mojo312 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I am curious what darkens the finish most on clear tops? I suspect 'time & 'sunlight' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 That'd be about the size of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayla Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 And is it the finish, the wood, or both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Martin sometimes uses a vintage toner that is supposed to darken more quickly than normal. I would say the wood darkens as it ages but the finish would contribute to that. I think from some of the Martins I have seen, I prefer those that age naturally rather than with toner. Kind of like tanning with a spray bottle of something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodeuno Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Ultra violet light plays the biggest part...I know...I'm a photographer... Â www.bartstar.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Both. The finish yellows and the spruce, like other white woods like pine and fir darken with age... They brown up ... or yellow, depending on species and whether it contains heartwood or not. Â The other woods, mahogany, rosewood, maple, all darken to differing degrees as they age. It's a natural thing. Â If the finish has UV inhibitors, this can slow the aging process, but not stop it. Exposure to sunlight hastens the 'aging' effect as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Nicotene will do a number on your guitar. After playing in bars for a few decades every guitar I owned was coated with it. When I finally got around to giving them a good cleaning they appeared about ten shades lighter in color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 All natural finish woods (by this I mean clear finish with no aging toner etc.) will release tannins from their grain. This process starts about six months after the guitar is built and continues to a finite point about ten years down the road. Â Exposure to UV light does amplify this effect, but if you came back in twenty years, the guitar that gets a lot of sun will be roughly the same colour as one that is always protected. Â I don't like fabricated aging, like with Martin's aging toner - but I do like a guitar that has the natural patina of age. Â Protecting your guitar from lots of direct sunlight is helpful, regardless of what colour you want the top to be. When a guitar is exposed to direct sunlight, the top warms faster than the back and sides, so it expands, but it also loses a lot of moisture. Constant exposure to direct sunlight often causes braces to come loose, binding to start to peel, and in extreme cases a softening of the finish to the point where it can chip or peel very easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Here's a nice little all solid wood 125th year anniversary guitar put out by Washburn. Nice "V" neck, great woody tone, and "aged" appropriately for a guitar that is implying 125 years old. Aging toner is just the beginning....lol...check it out. Distressed and beaten up right out of the box. One thing for sure, on this guitar, I did NOT have to worry about the first scratch....lol    Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Here's a nice little all solid wood 125th year anniversary guitar put out by Washburn. Nice "V" neck, great woody tone, and "aged" appropriately for a guitar that is implying 125 years old. Aging toner is just the beginning....lol...check it out. Distressed and beaten up right out of the box. One thing for sure, on this guitar, I did NOT have to worry about the first scratch....lol    Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I really do like the look of that one Robert! How does it sound? What is the nut width? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodeuno Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Quote: ballcorner All natural finish woods (by this I mean clear finish with no aging toner etc.) will release tannins from their grain. This process starts about six months after the guitar is built and continues to a finite point about ten years down the road. Â Exposure to UV light does amplify this effect, but if you came back in twenty years, the guitar that gets a lot of sun will be roughly the same colour as one that is always protected. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry but pre-aged/air dried and or kiln dried woods have stabalized the majority of their tannin chemicals before build....finish will begin to loose its chemical proporties with time after the finish has been applied. This of course depends on the type of finish used. Your second statement is true to some extent...However, it's the time factor I speak of. While two 20 year old spruce tops may end the same in twenty years the top exposed to light will reach this point much, much quicker. Â Undeniably....Sunlight and its several spectrums of light will "SPEED" the process visually of spruce darkening. Â Two guitars, one left in the sun and one left in a case will show a very noticable difference in just a year or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 TAYLOR PLAYER.....sounds good. I got it for the delta blues, so perfect for that. Sound is really woody, "banjo" vibe...hard to describe....but a little Robert Johnson on it and it sold me....nut width is 1 7/8" with a pronounced old time "V" neck....(You do not want to play a lot of songs with a lot of barre chords like "lay lady, lay" I see these used on Ebay from time to time under $500, which is pretty good for a parlor. R316 like this one is solid back and sides rosewood or Trembesi, R314, R318, R308, R305 are all laminate back and sides..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 ...I don't like fabricated aging' date=' like with Martin's aging toner - but I do like a guitar that has the natural patina of age.....[/quote']Â I agree. Patina has to be earned. "Forced' aging looks forced and cheezy. Â I ought to know I've earned every gray hair and every wrinkle. I ain't about to speed that process up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Fabricated aging is just a beginning, NOT an end....lol.....why are you guys so serious??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Wily-What's the bass like on that little parlour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I keep hoping that I have finished ageing but every morning I look in the mirror and alas, nope. Still ageing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 TWilson....you know it is a small body so you won't get "dreadnaught" bass out of it. However, that being said....it does have good bass and long sustain on all the strings. I've tried a lot of parlors, and it has the sound volume and sustain of many higher priced parlors, but it's sound is quite unique, very woody....kind of L-00 sounding. I use it mostly for Delta stuff, so I get that palm muted bass sound which is perfect.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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