Can a guitar finish change/fade while the guitar is cased?

[James R]

I have a number of guitars.
Every so often, I’ll take a few over to my storage locker and leave them there for extended periods of time, until I feel like playing them again.
It sounds ridiculous, but it truly keeps my guitar GAS at a minimum since I can just go to the storage locker and have a fake NGD any time I want.

Anyways, today I went and picked up four guitars, which included my Alpine White Epi LP Custom Pro.
Now, it’s probably been a year or more since I looked at this guitar, so maybe it’s just an incorrect memory, but the first thing that struck me when I popped the latches was how much it had yellowed since the last time I saw it.
It’s weird, because I always assumed that the ivory looking Gibson Customs were due to either the nitro finish or maybe UV exposure, neither of which is the case with my Epi though.
It’s a poly finish and it’s barely ever seen the light of day, as my music room is in the basement.

Here’s a pic.
Not the best, but I tried to show the difference between the Epi, the Olympic White Tele, and the Warmoth single cut that are in the background.
The Tele is much more yellowish, but the white single cut is much brighter (especially in person).

So, this is weird to me.
Can it yellow just from sitting in the case?
What causes it?
I kind of dig it, to be honest.

 

[Joeydego]

Absolutely. No idea what causes it but I have a few that faded and they never see any light.

 

[artis_xe]

oh no the paint is fading . but you drew a joker face on the guitar ( ? )

 

[James R]

oh no the paint is fading . but you drew a joker face on the guitar ( ? )

No, it’s a vinyl decal I made, can be removed and returned to original in a couple minutes.
Although it’s been on there since before the guitar started to yellow, so it may be permanent now.
The guitar was a gift from my girl a few years back, so I won’t be selling it, and I tend to aesthetically alter most of my guitars in some way or another anyways, so I’m not overly concerned if it left a permanent impression.

 

[artis_xe]

No, it’s a vinyl decal I made, can be removed and returned to original in a couple minutes.
Although it’s been on there since before the guitar started to yellow, so it may be permanent now.
The guitar was a gift from my girl a few years back, so I won’t be selling it, and I tend to aesthetically alter most of my guitars in some way or another anyways, so I’m not overly concerned if it left a permanent impression.

not saying that you shouldn't have a sticker / drawing on the guitar . was trying to make the point that guitars age , and paint can change color . it also scratches too . . .

 

[redjunior]

Yup, paint changes color... Don't have to be in the light, Though UV can make it happen faster.

 

[James R]

So, you guys figure it’s the actual paint that’s changing colour under the poly?
Interesting.
I figured that sealing it in with a plastic coating would preserve it... guess not.

 

[Chango Malo]

could be the color coat. could be the top coat. At least it's not the pink from the fur in the case. I've seen a couple white lesters with a nice pink tinge burst. In the bad old days nicotine would play merry hell with white and other light colored finishes.

 

[James R]

I’ve just been playing it some more, it’s a really great guitar, glad to have it back in rotation again.
Strangely, it’s the only guitar I own that gets top wrapped, because it’s the only one that I can actually feel a discernible difference with.

 

[CRobbins]

The paint under the sticker will age differently that the rest of the paint.

 

[nauc]

what CRobbins said

 

[S. Rock]

there are a certain amount of "gases" that will escape from any finish with the case closed or not. a lot of the older Gretsch guitars develop "binding rot" especially with the case closed. the more that the guitar is played and the case is open the less the affect of binding rot. so, yeah, the colors will fade after time.

 

[WaywerdSon]

The paint under the sticker will age differently that the rest of the paint.

It might not. Main reason that covered areas age less is not being exposed to UV like nthe uncovered areas. Be interesting to peel it off and see

 

[CRobbins]

It might not. Main reason that covered areas age less is not being exposed to UV like nthe uncovered areas. Be interesting to peel it off and see

But that means it will be different because of the lack of exposure.

 

[WaywerdSon]

But that means it will be different because of the lack of exposure.

No, it would be roughly the same exposure covered or uncovered if it lives in the case pretty much 100% of the time. None of it is being exposed to UV

 

[TeleDog]

Poly won't fade or yellow, that's what it's supposed to do. However, you can "help it along"

 

[Side Burns]

Be carefull with the sticker. It will cause the paint under it not to yellow and leave a tan line.

 

[James R]

Be carefull with the sticker. It will cause the paint under it not to yellow and leave a tan line.

If that’s the case then it’s already done, I put the decal on when the guitar was still bright white.

 

[Side Burns]

Poly won't fade or yellow, that's what it's supposed to do. However, you can "help it along"

Heres my MIJ Burny, its poly and it yellowed.

 

[CRobbins]

The only way to know is to peel it back.