Tru-oil + time = .....

[neverwas]

It is mentioned often that tru-oil ambers-up over time. Here is an example:
Kit freshly strung up in May 2015

And how it looks now, late January 2022

Note that the same colouring was used on the body and the REAR of the clear pickguard.
The body was finished with tru-oil, there's a build diary somewhere.
I know the lighting for the pics isn't the same, but the difference in colour is pretty obvious.

This is purely for illustrative purposes, make of it what you will.

Grant

[Simon Barden]

Thanks for that, Grant. A good illustration. You now have a vintage looking bass!

Looks like a lot of the yellowing could be down to UV/bright light exposure, as the clear pickguard seems to protect the TO from yellowing so it must be absorbing UV before it hits the TO.

It would be interesting to have three test pieces of wood with TO on, with two left outside. One protected from the sun but open to the atmosphere and the other open to both. The third is kept inside in a dark cupboard with some clear plastic over it (like a pickguard) to minimise the effect of atmosphere and light on it.