Is Jimi's White 68' Strat Poly Or Nitro Finish?

[Brandon]

Anyone have any info?

It looks more nitro than poly to me, especially because of the wear on it and because the poly olympic white guitars I've seen have all turned completely yellow over the years and the finish on the body and neck remains almost like new... but when fender custom shop started reproducing the white strat a few years ago, I believe they finished it in poly.

Here's a photo:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/wood ... -strat.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ydna]

Beautiful guitar. I saw it in person in Seattle, among others. Looking at the picture, I think it has faded, because Olympic white is a bleach white. In the picture it is faded a bit. I think you're right on it being Nitro though, but after Jimi's death, it has probably been stowed away somewhere, except for going to museum's, and the museums don't allow flash photography, and the museum I saw it at (EMP) the area was very dim.

[Brandon]

Yeah I just can't imagine those scratches on the left bottom corner (probably from jimi's rings from pick strokes?) existing on a poly finish. It would def make more sense if it was nitro.

[Ydna]

Idk what else it could be. Dings and scratches just kind of happen on guitars. Coulde be picking, who knows? I still think you're right on the Nitro finish.

[Xplorer]

i think, that poly remains the same over the years, i mean, cellulosic finish goes yeallow much faster. But this guitar was bought in 1968, jimi used it less than two years. and we can suppose that this guitar wasn't exposed to uv light after that. This would be the reason why it stayed white, a lot. but cellulosic goes very yellow with uv, and disipate with alcohol, acid ... beer, sweat ...poly is more resistant. i've seen this guitar too at the emp. by the way : veeeeeeery small room relative to jimi, into a huge museum. but it's nice to have other jimi's equipments over the world, and not only there.

[Xplorer]

some more

[Brandon]

Very nice pics!

Yeah it's really shiny which says poly to me (but that could just be good caretaking on a million dollar gitter)... but then it has slight aging coloration and has only been used for aprox 2 years which says nitro... and those scratches at the bottom left, I don't see it being possible to make those kind of scratches and break the surface layer that cleanly and deeply on a poly body just from a big swinging pickstroke with a ring on your finger.

He would have had to slammed right there with hammer force! But the angle of the cutaway, the strength of poly and the physics of hitting the cutaway corn at that angle... to me it must be Nitro.

I indeed have tried to make those scratches on a poly body mythbusters status while playing , and it just doesn't seem to be possible to me on a poly finish.

[parkhead]

Nitro color over poly till 73 - 74

the guitars were clear coated in poly then color shot in nitro

sunburst stayed with nitro over poly longer

when you look at late 60's to mid 70's guitars the nitro wears through to the poly clear coat

P

[Freedom]

Probably not much help but what the heck...

"1968 Stratocaster specs:

* Black Fender peghead decal with 2 patent numbers (2,741,146 & 3,143,028).
* "F" style tuning gears replaces "Kluson-Deluxe" gears.
* Polyester thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer. This transition is slow, and often a 1968 Strat can have a poly finished body with a lacquer neck.
* Fender peghead decal is now under the finish, instead of on top. Because of this, the face only of the peghead stays lacquer, even though the rest of the neck is polyester (was done this way because the poly finish reacted with the decal). This can really be seen on well-used Strats, because the poly finish does not yellow, where the lacquer peghead finish does. Hence the face of the peghead can be a yellowish-brown, and the rest of the neck is not. Also the face of the peghead can finish-check, where the rest of the poly neck generally will not.
* Under the pickguard wiring transitions from cloth-covered wire to plastic (PVC) covered wiring. "

Source: http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender2.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Roe]

Nitro color over poly till 73 - 74

the guitars were clear coated in poly then color shot in nitro

...
P

yeah, thats what I've been told as well

[Tone seaker]

so that just destroys the theory that nitro sounds the best.

[Xplorer]

; )

or, it destroys the theory that would say that poly doesn't sound so good.
to me, acrylic is the best for a body. at least for a natural telecaster body, and the most beautiful in this case. i 'm joining a picture of mine

[Brandon]

Nitro color over poly till 73 - 74

the guitars were clear coated in poly then color shot in nitro

sunburst stayed with nitro over poly longer

when you look at late 60's to mid 70's guitars the nitro wears through to the poly clear coat

P

Are you saying the body was "sealed" with poly and then nitro color and then nitro clear coat?

And are we talking about polyester resin or polyurethane

[Brandon]

Alright check it out, new photographic evidence from Woodstock

Now I'm 99% certain it was a nitro finish. Check out that wear, that type of wear is just not possible on poly.

[Brandon]

more pics