Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

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FenderBob
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Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by FenderBob » Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:27 am

Picked up this competition mustang the other day.

Very clean except for the butt end, where the finish must have been reacting poorly to a guitar stand and as a result, it caused the finish to become unstable and shift around. I just assumed the built up areas of finish would have hardened, but right now, it's still gummy and you can scrape it off w/ your fingernail. Anybody have any experience w/ anything similar?? I just would like to see the gunk harden up. Maybe just give it time?

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by treblemaker » Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:18 pm

I've faced a similar situation with a 72 CAR Comp Mustang I used to own. It affected a smaller area than yours, though. I bought the guitar like that already, so I don't know what caused the finish to melt. The finish had hardened when I bought the guitar, but I remember leaving the guitar on a velours couch for about a week and the finish reacting with the velours. The finish also got attached to the underside of the pickguard, so when I tried removing it for the first time, chunks of paint came with it.

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by sunburster » Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:38 pm

These are supposed to be polyester finishes right? I've never seen poly react that way on a guitar. I wonder what chemical composition they actually used.

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:52 pm

Now that I think about it, my old 75' black on black mustang suffered from this terrible and un-natural rash on the back. It def wasn't a buckle rash either. Always wondered what caused it. It bothered me a bit, but not too bad because it was just the back. I miss that guitar.

I also saw another 70s era mustang with similar finish problems in a shop a couple years ago, only it was much worse.

What gives with these era mustangs?

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by elektrovac » Fri Aug 11, 2017 2:16 am

I owned a vintage 1969 blue comp stang back in the 90s, and the same thing happened to me during one week of touring and playing every night. The finish 'melted' and got sticky under the neck-joint at the flat side, inside the lower cut-out (if you get me). After the tour, the finish hardened again. Really weird. It's like it was the heat and humidity of the clubs (and my hands) which melted it. I can swear the guitar never came anywhere near any other chemicals than possibly beer and sweat. The guitar toured in a new reissue Fender hardcase to save the old and brittle original, but the finish did not react to the plush lining of the case.

I don't own this guitar anymore. It wasn't really a great guitar but it looked the part
Last edited by elektrovac on Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by HNB » Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:24 am

That photo breaks my heart.
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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by MechaBulletBill » Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:53 am

HNB wrote:That photo breaks my heart.
Came to say the same. Really sad state for such a nice finish :'(

Can you sand it smooth and spray clear poly over it to kind of protect it from further damage?

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by frankencat » Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:15 pm

I've been painting for a long time and I have never seen a catalyzed urethane finish do that short of paint stripper. That's got to be some other type of finish from the looks of it.
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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by hornz » Sat Aug 12, 2017 3:09 pm

I've no idea how to remedy that but I'll just add that my '72 Burgundy has reacted similarly, albeit to a much lesser extent, under the pickguard. Mine has a very yellowed clear coat so the whole guitar (the exposed areas) looks like Sherwood Green Metallic.
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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by l9gaj » Sun Aug 13, 2017 7:33 am

That is very strange. I've never seen anything like that. It looks more like it has been exposed to solvent.

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by Supa-Stang » Tue Aug 15, 2017 4:45 am

Having tried and failed to get an unwanted poly finish to do that I'm sure if you could find the cause and bottle it you could make a decent profit... Really strange, and unfortunate the only thing I can suggest is time or careful use of a scraper and damp cloth if it looks to be spreading.

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Re: Comp Mustang - Chemical reaction leads to sticky finish

Post by zepset » Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:34 am

Could be the plasitcizers in the stand eating into the finish. I've seen it happen from bubble wrap and anything else made of plastic.

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