore 18 months ago, obviously a very hot and humid climate. The flat is air conditioned, of course, but still gets quite hot when we are away (close to 30 C or 90 F.) I was worried about what that would do to my guitars, but not much I could do about the move.

Back to the Tele - there are now a few barely noticeable "clear" smudges on the front of the body, about the size of a coin and between the bridge and strap pin, that I don't think were there when I bought it. They are very hard to see, you have to turn it a certain way until the light reflects off the smudge. When I try to wipe it with a cloth or polish, it doesn't affect it at all, so it does not appear to be anything sticky that got on the outside of the finish. So I'm wondering if it is sort of bubbling up from underneath the outer coating of sealant (whatever that is), and possibly whether that is due to the temperature fluctuation and/or humidity here on the equator. It does not appear to be an actual air bubble - yet.

Unfortunately my understanding of wood finishes is even worse than my lead guitar playing. So any advice is helpful - would this be a "poly" or "nitro" finish (based on when/where it was made - how can you tell)? Anything I can do to stop it from getting worse? Best to leave it alone if it won't rub off and is underneath the outermost layer of varnish or whatever?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 5:54 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Love Butterscotch Blonde! I think if you would put a drop of automotive scratch remover on your fingertip and lightly rub around the area, then buff it out you will start to see if the mark is on the surface of the finish or underneath. You won't hurt anything by trying, and I bet it polishes out. Good luck.
Also,I live in a hot humid climate in summer and cold dry in the winter. It's the dry time of year that is the concern.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 6:34 am
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If your guitar is the (2011...) 60th Anni Tele (product code 011-6112-768), the finish is nitro on an ash body.
Without pics, can't really say much on those spots, except that a) Singapore climate is rough on guitars, b) but Teles have survived worse, and c) if it doesn't show in a pic, it may not be serious at this point, so just follow the situation.

I'd go along tvr1979's guidelines, although just a regular guitar cleaner/polish of your favorite brand would be the mild way to start.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:34 am
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Thanks, guys. Please see the pics. The problem seems to be getting worse than when I last examined it closely, and I'm wondering if the strap may be (or have been) the cause. There are about eight or so blotches running from the base of the top near the strap peg, up the left side of the top (upper bout?) and up the left shoulder as it approaches the top strap peg.

Picture 1 shows a couple of the blotches when the light hits it the right way (ignore the bright round spot on the top right, that is the reflection of the spotlight). You can see the reflection of irregular blotches just above and right of the bridge (with the guitar upside down), and a smaller one just right of the bridge pickup. Pic 2, is a closeup of the two lower marks (again ignore the bright roundish reflection in the left middle) - you can see the bottom mark actually has some texture. And contrary to what I said before, you can just barely feel these scraping a fingernail across them. If I use my fingertips, though, I can't feel anything on the surface.

For some time I've been storing my guitars in a case with the strap not touching the finish - I slide my polishing cloth underneath the strap, between the strap and body, and the rest of the strap touches the strings. On this guitar it is one of those sort-of-thin/narrow Fender-branded straps that looks like vinyl on the inside. However, I may not always have been as diligent about placing the cloth under the strap, and I used to store them with the strap laid down to the left of the bridge, very close to where these marks are located the full length of the top. So is it a good guess that the vinyl on the strap may have reacted with the nitro finish, possibly even before we left London for Singapore? Any other ideas for treating it? I tried the polish and that doesn't work at all, which is why I thought the blemishes might be slightly below the surface. But it is safe to use auto scratch remover on the finish?

Thanks again.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:35 am
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Hmmm... does anyone know how to upload photos to this thing? :oops:


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:11 am
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How to post pics - Nutter's quick start guide


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:45 am
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:x


Last edited by Sparky84 on Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:54 am
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OK, let's see if this works:

Image

Image

(They're huge, sorry - don't know how to fix that)


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:33 am
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Pics show fine, and the size is OK.
Looking at the second pic, I'd agree that the strap is the most likely culprit.

Fixing those marks would be possible, but I'm guessing not easy if those guitar cleaners/polishers/scratch removers won't help. The major operation; sanding/buffing (+ possible partial refinishing) process to get a mint looking surface; isn't easy. Consult a good pro with nitro experience if it comes to that.
Or you can choose to just let it be - guitars get marks in time.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:57 am
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OK, well I guess I've done some unintentional relic-ing! :D

Thanks for the advice.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:59 am
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I concur. That definitely looks like strap rash.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 4:14 am
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I think 30C is likely not a high enough temp to cause that weakness without some additional factor(s) at play.

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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:03 am
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Sparky84 wrote:
OK, well I guess I've done some unintentional relic-ing! :D

Thanks for the advice.

The only true relicing is unintentional. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 5:49 am
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I think if you put a small piece of wet cloth over a block of cardboard to make a polishing block, and use a product like Scratch X, you could rub it out.


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Post subject: Re: Small problem with finish on Tele
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:47 pm
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I can't imagine that the finish marks on your guitar are from the strap, as I cannot imagine how a strap would touch the face for the body below the bridge????
I have a 2000 Takamine LTD acoustic guitar, which is really a great sounding acoustic guitar, that has finish "ghost marks" which have gotten progressively worse over the years, for reasons that I have no explanation.

It cannot be related to temperature or other environment fluctuations.
I presently do not have pictures of the Takamine guitar that I can post, but the blemishes look similar to the finish blemishes on your guitar,

I believe that you have a defective finish, and if it is out of warranty, or if you are not the original owner of the guitar with documented purchase information, I don't know what you can do except for, live with the blemishes.


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