anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

[Fusion1]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

Bean, you got any pics of the pickups or covers after the procedure? I'd like tio see a before and after but I can imagine the before, I really want to see the after.

I read on a forum about a guy that built a box with a tube and he put his guitar in that box and chained smoked for weeks to relic his guitar. The idea was a joke, but tobacco stains about anything.

 

[slashedzero]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

I've looked up this topic several times as I want to turn my double white CC trembucker into a double cream one (in-your-face, Larry Dimarzio! :eyecrazy. Haven't tried it yet, but the yellow dye seems the way to go (coffee & shoe polish come off & leaving in the sun does nothing). I've searched the net for info on 'Rid Dye' but didn't find anything. That's because it's written "RIT dye"! It's fabric dye, like the one you put in the washing machine to re-colour t-shirts etc. Gonna try it soon.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

I have used coffee for pup covers and exactly what you are wanting to do with great results. I don't know why some people have the coffee come off, so I can't help you there, but mine never has.

When doing a pickup, you want just the top of the bobbin to touch the coffee. I filled a small tray with just enough coffee to get to it to about 1/8" depth. I then back out the poles just enough to "lift" pup up so the coffee could flow underneath. Let is soak over night, and viola.

I hope that makes sense, but all you are doing is setting the pup upside down in a small pool of coffee.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

I tried the brown shoe polish thing and all I got was a white pickup with "brown highlights".

I think the easiest way is to just sell the pickup and order a double-cream from Duncan directly.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

Like the covers? Take the white covers off, and let 'em sit in a cold cup of coffee for as long as you want, clean the insides of the cover when you're finished and re-assemble. That's my best guess.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

I think the easiest way is to just sell the pickup and order a double-cream from Duncan directly.

Yes, that is the easiest.

The only reason to coffee is to have a "vintage" look to it.

 

[slashedzero]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

The topic is about changing the colour of an uncovered humbucker, so there is no way to 'take the cover off', it's the bobbins themselves that need to be cream. In my case, I'm trying to colour a double white CC trembucker to a vintage aged colour to fit the mint green pickguard on my Strat. The white is really spankin' white, really doesn't fit a tinted pickguard.

Just tried the coffee thing last night -- let the humbucker soak the whole night in a dish with a pool of coffee in it. This morning, the coffee just came right off, didn't even tint. The plastic is way to smooth, doesn't provide any foothold for the coffee. So that doesn't work.

I got some yellow fabric dye (brand 'Ideal' here in Belgium, the liquid kind with some powder as fixator), mixed it with 50% water and painted the humbucker. The humbucker is so smooth and the dye doesn't sink in. Leaving it for a while gives a yellowish colour, but this also comes off with some kitchen paper.

Maybe I should leave the dye on for a couple of hours and then remove the excess. I'll try that. If that doesn't work, I don't know what to try next.

Buying a (covered) double cream one would of course work, but this is rather expensive (more so than a regular trembucker).

 

[fazul]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

Have you tried with the mixing of shoe polish and barbacoe alcohol.

I used alcohol to clean my pickguard and it became in light yellow in the next two moths. Could be a good solution if you mix it with shoe polish.

Good Luck!!

 

[JamesPaul]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

...

Buying a (covered) double cream one would of course work, but this is rather expensive (more so than a regular trembucker).

No doubt, 30 years in a smoky bar room is the best!

Still a double cream trembucker makes a great alternative! If you just need specific bobbin colors, that can be done as a shop floor custom. Yes, you'll have to buy covered and take the covers off yourself. Still SFC's usually are a modest cost increase over the standard production model. You may need to wait until the next production run of CC Trembuckers rolls around though. Naturally, if you need it now, the Custom Shop may do it but you'll pay significantly more.

The SFC's look sharp too. Here's a Q&D photo of a DC Trembucker in the bridge:

 

[slashedzero]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

Update: put the dye on this morning and let is sit for about seven hours, then wiped the excess. That took all the dye off with it, so my trembucker is once again whiter than white... I've just tried sanding the surface, scratching it a bit and have re-applied the dye. I doubt it will work, though. The plastic of these bobbins seems of the super-shiny-impossible-to-penetrate kind...

Haven't tried the alcohol thing -- thanks for the tip, but I doubt it will make much difference. I'm beginning to think this type of plastic just cannot be discolored.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

But everybody be sure to be EXTRA careful about immersing a pickup in anything that might dissolve the coil wire insulation, or even just rubbing it on the top.

 

[Aceman]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

That an epi classic? I would love to have a cherry burst. Tragically, mine is amber....

 

[CUBE]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

i have used tea .. just put some on a baking sheet, a thin layer , leave over night...or less,, they will no longer be white

 

[JamesPaul]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

...

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

That an epi classic? I would love to have a cherry burst. Tragically, mine is amber....

The very one in my sig. For years I wanted to SuperD her to get this look but just couldn't part with my Custom/Jazz set. Finally managed to work it out though!

 

[fazul]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

Update: put the dye on this morning and let is sit for about seven hours, then wiped the excess. That took all the dye off with it, so my trembucker is once again whiter than white... I've just tried sanding the surface, scratching it a bit and have re-applied the dye. I doubt it will work, though. The plastic of these bobbins seems of the super-shiny-impossible-to-penetrate kind...

Haven't tried the alcohol thing -- thanks for the tip, but I doubt it will make much difference. I'm beginning to think this type of plastic just cannot be discolored.

One thing can work good. Put your pups taking the sun, it is slow but sure in few months... Have you thought how much your time cost? Perhaps, buying the pups in cream color is cheaper than waiting a solution risking your pups with several products...

 

[BigDreamer]

Re: anyway to make a white duncan a cream one?

+1 to Coffee