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Magic Scratchplate


Golats
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I bought an HSS Squier Strat, while drunk, on eBay at the weekend. When I picked it up the next day I noticed the state of the scratchplate (see photo). It looks like it has been left in direct sunlight, in the same position for months! The only bits that remain white are the sections that were in shadow. Unfortunately the photos on the eBay listing showed this up (when not viewed through beer goggles) so I have no comeback. 

I've tried a few things:

  • bleaching the plastic with 4% hydrogen peroxide (Twice)
  • bleaching it with 35% hydrogen peroxide for four hours
  • soaking it in a 5:1 bleach/water solution for 4 hours.

Nothing works, it just stubbornly stays looking like that! It's nothing short of miraculous - anything else would be brilliant white after that treatment. Any suggestions for other ways to return it to white? I don't really want to sand it down but it may come to that.

Don't buy guitars after you get in from the pub folks.

BSP.jpg

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9 hours ago, gary mac said:

If you can't live with it as it is, you probably need to admit defeat and treat the guitar to a new one.xD

I've been thinking that way myself today but finding one with 8 holes is proving just as difficult as restoring the one I have!

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If you google 'custom pickguards' there are a few UK based companies that will make a scratchplate to your specs.

Theoretically if you send them the current 'plate as a template they should be able to make you something that fits perfectly.

Prices seem to start at around £20+ and escalate rapidly so I suppose it depends whether you want to spend that much on a cheapish guitar.

 

Edited by Cato
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18 hours ago, geoffbyrne said:

Have you tried sanding it?

 

G.

I'm leaving that as a last resort as I don't want it to have a matte finish. The way it's going I may have to resort to that as I've used about half a litre of hydrogen peroxide and bleach on it so far! It's changing colour....but very slowly.

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I've sanded a scratchplate before and buffed it to a gloss finish.

I wouldn't have bothered with peroxide/bleach. I used to collect vintage star wars figures and that's a method people sometimes use to return yellowed figures to white. They just go yellow again... faster than before.

If I were you I'd buy a new plate.

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On ‎29‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 11:18, dlloyd said:

I've sanded a scratchplate before and buffed it to a gloss finish.

I wouldn't have bothered with peroxide/bleach. I used to collect vintage star wars figures and that's a method people sometimes use to return yellowed figures to white. They just go yellow again... faster than before.

If I were you I'd buy a new plate.

I'm going to give sanding a try.

I would buy a new one but I can't actually find one anywhere. There are plenty available for HSS Strats but finding an 8 hole version is difficult. Plus....I'm stingy :-)

If anybody can post a link to one please do!

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1 hour ago, therealting said:

I see your conundrum, no shortage of 8-hole SSS guards, or 11-hole HSS ones.

Vinyl wrap?

As rare as hen's teeth aren't they? Excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by vinyl wrap?

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36 minutes ago, SPHDS said:

Maybe a dumb question/suggestion......but would it be possible to convert an 8-Hole SSS to HSS (ie cut out a bigger hole for the bridge pick up.....)?

Possible I suppose, but I think the drill holes for the angled bridge pickup wouldn't be covered by the humbucker hole. Might be wrong of course - would have to compare an SSS strat scratchplate next to mine..

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1 minute ago, Golats said:

Possible I suppose, but I think the drill holes for the angled bridge pickup wouldn't be covered by the humbucker hole. Might be wrong of course - would have to compare an SSS strat scratchplate next to mine..

Ahhhhh, fair point....didn't think of that......!

Have you tried Warmoth......?

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