ZiKi Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I'm doing a relic cause it's a fun thing to do and is obviously "in", but every relic post i go to has broken pictures. So, if any of you have relic guitars you did, please share, im interested in your tips and tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I am actually in the process of writing an e-book on relicing tips & tricks. What type of guitar are you doing & what type of finish? I'm doing a relic cause it's a fun thing to do and is obviously "in", but every relic post i go to has broken pictures. So, if any of you have relic guitars you did, please share, im interested in your tips and tricks. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Well, I've never built a relic, but I think tying a rope from the neck to the bumper of your car and then dragging the perfectly good guitar down a gravel road would be a good place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 That wouldn't give even halfway decent wear patterns. Relicing really is an art. I think it's much harder to build a GOOD relic than it is to have a normal paint job/hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Crafty: Please...............tell me you are joking! there is an art to relicing without having it look fake Case in point. Every time I see kenny Wayne Shepard's "relic' Strat I CRINGE!!!! Relicing is alot more than sandpaper & throwing keys at your guitar That wouldn't give even halfway decent wear patterns. Relicing really is an art. I think it's much harder to build a GOOD relic than it is to have a normal paint job/hardware. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Uh-oh. Now I've gone and pissed off the "relic" crowd. Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread with my opinion of relics, I was just making a joke. Carry on with your antiquing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 True Relic Crafty isn't joking . I saw this picture on this site earlier somewhere, so here's a repost. -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavnerGuitarWorks Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 This is mostly actual wear from years of abuse. And I skipped it across the gravel driveway a few times when I was pissed. And I set it on fire... ala Jimi Hendrix. The back is very crispy, but I can't find the pic of it right now. I poured gas on it and lit it. Never could get rid of the gas smell, so I sold it on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Here is nice relic project: http://www.roryon.com/harrystrat208.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I've seen that rory project before.. it's pretty interesting. This is unsolicited.. i'm not tryign to sell this guy's stuff but check out www.nashguitars.com He is one of the best relic'ers i've seen. It's total passion for him and his stuff looks awesome. He basically starts with raw wood, finishes it in nitro just like the oldies then starts his mysterious process of aging. There is a big article on him in ToneQuest. It's got to be liberating doing relics for a living.. "i'm sorry sir your guitar slid off my bench while i was working on it.. the good news is it has this super cool looking crack running up the back now!! (that'll add 200 dollars to the price)" My biggest pet peeve is hardware relic jobs where they just rust the hell out of everything.. Some of these things look like you would get tetanus just by touching them. that's not realistic. a well played guitar will have corrosion and a nice patina on it.. but come on.. who would play something that has rust flaking off of it. A lot of guys put all their hardware in a box of rusty nails and let it sit for a while. I think the whole relic craze is kind of crazy.. but i have a 20 year old strat that is a natural relic so who am I to judge others for wanting the same but with a shortcut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) There are bunch of people offering these relic type guitars. I really don't get it. I rather relic them myself.....just by playing on them for few years!!!! Although that Rory strat is kinda nice. Here is another link: http://www.relicguitars.nl/Daphie.htm Edited March 24, 2005 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 I think many people will agree that old guitars with their natural wear patterns look really cool. Unfortunately, most of us cannot afford a 61 strat in any condition. I say if it makes someone happy, why not? Some folks act like someone buying a relic or making a relic is as bad as killing a baby. Live and let live for crying out loud! I don't come and tell you that your floyd roses make me want to puke. I don't complain about you wacko's who start adding extra strings to an otherwise good guitar. Lighten up man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiKi Posted March 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 okay guys thanks for the links, although i have seen most of them. anyways, heres the specs on my guitar im relicing I bought a cheap johnson maple neck that i plan to strip down and put a amber finish on. bought it for 31 i also bought a cheap sunburst (more browner than orange) for like 53 bucks. i am also helping my friend upgrade his 87 american strat which came with a vintage tremolo, so he's letting me have that. i just won kluson tuners on ebay. although this strat is not going to look like a fender strat (because of the headstock), i want it to look cool. a couple questions i have. when you do the "wear" on the neck and make it look dirty, how would you do that. I've heard you use coffee or something thatll brown it but wouldnt that come off after a while? i dont want my hands smelling like tobacco and coffee after i use my guitar. hrmmmm thats pretty much it right now, right now i'm gathering the parts and such. still looking for a 1 ply 8 hole pickguard for cheap. the cheapest ive seen is like 23 bucks. BS... oh yeah i might have some tips i made up on my own. I bought cream knobs a while back for a previous project but i didnt use them. I checked out that vintage fender website and examined the knobs. i rounded them and such. what i plan to do to make them look dirty in the cracks is take some brownish black model paint and paint the sides, then wipe the knobs off. i'll let you guys know how that turns out. in fact, im about to go practice doing wear on a old bass neck i dont need, as well as do those knobs. Peace out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarmonky55 Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 epi-les paul with transparent blue finish over a quilt maple top...used and beat to hell. take to it with a meat-tenderizing hammer and light on fire in selected places...instant relic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 (edited) I don't care either way what folks do to their guitars so long as they are kept "playable" . If the guitar looks played but the finish doesn't represent the actual amount of time it takes to get that way, ehhh thats a little strange to my tastes. I'm more interested in whether or not the dude with the reliced guitar can play it like hes been playing it for 25 yrs! I heard that right now there are guys walking around downtown with empty guitar cases, just to get that "look" from people. Edited March 25, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanKirk Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 This is mostly actual wear from years of abuse. And I skipped it across the gravel driveway a few times when I was pissed. And I set it on fire... ala Jimi Hendrix. The back is very crispy, but I can't find the pic of it right now. I poured gas on it and lit it. Never could get rid of the gas smell, so I sold it on ebay. dude You don't like... have any pets do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavnerGuitarWorks Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 dude You don't like... have any pets do you? ← I have 5 cats, a dog, an 18 month old baby, and a wife. That qoute does seem quite psychotic, doesn't it? I was actually pissed at the guitar itself. Piece of crap. It didn't have a scratch on it when I got it... I couldn't have that. So... I bought a new neck for it and it went downhill from there. The neck didn't fit the pocket quite right no matter what I did to it. It was supposed to have been an actual lefty Fender neck... turns out it was a Saga with a Fender decal. Damn ebay thieves! I bought all new hardware and electronics for it, but never put them on it. I was playing it one day and the neck just pop off. I picked it up, took it outside, and smacked it as hard as I could on the sidewalk. Then the body skipping fun started!!! This was after I set it on fire though. That was at an outdoor show my band played. That's why I had to buy new electronics and a neck for it. I learned very quickly not to use gasoline during a Hendrix tribute moment. It's extremely hard to put a gas fire out with nothing more than water. I burnt a little more than I would have liked. If you look at the pic, you'll notice the neck pocket is black.... that's cause it was burnt to a crisp. I'll have my strat well done. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 (edited) I don't come and tell you that your floyd roses make me want to puke. I think you just did. I heard that right now there are guys walking around downtown with empty guitar cases, just to get that "look" from people. blink.gif When I was in high school (back in the stone age) I wanted an old Violin case for my books......just for that Maffia look. And aren't pawnshops not your first place to look if you're into this relic things. Must be tons of old beat-up Fender type guitars for sale in there. Edited March 25, 2005 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiKi Posted March 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 i started working on the knobs and my technique and i used some water based model paint. what i did is put some black on a brush then dipped it in water and painted the ridges, then i wiped off the sides closest to me and it kinda looks dirty now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 CASES?!? WE don't need no stinkin CASES!! Just drag em around on a dog lease and stop at every hydrant! THEN you'll get looks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerrHerron Posted October 1, 2007 Report Share Posted October 1, 2007 I sold my first strat to a friend, and he tied it to a car a drove around a bit. It didn't destroy it like I'd expected. It's crazy how much a strat can take, for example a Stevie Ray Vaughan standing on the body, lifting up the neck, and repeatedly letting it smash back into the stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.