Aging a new Marshall logo - my experiments

[Guitaraficionado74]

Hi guys,

Like many of you, I suppose, I'm stuck with a vintage head missing its original badge/logo. Mine is a model 1987 from October 1969. It came with a modern day official Marshall 6" script logo. But as you know, that looks way too white and clean! So I took to some experimenting. (I could afford to mess up, because I was so foolish to already order an extremely expensive gold logo from those guys in London, that's another story).
So, first I tried the 'coffee'-mix. Doesn't do jack sh*t on the modern plastics... Onto other methods: I 'painted' the logo in a light Beige, with a POSCA-marker (Posca.com color number 45). That takes care of the 'too white' plastic. I wiped off the excess paint, letting the original white plastic shine through again. Then I darkened the inner cavities of the lettering with some brown shoe polish. On afterthought I think this was a little too reddish, but OK. To rough-up the entire surface of the logo, I buried it in some mortar mix, scraping the logo against the sand/grains. This gives the plastic a nice vintage looking surface. I rinced everything with water, and rubbed some parts of the plastic with fine steel-wool (scraping off excess paint etc). Ready! I think it looks a whole lot better now The logo broke in the process, but hey, now it's even more 'period correct' ;-)
(Question for the historians here: should this amp from late 1969 have a gold logo, or a white one? Knowing Marshall I think it depended on whatever was lying around the shop, but do let me know what you think!).

 

[fitz]

Nice relic.
You could go full vintage, and bust the L's off...

I've tried toning down the brand new bright white logos with a few different methods.
That white ABS is practically impervious to any type of color change other than paint.
For a quick match on some new ones to an old head logo, I used canvas white spray paint.

 

[StingRay85]

Nice looking amp! Is the faceplate original? It looks very clean.

My '69 has a gold logo

 

[Guitaraficionado74]

H

Nice looking amp! Is the faceplate original? It looks very clean.

My '69 has a gold logo

Hi,
Faceplace is original - it's actually all bent in the left corner (but held in place by the cabinet).
Good to know yours has a gold logo. I've seen both on '69s. Not sure what is 'correct', or if they both were used in '69. Maybe someone here knows.

 

[lespaul339]

I've never tried it, but would muriatic acid diluted with water yellow a white plastic logo? I'd be curious to see if that would age the plastic.

 

[stickyfinger]

ya the coffee staining and steel wool doesn't do any thing. I bet if we left logos on are car dash after a year of the sun rays would age them nicely.

 

[neikeel]

The first half of 69 you would expect plexi panel and gold logo with early spacing the London seller has the correct version for this. Later in 69 the metal panel came in with rounded upper part of head cab lip and the wider spaced white logo. This one is the same spacing as both white and gold current production and the ones from every other on-line retailer.
As with most things Marshall there is a ‘Summer of ‘69’ transition period.

 

[Guitaraficionado74]

Thanks, helpful info, Neikeel!
My amp is rounded lip, as you can see.

I have tested another route: I noticed that the 6" logo from my Origin combo is MUCH less white than the aftermarket ones.
So, I detached it from the combo and put it on the JMP (same spacing). Behold: looks pretty good too! Whaddayathink?

 

[playloud]

Thanks, helpful info, Neikeel!
My amp is rounded lip, as you can see.

I have tested another route: I noticed that the 6" logo from my Origin combo is MUCH less white than the aftermarket ones.
So, I detached it from the combo and put it on the JMP (same spacing). Behold: looks pretty good too! Whaddayathink?


View attachment 117119

Looks good, but needs more pieces!

I like your handiwork in the original post. Don't be afraid to offset the alignment of left and right slightly for that classic crooked look.

I did the coffee/steel wool thing to my "London" logo and it had an effect. Maybe the "modern repros" are more durable?

 

[playloud]

The first half of 69 you would expect plexi panel and gold logo with early spacing the London seller has the correct version for this. Later in 69 the metal panel came in with rounded upper part of head cab lip and the wider spaced white logo. This one is the same spacing as both white and gold current production and the ones from every other on-line retailer.
As with most things Marshall there is a ‘Summer of ‘69’ transition period.

I know chronological consistency is never reliable where Marshall is concerned, but am I correct in thinking the rounded cab lip was the first of these features to appear?

I have a '69 plexi with rounded lip and earlier spacing, and I've seen a few others.

 

[Guitaraficionado74]

Looks good, but needs more pieces!

I like your handiwork in the original post. Don't be afraid to offset the alignment of left and right slightly for that classic crooked look.

I did the coffee/steel wool thing to my "London" logo and it had an effect. Maybe the "modern repros" are more durable?

Thanks for the ideas!
And yes, the modern logos are tough... Marshall, what can I say: built like a tank!

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

I was laughing while reading the OP, but the pictures look great.

They make plastic/automotive dyes in a spray can that I think will penetrate the plastic. Good luck finding something that will work properly though. I've never tried for amps, only used them for auto parts.

Good job, glad it met your expectations.



Cheers!

 

[Springfield Scooter]

The Origin logo looks great.
I had a few logos laser cut, from thin birch plywood.
They look good in raw birch wood, but could also be painted to an off white color, or any color for that matter.