Tokai replacement scratch plates/bridges, "yellowing" scratc

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teisco

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Hi - I have a translucent blond 80s rosewood neck Breezysound (Fender-like headstock) with a 6 saddle bridge, and one of the saddles isn't adjusting properly. Where can I find a replacement saddle or even buy a new vintage 3 saddle bridge in the UK? Maybe I'm deluded but I think I prefer the sound/feel of the 3 saddle bridges although I'm a bit worried about intonation (don't know much about guitars, you see, even though I've got 10).

Would it be cheaper to buy from the US or Europe?

Also, I'd like my scratch plate to look less white? Any tips for getting that vintage yellowed look?

And would Fender vintae reissue bridge and scratchplates fit my Tokai?

Thanks!

ps: Would be interested in buying anyone's Japanese semi-acoustic.
 
Hello,

To "yellow" your white pickguard dunk it in coffee overnight or until you get the right aged appearance you seek. ONLY replace with a genuine Fender pickguard. Other aftermarket pickguards holes don't line up very well - at least didn't for my '79 Silver Star Strat.

Hope this helps.



On 2002-07-07 14:38, teisco wrote:
Hi - I have a translucent blond 80s rosewood neck Breezysound (Fender-like headstock) with a 6 saddle bridge, and one of the saddles isn't adjusting properly. Where can I find a replacement saddle or even buy a new vintage 3 saddle bridge in the UK? Maybe I'm deluded but I think I prefer the sound/feel of the 3 saddle bridges although I'm a bit worried about intonation (don't know much about guitars, you see, even though I've got 10).

Would it be cheaper to buy from the US or Europe?

Also, I'd like my scratch plate to look less white? Any tips for getting that vintage yellowed look?

And would Fender vintae reissue bridge and scratchplates fit my Tokai?

Thanks!

ps: Would be interested in buying anyone's Japanese semi-acoustic.
 
Would tea work as well as coffee? thanks for the tip!!

ps: What about getting a screw on one of the saddles to turn when it's too stiff??
 
So I got me some good Jamacian coffee, how long did you guys soak the knobs and covers? Did that sound right? Maybe this isn't the kind of sight were one would "soak the knob"! Hey what about a strat 62' pick gaurd , would you soak that in Green Tea? :D Any help would be apreciated!
 
So I was bored this afternoon...soaked my knobs and covers in the coffee! I have a big bag of spare parts so I spent the day antiquing! **** that coffee trick is the bomb, the AST 56 Fiesta red Stat looks unreal I put the darkest knobs and covers on it. The 62' pink one looks like a custom shop number ! Thanks for the 411! :D
 
I've stained loads of plastic over the years and the Tokai parts always seem to go off the best. I've had some Fender Japanese and Fender American plastic in the "mixture" for weeks with minimal success apart from a trem arm tip from a '60 Relic Strat that went off a treat. Try adding a couple of teaspoon of Turmeric powder into your mixture for that yellow look. If you overdo it on the yellow, leave the part on the window ledge for a couple of days keeping a watch for your desired 'look'. If you live in a particularly hot climate, then take care the plastic doesn't start to melt. Also, remember to keep turning it, as the sun will fade out only one side.

You can soak chrome metal trem parts in a jar of salted water for a couple of days. Then open the lid of the jar and empty the water out leaving the trem parts wet inside the open jars. The parts should start to oxidise once the air gets to them. Keep your eye on the results to gauge the amount of rust you require. Ensure parts are completely dry before putting back on the guitar. This works better than burying them in the garden believe me! Have fun!
 
Hi
I found that using decaffinated coffee with half a spoonfull of sugar gives a fantastic 60's strat look, but to obtain a 50's strat look that would fool the experts, I'd suggest perculated coffee with 1 and a half sugars.
For truly authentic Gibson ageing, use sweeteners instead of sugar.
but If you want to authenticate the vintage Gretsch look, go for Starbucks
cafe latte, but this must be left at room temp for 1.5 hours and 3 sugars added in the first 20 mins, or even better, leave well alone and let time do the job like everyone used to do.
 
Nice one goddardo but try two sugars as opposed to one and a half on that 50's Strat. It looks soooo much sweeter :wink:
 
Tell you what. I just did the 50's Strat experement on my Tele, but I used brown sugar instead of white, not only did it age superbly, it took on a whole new tone just like Keef's.When I bend my G string, it hits an incredible sweet spot, or is that G spot ???. Fender amp users,
Have you ever tried painting the Silverface panel on your amp black ?
It takes time to do it right. You need to detatch it, soak it in sugar free Pepsi Max overnight, which I believe takes away the Silverface element.
Obtain a 35 year old tin of black enamel paint (I got mine from Brian May's old garden shed, right next to the Rustin's Plasticote), and applied sparingly with a 50 year old paint brush, borrowed from the Bradford museum of painting & decorating and, If you think I'm imagining things, please tell me so, but my ears detected a deffinate change for the better in tone. To complete the illusion, I took my amp to Blackpool beach one evening and when no one was watching, I weighed the amp down with rocks and left it on the beach overnight while the tide came in. I set my alarm for 6am the following morning, sleeping in my car on the promenade, ready to retrieve my aged amp before anyone saw me. I saw this forlorn looking little black square object poking out of the sand, rushed towards it and God, did it look aged !!.I sped home plugged it in and after all my efforts, the **** thing didn't work !!











:lol:
 
I have an idea for your dead Fender amp. It just might have some salt lodged in the "tone cap".

I would take it to Venice, lie it flat on it's back on the Piazza San Marco, and pour 4 Espressos into it - one in each input jack. (Do this at 4 in the morning when the prices are lower.)

I may very well work after this treatment.

I can't guarantee it will "scream" like a a classic "blackfront" but it WILL probably "yell" alot and wave it's arms while it does it!

Just my 2 lira's worth ......
Robbie
 
Do you have any similar aging tips for a reissue Vox AC30 top boost. I am trying for that classic Brian May 'all the way up' tone, and using the old expresso in St Marks square trick I have got a passable 'flags at half mast' or 'bit of a lob on' tone but no 'all the way up'.
I was thinking of replacing one of the tubes with a jar of Raspberry jam, but a mate told me that Boysenberry would acheive a closer approximation. Any thoughts? :lol:
 
There are any number of spares dealers in the UK that could supply your saddles in brass, graphite, nickel plated, unplated, chrome plated. You can buy a full bridge assembly, just the saddles you can even get those cool ashtray covers for vintage style tele bridges. Trevor Wilkinson does a cool 3 saddle bridge which is sort of tiltable for accurate intonation (you sort of have to see it). You could try WD music products in Kent www.wdmusicproducts.co.uk or phone 01233 820082 and they are really helpful there. There is also the Guitar shop in Ipswich www.theguitarshop.co.uk phone 01473 281919 who are also knowledgable and pretty efficient, or Pincott's (Allparts suppliers) who I've never bought anything from. Catalogues are available from all of the above and make fantastically interesting toilet time reading (I never go without one these days). Warning though. Once you realise how many ways there are to upgrade your axe you become like one of those Twats in a battered Ford Fiesta, forever adding spoilers and bored out exhausts. (I've just realised why they call it hot rodding your axe, Doh)
All of the above products are also available from Stewmac in the states at about 2/3 the price, but shipping takes a while and then there's the cost of that so I'd say you're best off buying in europe.
I hope that this is useful info and remember, flat fret forward.
P.S all of this is obviously of no use at all if you don't live in the UK, but even then, your local guitar shop should be able to order this stuff pretty easily, and saddles aren't expensive.
 
This is a really cool trick .......

If you surround your amp with a few "Mini-Twin" portable fender amps, it will think it is a Super Beatle and start sounding just like one as well! Now how cool is that!!!


:lol: :evil:
 

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