1963 Stratocaster forensic color analysis

[latestarter]

looks great... how are you going to be able to wait the whole month for the paint to cure?

I have three boys between the ages of 7 and 12, a wife, a cow, 2 acres of land. I suppose I'll show them some attention for a bit. Then hermit away again for the wet sanding. eace2

 

[Zoomer]

Todays update - I think I have created the perfect Fiesta red insofar as it is damn near impossible to photograph what the colour really is. Anyway, today's quick check of the guard colour against the finish produces a pleasing result.

In sunlight it looks orangey, inside duller light looks pink/red, under a flouro like below it looks red.

NICE !!!

 

[sws1]

I thought you were going to leave the cavities undone future buyers.

 

[latestarter]

I thought you were going to leave the cavities undone future buyers.

That was sikoniko that had said that. Mine were bright yellow!

Clear coats all done. Cure time.

 

[hogy]

That was sikoniko that had said that. Mine were bright yellow!

Clear coats all done. Cure time.

During that era they dipped those bodies in vats of canary yellow dye in preparation for a sunburst finish. Most if not all bodies were dyed, even the ones that ended up getting a custom color.

Your Fiesta Red looks good!

 

[latestarter]

Thanks. There wasn't any yellow stain on this one ....pure yellow lacquer!

It's curing very well. I'll be going straight to 1000 up to 2000 eventually. Then 3M swirl remover, some car Meguiers (?), then Virtuoso.

Then relic :hmm

 

[sikoniko]

did someone modify the trem cavity? from that picture it looks like a chunk is missing.

 

[latestarter]

Thanks for the reminder- here's what that little thing looks like.

When I stripped the body I noted this little route had original finish in it. It's clean, about 14mm deep, and has no indications of being done recently. I wonder if it was a factory boo that someone said "just leave it"? It serves no functional purpose.

There is no doubt the body is original by the way. Nail holes, worm route, OK stamp, contours, cavity depth, pencil sigs on wood (once stripped). Just, this weird little thing to make it different.

 

[sikoniko]

no big deal. will be concealed anyways. No negativity from me. I showed my '62 body, with routed pickup cavities.

part of what makes these guitars cool is that they have a story to tell...

Mine is another couple weeks out before it ships home...

 

[latestarter]

Hey, no negativity perceived! I'd actually wanted to post the anomaly earlier to see what the consensus was. The weird thing is the finish and mint state of the rest of the guitar/case/etc. All strange. Would love to know but I guess unlikely.

 

[sikoniko]

Hey, no negativity perceived! I'd actually wanted to post the anomaly earlier to see what the consensus was. The weird thing is the finish and mint state of the rest of the guitar/case/etc. All strange. Would love to know but I guess unlikely.

not sure that you will get anything more than guesses with that anomaly. one thing consistent with Fender in the Leo days is that they were not consistent.

I noticed how pink the body looks in the last picture by the way. Fiesta Red is such an interesting color. The light can change the look and it is incredibly difficult to capture in a photograph with any accuracy.

 

[latestarter]

I think I nailed it! It's red orange pink!

 

[latestarter]

I'm keen to hear if there are any other opinions out there as to what my little cavity groove might be.

On on a side note, to anyone with an original 63 Strat finish....has it checked or cracked like old Gibson's do? My exposure to old Fender finishes suggests it's not the norm. Dings and scrapes are one thing, but if I need to check it I will leave the curing time another month.

 

[sikoniko]

On on a side note, to anyone with an original 63 Strat finish....has it checked or cracked like old Gibson's do? My exposure to old Fender finishes suggests it's not the norm. Dings and scrapes are one thing, but if I need to check it I will leave the curing time another month.

It's been my experience that Gibson's check from bottom to top (lower bout to upper bout) while fenders check from strap button to strap button. Of course natural checking really has a mind of its own and isn't real predictable. I had Kim freezer check my LP when I got a Historic Makeover, but I've never had any of my Fender refin's checked. decided to let it happen naturally. largely because I want the neck and body to be consistent...

 

[Wilko]

My '60 has a small amount of side-to-side checking like a Gibson and I've seen plenty that have that, just like Gibsons, but much thinner and not as often.

see some here on this tele by the bass side of the bridge:

 

[J.D.]

I'm keen to hear if there are any other opinions out there as to what my little cavity groove might be.

That looks like a router bit bite mark, with an eerily similar radius as the corners of that bridge cavity.

 

[Zoomer]

I'm keen to hear if there are any other opinions out there as to what my little cavity groove might be.

On on a side note, to anyone with an original 63 Strat finish....has it checked or cracked like old Gibson's do? My exposure to old Fender finishes suggests it's not the norm. Dings and scrapes are one thing, but if I need to check it I will leave the curing time another month.

Excellent point - my 1960 candy apple red has some light checking but hardly noticable, I'll post pics when I get home.

It's interesting to note that Fender used Automotive paint for custom colors probably designed to withstand temperature extremes more than the lacquer Gibson was using.

 

[Zoomer]

My '60 has a small amount of side-to-side checking like a Gibson and I've seen plenty that have that, just like Gibsons, but much thinner and not as often.

see some here on this tele by the bass side of the bridge:

Beautful geeetar Wilko !!!!

 

[Wilko]

Beautful geeetar Wilko !!!!

NOT mine. That's a '53 tele in another thread here.

 

[latestarter]

That looks like a router bit bite mark, with an eerily similar radius as the corners of that bridge cavity.

I'm tending to think the same way...like they dropped the router in and went "doh"...shifted the template and started again properly.

Thanks all on the finish feedback - fender finishes do not seem to crack so much so I won't with mine. Relic'ing will be painful given how great the finish has worked out. Gentle relic!