DividedByJames Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Hey everyone, I haven't been here for a while and it's good to see the forum alive and well. I've seen beautiful guitars being built that would be equivalent or better than any custom builders out there - congrats on your efforts! So as the typical anti-guy I bring you this request... I was just wondering if there were threads on relic'ing a guitar. I know you're thinking "duh just tie it to a string and drag it behind your car..." but I'm talking about honestly making it look vintage (40+ years old) when you start off with a brand new shiney guitar. All the forum stuff is about making beautiful looking guitars. I'm looking to beat up my guitar and make it look like I played it to death. Info I'd like to see: - typical wear spots on guitars (Fenders preferably, but Gibson wear would be interesting to read...maybe ibanez wear since y'all love Ibanez out here). - wear on different finishes and how to do it (ie. sandpaper grit levels) - how to make shiney clearcoat dull without looking like you took sandpaper to it (ie swirl marks). - UV'ing it? Possibly making the finish "age" by subjecting it to hours of UV (where are all those college plant growers when you need 'em ) - wear or age on chrome and bone nuts. - replicating finger oil on rosewood and maple, and getting the finish-holes in maple (ala Clapton's Blackie). - replicating "aged" look a bright white maple neck. There were 135 pages of theads, so forgive me for being lazy and not looking through them. I'm also inept when it comes to painting--my plastic model kit cars can vouch for my skills. So info for the severely handicapped luthier would be helpful. Thanks! -- James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 Despite what people will say, from my searching just now I counld'nt actually find much helpful information, and most of the quality progress threads are very old and as such all the pictures are dead. Ive always remembered this site though: http://www.roryon.com/harrystrat208.html and you should probably contact either DaveK or AlexVDL (if he is even around) because from memory both of those did some kickass relic projects. http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showuser=61 http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showuser=77 -Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...366entry11366 hmm..well my search yeilded this...the original relic thread...plus a few more unfortunately all the pics are gone...but you can learn alot from reading it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 11, 2005 Report Share Posted April 11, 2005 (Fenders preferably, but Gibson wear would be interesting to read.. ← My Melody Maker turns 40 years old this year...still a beautiful guitar...tons of checking--but strangely mostly on the body, very little on the neck. Plenty of little pits and scars ...but surprisingly in good shape, considering I use to throw this guitar across the stage once in a while (the bass player used to throw my Univox Hi-flyer at me...). So yeah, if you're going to do a Gibson-style relic, you'd want to get lots of checking in there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted April 12, 2005 Report Share Posted April 12, 2005 Wow, there has been a LOT of interest in relicing lately! I have actually justy finished a CD Rom on relicing that I plan on selling on e-bay I have also figured out a way to relic POLY bodies!!! I don't want to give ALL my secrets away...but if there is a particular area you are interested in, i am sure I can post some tips Dave (Fenders preferably, but Gibson wear would be interesting to read.. ← My Melody Maker turns 40 years old this year...still a beautiful guitar...tons of checking--but strangely mostly on the body, very little on the neck. Plenty of little pits and scars ...but surprisingly in good shape, considering I use to throw this guitar across the stage once in a while (the bass player used to throw my Univox Hi-flyer at me...). So yeah, if you're going to do a Gibson-style relic, you'd want to get lots of checking in there... ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DividedByJames Posted April 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Hey thanks guys! I knew you'd come thru. I guess I should clarify my meaning of relic, as the Rory Gallager and SRV strat fall under my list of "semi-stripped" guitars. The Rory strat website goes over color-relic'ing the neck, which was one of my main goals and helps a lot. Dave I don't mean to steal all your secrets, but wear spots would be a good one. For example, I see a lot of sunbursts and black strats have the forearm wear, and chips and dings around the edges. Others have the edge of the tummy cut and the typical belt buckle wears. Aside from screwdrivers and hammers, what kind of scratching tools/material could be used to replicate the effect? Steel Wool I read was one. Sand paper? What grit should I start at? 600? How do you take the shine out of the clearcoat without putting swirls in it, or creating a white coat of shredded clearcoat over the color? If you are giving, perhaps how to make the olympic white yellowish only on the exposed parts but remain white under pickguards etc...should I just leave it out in the sun for a while? ALso why do the white pickups turn yellow faster? Pitting on chrome or gold? I found that if you let someone borrow your guitar who has an indoor pool and they leave it in the pool room for a few months in the gig bag, it will naturally pit the metal (thanks Nate!). I also live near the beach now, and I think the water is affecting my Tele neck chrome plating. For a less subtle way to make gold worn, I found that the brass cleaner rags (the ones with the red inner cloth) will make a gold plated part more chrome looking (ie. take the yellow out). That's the kind of relic'ing I was looking for guidance on, wear on the finish due to playing and oxidation on the metal, not taking off the finish to wood. Here's some examples that I would consider relic'ing (much like the Time Machine Fenders). These are all on ebay so I apologize if the pictures disappear later. '65 Sunburst Strat '63 Black Strat Relic Candy Apple Red Strat with checking '62 Sunburst Jaguar Relic Sunburst Strat Holy Grail of relics! As far as Gibsons, I've only seen one interesting thing aside from checking....the real Gold Top Gibson Les Pauls will turn green when worn. -- James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 '65 Sunburst Strat ← Is it just me, or does that logo look like it was made with transparency paper? No wonder the seller won't take the guitar apart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Tuners and bridge appear to be correct, ....rest is bit fishy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Yea, by stripping off lots of paint and really beating up the guitar, you creat a heavily gigged relic. James wants a relic that has been sitting in the closet for 50 years and played once in a while, leaving just a tad of wear. Oh, I know... James wants a studio-wear, others refer to gig-wear. hmm... the "holy grail of relics" looks really fishy too... why not have the original pick guard on it, or at least take a pic of it? Fishy stuff. --------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Oh yes, I just recalled... there was a discussion on aging a metal pickup cover at the Seymour Duncan forums. Someone suggested peeing on them. Maybe you can apply that method to age your plastic parts and hardware. Then just sand off some wear points and you're set. ----------- Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 Oh yes, I just recalled... there was a discussion on aging a metal pickup cover at the Seymour Duncan forums. Someone suggested peeing on them. Maybe you can apply that method to age your plastic parts and hardware. Then just sand off some wear points and you're set. ----------- Jimbo ← Hey, maybe that explains the weird smell coming from the inside of my strat case... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted April 13, 2005 Report Share Posted April 13, 2005 you could always go with the tried and true methoed of soaking the plastic parts in coffee. And for metal let it sok in a brine mixture ( a LOT of salt) for a couple of hours than set them outside in the sun until it gets the rust that you want than take it in and brush off the excess rust with a toothbrush. Repeat if necessary. For the neck I recomend striping the entire thing down to wood, than getting some kiwi brown shoe polish and going over it with that. Than pla ythe heck out of it for like a month like that. Than sand certin spots until you like the way it looks. Than use osme vintage amber laquor and go over it. Than sand back the laquor on the back in the places your hands are most often. For the body you want to sand through mose of the clear and all the way through the clear and color in some places. Than stain the places you sanded all the wat through with coffee (this will also wet it and screw things up more) Than sand the clear up to 1000 grit. Dont go any higher. Than step back and enjoy your master peice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRayden Posted April 14, 2005 Report Share Posted April 14, 2005 Lots of grammar mistakes but really really helpful stuff. And doesn't include peeing at all. Very helpful. Thanks. I'll get myself a cheapo and try the methods out. ---------- jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DividedByJames Posted April 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Thanks guys! I'm not sure about the peeing either. I think a better option is to wrap the metal in my sweaty gym shirt. Not sure if I want my guitar to smell like pee, or coffee for that matter. But I digress... Studio wear...hmmm sure. I guess that's the best description. I'm gonna try the amber from Reranch first on the neck, and then decide if I really want to beat up this pretty Candy Apple Red finish. Perhaps it's back to Ebay for a cheap guitar body purchase... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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