Vintage look on Poly finish?
 

How do vintage guitars have the vintage look? (something like the picture below)

http://www.12fret.com/wordpress/wp-c...s-bridge-1.jpg

Most of the vintage guitars have this look (or rather finish).

• Original lacquer, high gloss finish is usually gone
• And lots of scratches. Must have got them when the gloss lacquer finish is gone?

Is it a nature of nitro lacquer finish to disappear over time to give these vintage look?

If so, what happens when polyurethane finish gets old? Will poly finished guitars ever have a chance to look like the vintage guitars like the picture above? :)

Poly finish will discolour over time. Ever seen a 'white' 70s Stratocaster that's been gigged in smoky bars all its life? This is Olympic White on a '77 Strat: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=70...tm%3B640%3B480

And this is a new one: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fe...%3B3888%3B2592

I had a poly finished early 1980s G&L Interceptor which showed quite a bit of checking and was covered with spider web lines. They looked more exaggerated than what you see on a lacquer finish. Not sure if it was a result of the thickness of the coat, whether a wood filler was used before the finish was applied or not, being subjected to more extreme conditions or what.