Lacquers
Until 1967 the paints used on the Stratocasters were nitrocellulose or acrylic lacquers, both very thin, already widely used in the automotive market and then readily available.
These paints consisted mainly of three components: the pigment, the binder and the solvent. The pigment, responsible for the color, could be organic or inorganic and was dispersed in the binder, which protected it, and, with the evaporation of the solvent, formed with the pigment a thin film which adhered to the surface of the guitar. The binder used could be nitrocellulose or acrylic based. They were both dissolved in a solvent able to evaporate very quickly, the acetone, hence the name "lacquers" of these paints.
The nitro lacquers or the acrylic ones were widely used in the automotive industry because of the speed with which they dried, for their appearance and because it was easy to polish them and remove the small imperfections: the Duco line for nitro lacquers, the Lucite line for acrylic ones.
But the nitro paints had a problem: when the paint dried, they lost their elasticity and tended to crack, phenomenon known as "checking"; in addition, some colors tended to fade when subjected to UV rays (“fading”), while the clear coat layer always tended to turn yellow, even with minimal UV exposure ("yellowing"). On the contrary, the acrylic paints were much more resistant to ultraviolet rays and were more elastic.
These paints consisted mainly of three components: the pigment, the binder and the solvent. The pigment, responsible for the color, could be organic or inorganic and was dispersed in the binder, which protected it, and, with the evaporation of the solvent, formed with the pigment a thin film which adhered to the surface of the guitar. The binder used could be nitrocellulose or acrylic based. They were both dissolved in a solvent able to evaporate very quickly, the acetone, hence the name "lacquers" of these paints.
The nitro lacquers or the acrylic ones were widely used in the automotive industry because of the speed with which they dried, for their appearance and because it was easy to polish them and remove the small imperfections: the Duco line for nitro lacquers, the Lucite line for acrylic ones.
But the nitro paints had a problem: when the paint dried, they lost their elasticity and tended to crack, phenomenon known as "checking"; in addition, some colors tended to fade when subjected to UV rays (“fading”), while the clear coat layer always tended to turn yellow, even with minimal UV exposure ("yellowing"). On the contrary, the acrylic paints were much more resistant to ultraviolet rays and were more elastic.
HOW THE PAINTS WERE APPLIED
In addition to the color coat, Fender used to apply on the Stratocasters both an undercoat and a clear coat, under or above the color layer, respectively
The clear coat was a transparent nitro layer - never acrylic - usually used on both sunburst and custom color strats, but above all on the custom metallic colors which, differently from the pastel colors, oxidized easily. It tended to turn yellow over time (characteristic that was emphasized with the exposure to UV sun rays or to fluorescent lamps, with smog, smoke and sweat) thus significantly chancing the original color of the guitar. The yellowed Olympic White Stratocasters are a classic example and they are often confused with the Blonde ones – a finish, however, that is easily distinguishable from the aged Olympic White because it is transparent and used on ash bodies to make people appreciate the grain of this wood.
But it could happen that, in case it was necessary to speed up the time to satisfy all orders, the transparent was not used, habit that became more frequent when since ’62-’63 requests had begun to increase significantly. The guitars without clear coat can be distinguished for the absence of yellowing, as the Olympic White strats arrived white to the present day demonstrate.
But it could happen that, in case it was necessary to speed up the time to satisfy all orders, the transparent was not used, habit that became more frequent when since ’62-’63 requests had begun to increase significantly. The guitars without clear coat can be distinguished for the absence of yellowing, as the Olympic White strats arrived white to the present day demonstrate.
The undercoat was used to make the guitar painting faster and more efficient. Since the end of the ’50s Fender had often used a transparent sealer to fill the pores and avoid that the first coats of paint were absorbed by the wood, thus saving time and color. A very useful procedure with the ash, which is a very porous wood.
At the beginning, on the Stratocasters of the ’54 (as on the Blackguard Telecasters) a mixture that contained nitro and sand was used: the guitars thus treated showed a three-dimensional aspect when they were observed in the light.
Later, Fender had used other insulating materials, like the Homoclad, or, since 1962, the Fullerplast, that “encapsulated” the bodies just like the polyester paints used in the CBS period did. The Fullerplast, which takes its name from that of its inventor, Fuller O'Brien, was transparent, it dried very quickly, could be applied in a very thin way and was absorbed by the alder in depth, although this wood was not famous for its porosity. It was sprayed on the body immediately after the yellow paint was applied and did not interact with paint solvents. This prevented the colors applied later from being absorbed by the wood and allowed to have a thinner layer of paint, thus saving time and material.
In the ’60 Fender discontinuously used as undercoat under the custom colors also a white primer that served to make the color adhere better, and could be applied in less quantity ensuring money savings; but at the same time it wasted time because one more component had to be applied and dried. Hence, also in this case, if there was a need to speed up the painting time for an increase in orders, Fender avoided using the primer.
Sometimes, hidden by a custom color, there could also be a sunburst, alone or under a white primer. In fact, if a sunburst body was poorly painted, rather than stripping it and painting it again, it was preferable, in terms of time and costs, to apply the custom color directly over the old paint. Other times it was the customer who explicitly requested, at the time of purchase and with a 5% surcharge, that the instrument be repainted with a custom color. This option could be requested both in the US and in Europe at the official distributors that received the original paints directly from the Fender factory. These factory or dealers refin are recognizable thanks to the large identification numbers imprinted on the body or on the neck (in the US) or to small stamps under the neck plate or in the neck pocket (in Europe) which allowed recognition and the return to the owner of the instrument.
At the beginning, on the Stratocasters of the ’54 (as on the Blackguard Telecasters) a mixture that contained nitro and sand was used: the guitars thus treated showed a three-dimensional aspect when they were observed in the light.
Later, Fender had used other insulating materials, like the Homoclad, or, since 1962, the Fullerplast, that “encapsulated” the bodies just like the polyester paints used in the CBS period did. The Fullerplast, which takes its name from that of its inventor, Fuller O'Brien, was transparent, it dried very quickly, could be applied in a very thin way and was absorbed by the alder in depth, although this wood was not famous for its porosity. It was sprayed on the body immediately after the yellow paint was applied and did not interact with paint solvents. This prevented the colors applied later from being absorbed by the wood and allowed to have a thinner layer of paint, thus saving time and material.
In the ’60 Fender discontinuously used as undercoat under the custom colors also a white primer that served to make the color adhere better, and could be applied in less quantity ensuring money savings; but at the same time it wasted time because one more component had to be applied and dried. Hence, also in this case, if there was a need to speed up the painting time for an increase in orders, Fender avoided using the primer.
Sometimes, hidden by a custom color, there could also be a sunburst, alone or under a white primer. In fact, if a sunburst body was poorly painted, rather than stripping it and painting it again, it was preferable, in terms of time and costs, to apply the custom color directly over the old paint. Other times it was the customer who explicitly requested, at the time of purchase and with a 5% surcharge, that the instrument be repainted with a custom color. This option could be requested both in the US and in Europe at the official distributors that received the original paints directly from the Fender factory. These factory or dealers refin are recognizable thanks to the large identification numbers imprinted on the body or on the neck (in the US) or to small stamps under the neck plate or in the neck pocket (in Europe) which allowed recognition and the return to the owner of the instrument.
It is interesting to note that on the first three tone sunbursts of the ’58 the red was sprayed also on the part of the body covered by the pickguard, a practice abandoned almost immediately in the same year, both to save paint and to speed up the finishing process, as it would not have been visible. On the contrary, the black was sprayed starting sometimes directly from the edge, other times from the part of the body under the pickguard, to reach the edge only later. The cases in which the color was sprayed under the pickguard before giving it on the body, probably to test the spray gun or to clean the nozzle, are not rare.
With the exception of the very first '58 Stratocasters, all the 3-tone sunburst strats lacked the red paint under the pickguard
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Sometimes the black was sprayed starting from the part of the body under the pickguard, probably to test the spray gun or to clean the nozzle
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On the bodies of the pre-CBS Stratocasters are always present, until the end of 1964, the nail holes (go to the chapter on the Stratocaster body), small holes resulting from the painting process. Before any paint was applied, three or four small nails were inserted on the top of the guitar, under the pickguard and under the jack plate. The body was therefore placed on a revolving panel called "lazy Susan" and painted on the top; after turning it upside down and resting it with these nails, the color was sprayed also on the back and on the sides. Later, it was left hanging and waited for the paint to dry. Finally the nails were removed, thus leaving small holes free of paint, the nail holes.
With the purpose of handling the body more easily during the painting and color drying operations, between ’62 and ’63 Fender began to use, after applying the yellow, a paint stick, a stick anchored by two screws to the neck pocket; hence, starting from this period (with small variations according to the year), the neck pocket showed both yellow and black paints, while, until now, it was completely black tinted.
Fender employee with the paintstick...
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...and the result: the neck pocket was bi-colored (ReCaster)
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Since mid 1964 Fender has changed the way the paints were applied. A new opaque, less transparent sunburst, called target burst, in which the colors did not "mix" perfectly, was the result of the use of a semitransparent white undercoat; at the same time, however, this new technique helped to hide the defects of the wood grain in the less attractive bodies.
Between the end of ’67 and ’68 Fender again modified the way to paint guitars.
Between the end of ’67 and ’68 Fender again modified the way to paint guitars.
Sunburst Evolution, from left to right: '55, '59 and '64 (Furio Pozzi)
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In 1969 it could happen that the less attractive bodies, which were usually intended for opaque colors, were sometimes painted with a sunburst, called faux burst, applied on a white undercoat on which, through a "scratching" brush, the wood grain was simulated.
In the mid-1960s the alder pieces that composed the body were sometimes so well coupled that the grains seemed to continue from piece to piece, so that it was difficult to recognize the lines of separation of the pieces. These bodies were identified with the writing “no fill”, which served to instruct the paint workers not to apply yellow to better show the grain of the wood.
In the mid-1960s the alder pieces that composed the body were sometimes so well coupled that the grains seemed to continue from piece to piece, so that it was difficult to recognize the lines of separation of the pieces. These bodies were identified with the writing “no fill”, which served to instruct the paint workers not to apply yellow to better show the grain of the wood.
Polyester
Already in late 1967 Fender began to change the system with which the guitars were painted, by replacing the clearcoat, made so far of many brush strokes of nitro, with only two layers of a type of aliphatic polyurethane consisting of long polyester molecules, known to all simply as “polyester”. The color coat, however, was always made up of acrylic or nitro lacquers. The advantage, obviously, was a significant time savings, because polyester dried very quickly. In addition, this new material did not turn yellow over time and was much more resistant than nitro.
It should be noted, however, that not all Fender guitars were completely finished with polyester, some colors continued to have the "old" nitro coating. Moreover, on the front side of the headstock only the nitro was sprayed, even when the rest of the neck was polyester finished. In fact, when Fender began to apply the transparent polyester coat above the decal, it soon realized that it was reacting with the materials used for these adhesives. Completely nitro necks dated 1967 and 1968 are not uncommon.
In late 1971 the polyester layers used as clearcoat and undercoat became thicker and denser, thus incorporating the guitar into a kind of “sarcophagus”. For this reason, to contrast it with the thin skin of the '50s and '60s, the polyester finish of the '70s went down in history with the nickname thick skin.
It should be noted, however, that not all Fender guitars were completely finished with polyester, some colors continued to have the "old" nitro coating. Moreover, on the front side of the headstock only the nitro was sprayed, even when the rest of the neck was polyester finished. In fact, when Fender began to apply the transparent polyester coat above the decal, it soon realized that it was reacting with the materials used for these adhesives. Completely nitro necks dated 1967 and 1968 are not uncommon.
In late 1971 the polyester layers used as clearcoat and undercoat became thicker and denser, thus incorporating the guitar into a kind of “sarcophagus”. For this reason, to contrast it with the thin skin of the '50s and '60s, the polyester finish of the '70s went down in history with the nickname thick skin.
This was a period of strong experimentation, during which numerous alternatives and combinations had been tested. For example, the Olympic White kept a nitro clear coat (with a polyester undercoat) until 1977; the sunburst also in this period was made in the same way. Sometimes it could happen that the sunburst Stratocasters made between the end of '68 and throughout '69 lost their red. In short, there wasn’t a fixed rule.
In 1979 Fender, under pressure for the pollution caused by the extensive use of polyester, tested on the Anniversary Stratocaster a water-based paint, but the result was disastrous: the new finish broke after a few weeks, and consequently Fender was forced to return to polyester.
In 1979 Fender, under pressure for the pollution caused by the extensive use of polyester, tested on the Anniversary Stratocaster a water-based paint, but the result was disastrous: the new finish broke after a few weeks, and consequently Fender was forced to return to polyester.
Polyurethane
Fortunately, in late 1981, under the Schultz-Smith management, a new type of polyurethane, thinner than the previous "polyester", began to replace it in the Standard Stratocasters known as “Smith Strats”, at least as clear coat, still keeping the polyester as undercoat. The new 1987 American Standard Stratocasters exhibited a polyurethane finish, but polyester was still used as undercoat to better adhere the color.
