Pick guard Tan Lines: Has anybody tried my DIY method for balancing the color?

[BothHands]

I have a newly-acquired USED Alvarez dreadnaught with Engelmann Spruce (or maybe Sitka Spruce) top and ugly black pick guard. It was manufactured in 2008 and has a thin clear-coat poly finish. It looks like it hasn't been played much, and if kept in its case it may have seen limited sunlight over the years.

I want to remove the pick guard. I expect to find some degree of "tan lines" (paler spruce under the pick guard).

I would like to know if anyone here has been able to balance out the wood color by doing the following, or something similar:

1) Remove the strings and make a tracing on large paper of the guitar top, paying special attention to the shape and location of the pick guard. This will serve as a 'sunblock' for most of the spruce top.

2) Remove the peel-and-stick Alvarez pickguard with the help of a hair blow dryer and some Goo-Gone citrus cleaner.

3) Cut out the pick guard shape from the traced paper sunblock/cover.

4) Affix the paper sunblock to the guitar's top/face with easy-off painters' tape.

5) Allow direct, natural sunlight to fall on the guitar face for maybe 15 minutes at a time, off-and-on until the pale under-pickguard surface darkens to match the rest of the 'tanned' spruce top.

6) When (IF) I acheive a balanced tone, remove the paper sunblock and just let Nature take its course - tanning the entire top in unison from that point on.

If you've done this or used some other method with good results, please weigh in. Any suggestions regarding length-of-time for each sun exposure, or length-of-time for the whole process, or any other aspect of this plan will be much appreciated.

Thanks

SEE POST #14 BELOW FOR BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS (the process took one month)

[Rogerblair]

Yep, I've done it. I used to leave the "mask" on all day and put the guitar on a stand facing a window. Works pretty well as I recall.

Rb

[BothHands]

Thanks for your reply, Roger. Can you clarify the following please:

1. It sounds like you "tanned" your pickguard area indoors. Is that right?

2. If Item 1 above is accurate, did the sun shine through the glass of a closed window? Or was the window open so the sun was shining directly on the guitar's surface? Or perhaps an open window with the sun shining through a window screen...?

3. Do you recall how many days it took to balance the wood colors?
How much time in the sun each day?
Anything that might give me an idea as to how long this should take?

Thanks

[mirwa]

I would suspect, that if the wood has aged with sunlight, and been exposed for period of time X, then you would have to cover the rest of the guitar and only expose that area for the same amount of time to achieve a similiar look.

The other option is if you have a locally endorsed taylor repair centre that is setup for resprays, you could consult them to have them use there high intensity UV light over that specific area, which in theory should achieve the same in a lot shorter time period. Maybe a few minutes. ??

I have a UV light in my shop, and I have sunburn in 4 seconds of direct exposure on any part of me that is not covered, I get sunburnt from reflected light from the UV lamps in about 30 seconds

Steve

[BothHands]

Originally Posted by mirwa

I would suspect, that if the wood has aged with sunlight, and been exposed for period of time X, then you would have to cover the rest of the guitar and only expose that area for the same amount of time to achieve a similar look.

Good point, but it's a used guitar so I have no idea how much sun exposure it has received.

Originally Posted by mirwa

[...] Taylor repair centre [...] have them use their high intensity UV light over that specific area, which in theory should achieve the same in a lot shorter time period. Maybe a few minutes.

No dice, but the idea of the process taking just a few minutes sure got my attention.

Originally Posted by mirwa

I have a UV light in my shop, and I have sunburn in 4 seconds of direct exposure on any part of me that is not covered, I get sunburnt from reflected light from the UV lamps in about 30 seconds

YIKES. What kind of light is that, specifically. Where do you buy it and what does it cost? I researched UV Tanning Bulbs based on some online remarks, but I can't figure out whether that's a worthwhile approach or not...

After a lot of inconclusive reading I figure the sun is free and immensely powerful, so that's my plan unless you or somebody else can recommend a UV bulb solution that is known to work for this application and is relatively cheap to purchase.

[mirwa]

Uv lamps for curing guitar paint, start at 4k. Most general repair shops would not have it.

If the repair shop was a taylor endorsed refinishing one, they will have it, as that is what taylors are painted with. Uv paint.

And yes, they are very very dangerous if not treated with respect.

[BothHands]

Thanks, Steve. Yeah, I think I'll just stick with Mr. Sun.

[Rogerblair]

Yes, through the glass window with a screen on. It was in the winter when the sun was not as hot here in Michigan, so I felt safe in leaving it there all day. I don't recall how long it took, but I would place it in position before going off to work for the day and check it every night to see how it was coming along. When the tan line disappeared, I stopped.

Hope this helps.

Rb

[John Arnold]

UV lamps for curing guitar paint, start at 4k. Most general repair shops would not have it.

You don't need one anywhere near that powerful. I have used the 2-foot fluorescent UV bulbs very successfully for tanning guitar tops. They are relatively inexpensive, and IMHO work better than sunlight. The problem with sunlight is that to get exposure that will do some good in a few days or weeks, you have to subject the guitar to quite a bit of heat. The UV fluorescent tubes I have do not produce a lot of heat.

http://www.bulbs.com/product/F20T12-BLB?RefId=156

[mirwa]

I agree for this customers requirement.

Be careful using black lights, they do cause unwanted skin cancers, (I speak from experience here) the higher the intensity of the black light the more risk.

However if someone in his area did have a UV lamp for paint, he could ask them to give it a try. It would only be a minute or two job.

If he was to go out and buy a light, then yes any daylight rated lamp would be sufficient (hydroponic grow lamp example)

To that end, next time I pull of a pickguard, Ill try it myself.

Steve

[BothHands]

Thanks Rogerblair and mirwa, for your additional comments.

Originally Posted by John Arnold

I have used the 2-foot fluorescent UV bulbs http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d=4554590#very successfully for tanning guitar tops. They are relatively inexpensive, and IMHO work better than sunlight. The problem with sunlight is that to get exposure that will do some good in a few days or weeks, you have to subject the guitar to quite a bit of heat. The UV fluorescent tubes I have do not produce a lot of heat. http://www.bulbs.com/product/F20T12-BLB?RefId=156

John ==
Thanks for this insight. Where I live, this Summer it's been raining most days; we seldom see the sun and the temp today is in the mid 60s F. Still, for about a week I've been putting the guitar (with its custom sunshade) in direct sunlight when I can find any. I doubt there's been any change in color thus far (hard to tell as I haven't removed the sun cover to compare the exposed wood to the covered wood (expecting trouble getting that pickguard hole back to the exact location again). FWIW, even in direct sun (outdoors) for a couple of hours, the guitar top never feels very warm...


QUESTION 1 FOR JOHN
Your comments say UV fluorescent tubes, but your link shows black light tubes - which is one type of UV-spectrum tube. I just want to fully understand whether you're saying I'll need black light tubes/bulbs.


QUESTION 2
I have a pair of SYLVANIA GRO-LUX fluorescent tubes that I use for growing plants. HERE'S A LINK. I don't expect to 'tan' many guitars, so I'd like to use what's already on hand, if it'll work. The GRO-LUX packaging states: "Stimulates plants that thrive in direct sunlight" and "Enhances vibrant color in fish (aquariums) and plants."

The blurb on the linked product page says: "Sylvania® Gro-Lux® Wide Spectrum Fluorescent Tubes accelerate growth in greenhouse grown crops. Best used where plants receive some sunlight, as in a greenhouse or near a window. The additional added energy in the far-red region of this lamp's color spectrum promotes the photosynthetic performance. The lamp radiates energy in the far-red (700-800nm), red (600-700nm) and blue (400-500nm) regions of the spectrum"

The two 24" tubes I have are not sold anymore, so the spec quoted above (pertaining to current production) might be different from what I have. This is wonky/technical, but hopefully somebody here knows whether "grow light" fluorescent bulbs will tan a guitar's poly finish, or the spruce wood...(?)

The guitar has been 'basking' under my two GRO-LUX grow light bulbs for about 7 hours at the time of this edit.

[John Arnold]

AFAIK, it's the UV light that darkens the spruce. That would mean shorter wavelengths than 400 nm.
It can't hurt to try the grow lights, however.

[BothHands]

I left the grow lights on overnight, suspended about 8" above the guitar lying on its back. I think I see a darkening of the tone in the pickguard area, but it's difficult to know for sure without removing the sunblock cover. I'm guessing the pale tone has darkened 10 or 15% of the total change needed to match the rest of the 'tanned' top.

The guitar is outdoors on a stand facing direct morning sunlight right now. After a week of doing that I haven't noticed any appreciable heat build up on the surface of the guitar's top.

I'll put it under the grow light again overnight, and will pursue this day-sun / night-growlight method for a week. I'll remove the sunblock cover for 'the acid test' at the end of that week. I think I'll see major progress by then, IF it stops raining for a while.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO AMERICANS!
Count your blessings and work to correct what's gone wrong.

[BothHands]

After one month, the tanning process is complete. See images below.

There are a couple of minor issues that I could spend another week tweaking - but life is short, nobody will notice them, and I expect general ambient sunlight will even out any minor differences in tone during the coming months.

The process takes some thinking and some patience, and some dedication to keep moving the guitar into the sun and out of the ever-creeping shade. It also takes some flexibility to adapt to unexpected results as they occur. Ah, but it takes NO MONEY assuming you have a few basic tools and materials on hand.

[ac]

Wow! That's super impressive! You cut out the outline and covered the entire guitar except for the tan line area. Correct? I am surprised how quickly the aging process went.

Was this in direct sunlight through a window or outside? How did you keep the surface temperature in control to avoid damage (splits, warp, etc.)--or was this not an issue?

How many hours of sunlight per day?