HOW TO RELIC A 1950S-STYLE SUNBURST FINISH
Last time you saw this guitar, I signed off on a rather uncertain note, with the outcome of this project largely dependant on aniline dye fading under UV light. Inevitably, after about two months of blazing sunshine, it clouded over and started raining just as I finished spraying. But as soon as the sunshine returned, the fully loaded Greco took up permanent residence in my garden.
After just a single day in the sun, the fading was noticeable. But the sunny spell was short-lived so I instead placed the guitar under a UV light in a tin foil tent to keep things moving on the dull days.
During the fading process, the red first loses its scarlet stridency and then, gradually, the maple figuring becomes more apparent around the edges. The unappealing (to me) ‘clown burst’ look is almost gone after a few days. As the red retreats towards the edges, the colour tone shifts from red to orange-brown in the transition areas. At the same time, the shading coats begin to show through the red to give it a cooler and slightly blue tint.
Watching the fading happen is pretty thrilling because, in
