Does sunlight yellow nitrocellulose lacquer, or lighten it?

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After taking the tailpiece off of my LP, I can see that the finish underneath has yellowed. I once had a white LP Custom that was the same way. This seems to be the reverse of what one would expect from UV exposure. Any ideas on this?
 
Smoke will yellow it, for sure. I have had Nitro and poly guitars do that. UV light I am curious
 
UV will make it yellow depending on the exposure. They make new clear coats that don’t yellow though.
 
I have an '81 Burny Les Paul Custom Randy Rhoads model, that to my knowledge doesn't have a nitro finish, started out cream/white and yet has yellowed tremendously...oh and I don't smoke.
So it seems like some poly lacquers can suffer from this too (given enough time).
 
I've always loved when my Gibson's yellowed. My Jackson's on the other hand... No way! I wanted those to stay as white as snow. :)

I recall removing a sticker from an '81 white LP Custom. Under the sticker, the finish was yellow. I assumed this was the result of a chemical reaction, but, maybe not? I remember a guy back in the '70's say... "Throw it in the case for a year, and it will be yellow when you pull it out." :dunno:
 
I had a 1958 Les Paul Jr. in cherry red.
When I took off the pickguard the finish color was like brand new.

The rest of the guitar had faded and turned a bit yellow
 
John4021":1osb0erl said:
I had a 1958 Les Paul Jr. in cherry red.
When I took off the pickguard the finish color was like brand new.

The rest of the guitar had faded and turned a bit yellow
Click to expand...
There doesn't seem to be one answer to this question. Do some colors cause the nitro to react differently, I wonder?
 
yeah that seems to be a weird ageing. Pretty every thing I have read and every guitar I have seen normally "yellow" or darkens.

It terms of the sticker I think there is a good chances its a glue reaction. I put one of those bullseye guitar skin things on my charvel so only every second ring was a sticker, the rest of the guitar paint was showing. When I peeled it off after about 5 years the parts where the sticker was were "greener" than the uncovered bits (it is a seasick finish) so I fist though the paint had faded, but I now think it was the glue that darkened the finish
 
I read somewhere that specific UV bulbs will artifically age the finish.
 
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