The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Q&A, discussion, and information for the labels covered by The Guitar Gallery (Specifically and exclusively guitars made by Matsumoku up to 1987)
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PostPosted: Fri 26 Mar 2010 04:20 PM 
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Virtuoso
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Location: Calgary, Alberta
The one cover on the neck pick-up has faded to an almost orange tone, while the others have aged to more of a creme tone.
Any tips on how to make these PUP covers all a consistent hue again?

I should note that I don't believe current aftermarket humbucker covers fit the spacing of these PUPs, and don't wish to take anything apart - I certainly don't have the expertise of many members here!

Kinda curious as to why only one cover turned 'noticeably darker' too... strictly cosmetic mind you, but I am kinda fussy(!)

Thanks in advance


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PostPosted: Fri 26 Mar 2010 05:54 PM 
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Sorry, but I don't see what you're talking about. I think it looks good. :rockwoot:


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PostPosted: Fri 26 Mar 2010 08:39 PM 
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Hey squawk, man that's a beauty! :love:
I can make out a bit of discoloration on the neck pup, but it doesn't seem offensive to me.

Part of the charm and mojo of old white plastic bits is that they do tend to go creamy over time. So much so, that God made creme plastic bits as standard factory items so we won't have to wait :lol:

If you feel some driven desire to whiten these pups, first of all, reconsider :yeah:
You might have a shot at the mounting ring, but anything you try with the pups is going to be potentially damaging to either the plastic itself or the electro-magnets.

There are number of methods which purport to whiten plastic but I would think long and hard about any of them. Many involve soaking in liquids, so right away you're in trouble unless you up for completely dismantling the pups (not a good idea). From what I understand, hydrogen peroxide together with an 'oxy' cleaner works on ABS plastics, but again, you need to immerse the plastic part; and I don't know for certain if the pup is ABS or PVC. As a general rule, what you should avoid at all costs is bleach! This will brighten things up but usually at the expense of deteriorating the plastic over time.

Perhaps the easiest and safest approach is simple gentle abrasion. Try using a fine sandpaper #2000 or better. With patience you can remove the yellowed top surface and expose some 'fresh' white plastic. Ordinarily you would 'wet' sand but...
The added benefit is that your poles will get nice and shiny too! Use a compressed air canister to blow away the debris, then polish the surface with a little liquid polish.

Good luck!

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PostPosted: Fri 26 Mar 2010 09:30 PM 
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Thanks Barry,

No, I won't be dismantling anything, just hoping for a simple - no fuss fix.
Don't want to disturb anything.

And speaking of Wings, a fresh link in the EBay section.

cheers


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PostPosted: Mon 29 Mar 2010 08:14 AM 
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That's called "relic" look... some people pay lots of money, if it's done to a Fender or
Gibson guitar. :)

Anyway, the old lighter Matsumoku finishes faded heavily under daylight (that's why all the Supras appear to have a "Champagne" color). The plastic on your guitar looks better than the average 5 year old computer monitor, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. As an alternative you could put the rest of the guitar into sunlight to fade the finish to match the plastic. :lol:

Btw. the pickup spacing should be standard... so replacement pickups/covers will fit.


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PostPosted: Sat 15 May 2010 03:06 AM 
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Location: That "cultural nerve center", Mid-Atlantic U.S.
I agree with everybody who says "Leave it alone". I think it looks great just the way it is.

However, if you're determined to mess around with it, you could try a little plain low-abrasive toothpaste (something like the old Pepsodent brand) & a Q-tip. I used it recently (much more aggressively--& with a rag) to brighten & take out some of the swirling on the headlight lenses on my old beater truck...

...but don't do it.


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