@@christianisgnar At least you received it. I ordered a strat on Reverb from Alabama and it never arrived. Somebody at UPS had a very Happy Christmas. Hope they get electrocuted.
Fancy FA I look at all the guitars I had back in high school and think.... some people pay money to have this done... but money can't buy a memory like your friends crazy girlfriend throwing a salt shaker at you and hitting your guitar taking a chip out of the paint...
I’m just realizing I “relicked” my truck the other day. I’ve been worrying about how it devalued it, it here I’ve learned it has improved it’s character. It’s value has gone through the roof!
there is no better way to relic a guitar than playing it for years and years, every scratch should have its story. very cool video Dave, reliced guitars look beautiful
Zarko 320310 pa da ne uvredim coveka, to je njegova gitara neka radi sa njom sta hoce, ja to ne bih uradio sa svojim gitarama, ali covek ocigledno ima para pa mu se moze
It does tell the story - in just over 19 min! I must say aged look does appeal to me. I never had a second hand guitar, they were always brand spanking new - Les Paul, a Strat and JEM (Kramer and Charvel in the days of old). But having recently been to a number of shops here in the UK I realised how new guitars look too new to me lol - a bit sterile. Relic'd ones look almost homely and more comfy. I think I will try my hand at this with a Squire Classic Vibe Strat or Tele 50's which can be picked up for around 300 GBP new and by all accounts are a great little instruments. I love the 'paint over paint' effect and a cigarette burn marks on a headstock. Thanks for the vid Dave. Pozdrav Coveku i Zarku ;)
I dont understand why some people hate the idea of a reliced guitar. I love the way it looks. While this was done to the guitar on purpose, it still gets the point across that a instrument gets worn and loved and gigged a lot. It shows that this guitar is your go to guitar and that you dont treat it like a person, you treat like a piece of wood or a tool.
My mates son knocked my Tele over so my mate started to go bananas at him. They couldn’t understand that I genuinely didn’t give a shit. Yep nothing looks and sounds better than a battered Fender.
I actually find this look far more appealing than the plain paint job on a strat. I have no desire to have a guitar that looks more played than it is, I just genuinly think it makes the paint job more interesting. I love that people are getting so butt hurt over someone making cosmetic changes to their instrument... but don't give a S#!T if some rockstar completely destroys a guitar for fun.
This is incredible stupid. A rockstar smashing his guitar does it to entertain the audience. This is just a method for kids and dumb peolpe that dont respect the instrument to make the guitar cooler. A worn out guitar looks cooler, but the coolest thing is the journey to the worn out look. Myself and probably 95% of the guitar lovers have no respect for peolpe using this method.
Greetings from Oz, great video for the older player who cant wait for 10+ years to accumulate natural wear and tear. Your also a very good teacher and excellent player. Keep up the good work.
Looks cool.One thing I've noticed with the wear on my '77 though is that it is actually really smooth I.E no difference in the level between the height of the paint and the bear wood(hard to explain).Maybe a little clear coat or something could work to smooth it out if you were bothered.Looks legit though from a distance.Good job!
Thank you very much. I know what you mean about guitars with wear like yours. Where its smooth to the body but i have seen some with really raised and jagged finish to. Very odd this relic malarkey. Thank you very much. :)
Well said. As a owner of 30 guitars. If you play em from time to time, you will mess em up slightly or a lot. It's just going to happen. Dings... Scratches... Scuffs... Chips... It happens. Don't get mad. Spossed to be this way : )
Nice relic job. I love the relic look on Fenders ( I have a 74 Strat which I added to the already worn look). The best part of the video is the beautiful playing at the end.
The neck looks right but I know it wouldn't fool anyone up close who owns a genuine vintage. The lacquer/varnish doesn't literally scrape off, it wears down. It's actually totally smooth. The way to get it looking genuine is to scrape it and then use a light sandpaper so you wear all the varnish down around the area you have scraped. Then use either T cut or I prefer Brasso as it is an abrasive but it also gets black from where you rub the frets. The black settles into the area where there is no lacquer on the fretboard. The wear looks so genuine and the neck feels really smooth to play. The pick guard doesn't really go that dark but what does go the darkest is the plastic used for the pick ups and controls. I like to age metals. For screws I sand the heads and used to lay them in a puddle of saltwater. I say puddle because If you leave them half covered they corrode quicker. Be sure to wash these screws before using them or you will find they continue rusting. There are quicker ways to get metal to spot and age using household materials products. There are loads of videos on RUclips of people who age metal to make art. They create patterns in rust and things. The best way is ideally to have a genuine vintage guitar but with digital images you can really study them in detail. Neck wear is definately very smooth. scraping like that won't do it and pencil comes off on your hands and when you wipe your guitar down it wipes off. I work as a tech and have to make repairs and I don't relic guitars so much as I sympathetically restore them. I can't put new parts on a well worn vintage guitar. I think a proper relic should feel like an old guitar.
hi Dave ! I recently got into watching your videos. Just wanted to say that they are always fun and very informative. Your guitar looks beautiful. I have no idea why some people leave negative comments about it. It's your guitar, you can do what you want, right? I have an old squier strat that I'm working on. I'm not going to do as much as you did( mostly cause I don't want to screw it up lol) , but I am going to age the neck, headstock and pickgaurd
Awesome video... I love your detailed explanation of how you achieved the relic on the neck of the strat. There has been so few decent video's on this topic and I am happy you took the time to make this one... I too love the relic and vintage look and will try some of your techniques in the future. Kudos Dave keep it up.
I don't get the hate for relicing guitars.. Some vintage finishes like Daphne blue and surf Green look awesome with some well done wear. I guess "purists" will say since it's done artificially it isn't "true" but whatever. I think those same people probably need a reminder that guitar playing is for fun.
@@rogerbaker5112 Nahhh you just obsess and get a stick up your you know what over silly things. Relax lol. No need to make people feel bad about what they do with their property. How would you like it if I talked trash about your guitars? Exactly...
There is that way as well but most new guitars are a Polyurethane finish and don't wear nicely and will never look as cool as the old ones. They chip more instead of wearing.
I have been playing and accumulating guitars since the late 70s. At last count over 75. None look like that which I bought new or in good shape and I toured in a rock band and survived the 80s. As your "tool", you take better care of it than your body. Some one messes with it you kick their ass. These look like it was tied to a bumper and dragged around. Totally unrealistic unless abused,owned by a child or a drunk with no sense of balance. That said I do like em.
Question: Does sanding off Nitro present a health risk? I understand the precautions to take to protect your skin and lungs while sanding. Yet, I will be pressing my arm against the guitar body that now has exposed nitro. Could rubbing against this now sanded nitro cause potential skin issues?
Like some other commentators, I think you should sand the edges of the knife marks on big arm wear areas. Arms don't wear sharp edges, they leave a smooth blended edge generally.
Thanks for the advice and i'm going to give it a go. I have seen a few old guitars with very Sharpe jagged arm wear though. Its a funny thing is age. Thank you again. :)
I rub pickguards down with a wet scotchbrite pad which takes the shine off. Some react well to being left to soak in coffee for a few days but others will come out clean regardless.
I think you did a great job and I will definitely be using some of your techniques, so thank you :) However I think Kluson look alikes and genuine fender saddles would do that last bit. Not to mention (and most likely harder to find) a neck that has the adjustment of the trus rod at the heel Another thing: Wouldn't the wear at the arm rest (and belly cut) not be more natural by being smoothend out between the paint and the wood?
I want to do this so bad. Just for the aesthetics. But I just got my first "expensive" guitar and I'm scared I will fuck it up. I also heard a lot of people think it's odd but man it looks so damn cool. I wish I had a guitar with a nitro finish that I could just play until it looks like this.
Its crazy how with nitro finished guitars. You can literally scratch it and its being reliced that way. I have my strat since 2013 and Its been everywhere. Dropped many times, and it looks brand new. Not a fan of the thick shinny coating
I'm too careful with my guitars so people like me this is what a careful player like me will have to do as playing for decades would not make that happen..It looks fantastic great job
Beautiful playing. I also liked your relic job. I did a squier affinity relic this year. I threw in a loaded mint green pickguard on Olympic White body. Threw a fender waterslide on too. Turned out terrific and with a new trem block it turned into a buttery rich dessert that is dreamy with fat tone that makes panties wet before they drop. You did a great job on this one. Would like to hear more of your playing as well.
Jaime Moreno yeah the guitars not even. it has paint on the body and Lacquer on the neck taken off but it's not even. the area on the neck that's not reliced looks bright and new and you can tell it's not genuine.
Jaime Moreno yeah a good relic job is actually tough work hence why they can be expensive. the biggest problem with this one is that most old Strats are a nitro finish which is really thin and wears easily and yellows over time. Poly is a lot thicker and harder and a poly guitar would not wear like this at all naturally.
those pickup covers and knobs need some love too mate! also an awesome trick I learned for the metal parts. bridge, tuners, input jack hardware etc. is muriatic acid.1. just buff all hardware with sandpaper.2 in a good sizes flat bottom Tupperware. pour 1/2 inch of the acid in. 3 place pieces (not touching) into a smaller Tupperware and float on top (no cover) of the 1/2 inch of acid cover the large Tupperware with a lid and leave overnight. the vapor will age the shit out of the metal and it looks amazing! hit it with some vinegar after or it will keep aging! make sure you use this indirect process because if the acid actually touches the metal its way too much! thanks for the vid!
I saw a video of a your of the Fender factory and it was back when this relic stuff first started and the guy in the Custom Shop had a big key ring on a chain 28th a bunch of keys, like you might see with an apartment maintenance worker or something, and he would literally just lightly take a swing and slam the keys into the guitar's body to put random dings and scratches in the paint... I could absolutely never do/own a relic job, but to each his own.
I don't think the custom shop are doing good relic work any more. When they first started doing them they were outsourced to a guy called Vince Cunnetto. He set a small company up and a small team did the work and then shipped the parts back for assembly. They looked good. Fender decided to do it in-house so he wound the company up. For whatever reason he chose not to continue as a service in his own name. What I dislike about the custom shop is that because each guy uses the same bunch of keys you see the same patterns of dings over the guitar.... It looks like someone has thrown a bunch of keys at it. It's not random because of that. I've kind of gone off the look of them. Each to his own though. Playing at the end sounded great btw OP.
This is a really great job and the time you've invested is evident in the finished product. I have a Black fender strat with a maple fretboard and I want to "relic" it. Your video has given me some valuable insight into how to go about it the right way. Thank you my Friend
Nothing wrong with relicing a guitar it's just a finish. The guitar was not blue in the first place....it was wood colour. And then somebody faked it with paint.
I bought an MIM Tele sunburst for $180 with an amp. They brought it down because it has some chips on the paint and some scratches. Its a 2013!!! Little did he know, this is exactly what I wanted to do when I first saw the posting of it!!
I have a blue fender sandblasted strat, I was wondering what I could do to relic that (or if you think it would even look good). Anything helps, thanks!
Thanks Dave, another great video! I really love those relicted guitars, but I'm also wondering, if the whole thing isn't a bit too much. I remember, when I first saw a report on EC's Blackie (a heavy used and well aged guitar) on YT. It never showed up those heavy marks on the body. The neck itself looked dirty and roadworn. All I wanted to say is, I couldn't do my guitar any harm ;-)!
Thanks! Which grit sharpening stone do you use? And what happens if you use that dye on a new pickguard? Should I use an abrasive on the normally worn areas first?
I have no idea what grit it is. Sorry. The wood dye will discolour the plate but I would;t recommend using it. It wears away and also does;t look very natural. :)
He's a tip. Those Fender nickle plated parts, like the bridge, tuners, string tree, screws, will tarnish if you dampen a paper towel with white vinegar and leave it over night.
so many hate comments. do your own thing people. not everyone plays their guitar 8 hours a day, gigs in bars on the weekend and want to wait 10-20 years to achieve a certain look. I like the relic look, they look like an instrument ready to be played in any setting and they dont have to be babied. Keep playing your poly coated USA standard that looks like every other strat in the bar or church on Sunday. Nice vid Dave
I love the look of a worn out guitar and what’s so good about it is that once it’s worn there’s no way you can make it look bad because it would just add to the look
I envy you, that you can do that. I have relativly good Fender strats and I dare not to do that. I am unskilled and it would certainly end in a desaster. So I let time do the job and let dings come natural. The only thing I have done is darken the white plastic hardware (scratchplate, knobs etc.) I have done it an other way than you, because I only wanted a gentle darkening. I have a method with low risk. I simply but the things in coffee and let them there over night. But it creates only a slight effect. The good thing is, you an do this as often as you want and slightly get more effect. And because i am unskilled the chances are high, that I get some "relic" if I try to repair or setup the guitar.
Play Nirvana including endless namelessfor years and put it back together after smashing it. Then cover it with stickers and then sand the stickers an play it for Twenty years. O yeah.....and it's not even nitro. Now it's my favourite guitar and sounds and looks great. My friends thinking it's a custom 😂.
MrBigboy1057 I've played on one of my guitars for 20 years and one for 18, still looks quite new. Maybe I play in a way that does touch the guitar that much. I always heard from people that I play really hard and aggressive. Oh well. :)
Whatever makes you want to pick up the guitar more to play it goes for me. If that be relicing then go for it! If that be covering it in stickers and duct tape go for it! If that be burning down the lacquer go for it! Or if that be leaving it as is go for it! I mostly hate to see folks buying a real relic guitar and having it locked behind the glass as a decoration. Whats the effing story with that. Sure its "real" but its not playing anymore! Job well done Dave! Your playing awesome as per usual!
People who say they don’t like reliced guitars must be wearing the bluest stiffest jeans of all time. Cause most jeans are faded and made to look worn before you buy them. So does that make you fake also? Hmmm
Thanks for tips Dave.Looks great! I'm going to use your recommended methods. What was that piece you played at the end of the video? Or was that your own composition?
Hi Dave, I think it looks too much but at the same time looks too clean.... You need to 'rust' the bridge saddles, screws and pick up magnets by rubbing over with sandpaper and using a cotton bud to paint on vinegar and then leave. This works. Also all the plastics need to be made to look a bit grubby. Soaking in tea / coffee is only part of this. Again, rub plastic parts (pick up covers, knobs ) with 800 grit paper, and then soak in tea and then rub dirt into scratches. Remember LESS IS MORE... Body looks OK but I would rub the whole body with 1000 -1500 -2000 grit paper to take the shine off.
I just came up with a brilliant idea. Relic cars, straight from the factory. BRB gonna call toyota ask them to ding up the car a bit, add some keyed scratches.. boom!! $5k more.
I saw a video years ago where the plastic parts were stained by leaving splashes of cold coffee in random places for a week or so. Works and looks really convincing
Nice job Dave! I built a kit Strat and painted it the same color. Did a relic job on it too...hardware and all. It turned out pretty nice for my first build, but not perfect. I think I'll use some of your tips and go back over the relic work on the neck and body to make it a little more convincing, like you did it. I think yours looks awesome!👍😎🎸🎶
Gavin O'D no I know that. I actually own a 62 vintage reissue hot rod strat that I absolutely love that's finished in nitro, it was one of the things I made sure of when I was buying a 62 reissue cause even those were poly unless you got the hot rod version or a custom shop. I was just making a point that almost 80 percent of fenders now are poly finish unless it's a special run or custom shop for the most part.
Ricky Weimann Yea I know, the nitro finish is just something I wish they would put on all their guitars. It's a pity they don't. Guess fender are just getting cheap.
Видеоклипы
How to Relic a Guitar:
1. Buy a guitar
2. ship it through UPS
3, now you have a reliced guitar.
I ordered a guitar from Reverb last winter and UPS left the Box in a snowbank hahaha
@@christianisgnar congrats on your reliced guitar
It might be reliced but it’s also in 15 pieces
@@christianisgnar At least you received it. I ordered a strat on Reverb from Alabama and it never arrived. Somebody at UPS had a very Happy Christmas. Hope they get electrocuted.
@@gutbucket260 thats fucked! Im sorry that happened to you
how to relic a guitar .... let a Highschool student borrow it with no case for about a year
Haha. :)
Hey! I take care of my guitars! Only now I'd like to give my Strat a bit of character.
Fancy FA I look at all the guitars I had back in high school and think.... some people pay money to have this done... but money can't buy a memory like your friends crazy girlfriend throwing a salt shaker at you and hitting your guitar taking a chip out of the paint...
words take out of my mouth....lol
month*
Now show me how to relic my guitar skills, so I can sound like guitarist with 30years of experience.
Hha. I'm afraid I'm not good enough to show you that. Sorry. :)
get some confidence and you sure will sound like 30 years
Well, easy, you need some wood dye and a sharp knife
lol
I've never seen someone carefully destroy something
Its hardly destroyed. Its how i want it to look and it works fine and i love it. Thank you for watching. :)
gental robots ever been in a relationship?
ask my ex
It’s not a destruction, but it’s a creation ; ).
Go live by a public housing.
Damn, I dropped my guitar and chipped off some paint, I had no idea I was improving it.
Battlescars or medals I can't tell lol
yeah stick some fender custom shop decals on it and its worth a small fortune.
This deserves a heart!
I’m just realizing I “relicked” my truck the other day. I’ve been worrying about how it devalued it, it here I’ve learned it has improved it’s character. It’s value has gone through the roof!
same😁
My Jag bass is in the corner of my room looking me like ( •_•) while i watch this video.
Just scraped my strat on concrete. Easy relic
Edit: i regret doing that
oh no :(
tf
@Shreks white cousin AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Battle scar fantastica... theres a sci fi joke in there somewhere.
there is no better way to relic a guitar than playing it for years and years, every scratch should have its story. very cool video Dave, reliced guitars look beautiful
kako moze ovo da ti svidja unakazi gitaru covek
Zarko 320310 pa da ne uvredim coveka, to je njegova gitara neka radi sa njom sta hoce, ja to ne bih uradio sa svojim gitarama, ali covek ocigledno ima para pa mu se moze
I know but my poly finish guitars will never age like this no matter how much i play them. Thank you for watching. :)
It does tell the story - in just over 19 min! I must say aged look does appeal to me. I never had a second hand guitar, they were always brand spanking new - Les Paul, a Strat and JEM (Kramer and Charvel in the days of old). But having recently been to a number of shops here in the UK I realised how new guitars look too new to me lol - a bit sterile. Relic'd ones look almost homely and more comfy. I think I will try my hand at this with a Squire Classic Vibe Strat or Tele 50's which can be picked up for around 300 GBP new and by all accounts are a great little instruments. I love the 'paint over paint' effect and a cigarette burn marks on a headstock. Thanks for the vid Dave. Pozdrav Coveku i Zarku ;)
Oh YEAH! Take it to a pre school and let the kids have at it for a week OR 2. LOL!
I dont understand why some people hate the idea of a reliced guitar. I love the way it looks. While this was done to the guitar on purpose, it still gets the point across that a instrument gets worn and loved and gigged a lot. It shows that this guitar is your go to guitar and that you dont treat it like a person, you treat like a piece of wood or a tool.
A naturally worn guitar is awesome but one “hit by a truck” looks sick..
@@MichaelTheophilus906 its not phony as long as you tell people you did it yourself and its not vintage.
Because guitars that have been owned for a long time don't even look like that unless you fk it up on purpose or you're touring constantly.
You don't have to treat your guitar like a person but you don't have to fk around with it either. Just learn to respect your instrument?
Because it's not genuine.
The neck looks like it was played 24/7/365 since the universe began.
😂
Took me ten years to relic my guitar
12 to relic my main guitar. :)
@Clowers, Need some ice for that burn?
My bass is 15 years old, the paint job still like new, and I play like a lot. How to relic your guitar naturally?
Myc 32 you probably dont use it much/sweat much while playing or its finished in poly (very difficult to relic unless you abuse the shit out of it)
Took me 6 month of work to Buy one
My mates son knocked my Tele over so my mate started to go bananas at him. They couldn’t understand that I genuinely didn’t give a shit.
Yep nothing looks and sounds better than a battered Fender.
Q Tips Wallet read this with a Peckham accent
@@cosmblus 😂😂😂
you forgot the cigarette burn on the headstock
He showed it
Who new it's straight up art..I mean u can screw up a relic..😁
4:47 "obligatory cigarette burn on the headstock"
Not everyone is SRV fan.
@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 or evh
I actually find this look far more appealing than the plain paint job on a strat. I have no desire to have a guitar that looks more played than it is, I just genuinly think it makes the paint job more interesting.
I love that people are getting so butt hurt over someone making cosmetic changes to their instrument... but don't give a S#!T if some rockstar completely destroys a guitar for fun.
Really I hate it when poser rock stars smash their guitars. Its an instrument. Big ego posers :/
Pete Townshend is a poser then?
This is incredible stupid. A rockstar smashing his guitar does it to entertain the audience. This is just a method for kids and dumb peolpe that dont respect the instrument to make the guitar cooler. A worn out guitar looks cooler, but the coolest thing is the journey to the worn out look. Myself and probably 95% of the guitar lovers have no respect for peolpe using this method.
Gjermund Sletten You talking to me?
No i was talking to KnightSquire
I tied my prs to the back of my car....
Greetings from Oz, great video for the older player who cant wait for 10+ years to accumulate natural wear and tear. Your also a very good teacher and excellent player. Keep up the good work.
I put my wife and kids in the room where I keep my 4 guitars and now I have 4 “reliced” guitars.
Surely a interesting project, I really enjoyed the video and looking forward to try it on my guitar
Love that daphne blue!! Great guitar color to use during an outdoor summer concert
Relic jobs are really difficult: took me 20 years of playing to get it done ;-)
:)
I am 19
Your guitar must be from the late 60's. I have a 35 year old strat that looks like the day I got it. That poly aint ever coming off.
Looks cool.One thing I've noticed with the wear on my '77 though is that it is actually really smooth I.E no difference in the level between the height of the paint and the bear wood(hard to explain).Maybe a little clear coat or something could work to smooth it out if you were bothered.Looks legit though from a distance.Good job!
Thank you very much. I know what you mean about guitars with wear like yours. Where its smooth to the body but i have seen some with really raised and jagged finish to. Very odd this relic malarkey. Thank you very much. :)
OMG that's incredible, even the sound became vintage....
This guitar looks awesome! And you wouldn’t really have to worry about keeping the guitar pristine at all times, cause it’s meant to look used!
Well said. As a owner of 30 guitars. If you play em from time to time, you will mess em up slightly or a lot. It's just going to happen. Dings... Scratches... Scuffs... Chips... It happens.
Don't get mad. Spossed to be this way : )
Nice relic job. I love the relic look on Fenders ( I have a 74 Strat which I added to the already worn look). The best part of the video is the beautiful playing at the end.
The neck looks right but I know it wouldn't fool anyone up close who owns a genuine vintage. The lacquer/varnish doesn't literally scrape off, it wears down. It's actually totally smooth. The way to get it looking genuine is to scrape it and then use a light sandpaper so you wear all the varnish down around the area you have scraped. Then use either T cut or I prefer Brasso as it is an abrasive but it also gets black from where you rub the frets. The black settles into the area where there is no lacquer on the fretboard. The wear looks so genuine and the neck feels really smooth to play.
The pick guard doesn't really go that dark but what does go the darkest is the plastic used for the pick ups and controls. I like to age metals. For screws I sand the heads and used to lay them in a puddle of saltwater. I say puddle because If you leave them half covered they corrode quicker. Be sure to wash these screws before using them or you will find they continue rusting. There are quicker ways to get metal to spot and age using household materials products. There are loads of videos on RUclips of people who age metal to make art. They create patterns in rust and things. The best way is ideally to have a genuine vintage guitar but with digital images you can really study them in detail. Neck wear is definately very smooth. scraping like that won't do it and pencil comes off on your hands and when you wipe your guitar down it wipes off. I work as a tech and have to make repairs and I don't relic guitars so much as I sympathetically restore them. I can't put new parts on a well worn vintage guitar. I think a proper relic should feel like an old guitar.
Paul Evans was
Paul Evans hit me up on Facebook, I also have a businesses restoring stringed instruments.
hi Dave ! I recently got into watching your videos. Just wanted to say that they are always fun and very informative. Your guitar looks beautiful. I have no idea why some people leave negative comments about it. It's your guitar, you can do what you want, right? I have an old squier strat that I'm working on. I'm not going to do as much as you did( mostly cause I don't want to screw it up lol) , but I am going to age the neck, headstock and pickgaurd
Exactly. I bought it so i can do what i want with it. :) Thank you so much for watching. :)
Looks great and sounds awesome.
Excellent playing.
Awesome video... I love your detailed explanation of how you achieved the relic on the neck of the strat. There has been so few decent video's on this topic and I am happy you took the time to make this one... I too love the relic and vintage look and will try some of your techniques in the future. Kudos Dave keep it up.
Thank you very much. Glad you liked the video. :)
I don't get the hate for relicing guitars.. Some vintage finishes like Daphne blue and surf Green look awesome with some well done wear. I guess "purists" will say since it's done artificially it isn't "true" but whatever. I think those same people probably need a reminder that guitar playing is for fun.
To right. :)
They're also the same people who buy pre-faded denim with holes in them completely unaware of the irony.
Plus isnt it just for fun, got an indonesian strat I got for $7 why not relic it? Just having fun!
Its pathetically inauthentic. That's why I think they're shit.
@@rogerbaker5112 Nahhh you just obsess and get a stick up your you know what over silly things. Relax lol. No need to make people feel bad about what they do with their property. How would you like it if I talked trash about your guitars? Exactly...
How to relic a guitar.... play it ALLOT
There is that way as well but most new guitars are a Polyurethane finish and don't wear nicely and will never look as cool as the old ones. They chip more instead of wearing.
Irish Teletubbies Play it a lot relics it? I'm just playing a guitar not using it as an axe to chop trees xD
Dave Simpson Would the american fender standard relic better than a Mexican one?
Dave Simpson Just get the 60 reissue Strats from fender, they have no wear and have a nitrocellulose finish, easy to wear down.
I have been playing and accumulating guitars since the late 70s. At last count over 75. None look like that which I bought new or in good shape and I toured in a rock band and survived the 80s. As your "tool", you take better care of it than your body. Some one messes with it you kick their ass. These look like it was tied to a bumper and dragged around. Totally unrealistic unless abused,owned by a child or a drunk with no sense of balance. That said I do like em.
Outstanding. Best relic video I've seen so far.
Question: Does sanding off Nitro present a health risk? I understand the precautions to take to protect your skin and lungs while sanding. Yet, I will be pressing my arm against the guitar body that now has exposed nitro. Could rubbing against this now sanded nitro cause potential skin issues?
Like some other commentators, I think you should sand the edges of the knife marks on big arm wear areas. Arms don't wear sharp edges, they leave a smooth blended edge generally.
Thanks for the advice and i'm going to give it a go. I have seen a few old guitars with very Sharpe jagged arm wear though. Its a funny thing is age. Thank you again. :)
That's true, I'm pretty old and the older I get the more sharp edges I have :D
Maybe cut little sand paper pads and stick them on an electric toothbrush for doing the edges
I've often wondered if relic-ed guitars lose or gain value if you dent them.
That's a very impressive relic job Dave!!!!
This is a great way to revive a "studio instrument " with a few bumps and bruises. Fun experiment.
I rub pickguards down with a wet scotchbrite pad which takes the shine off. Some react well to being left to soak in coffee for a few days but others will come out clean regardless.
I think you did a great job and I will definitely be using some of your techniques, so thank you :)
However I think Kluson look alikes and genuine fender saddles would do that last bit. Not to mention (and most likely harder to find) a neck that has the adjustment of the trus rod at the heel
Another thing: Wouldn't the wear at the arm rest (and belly cut) not be more natural by being smoothend out between the paint and the wood?
The guitar is amazing! The neck really stands out.
Looks and sounds great! Great playing at the end! Loved it
Thank you very much. :)
I want to do this so bad. Just for the aesthetics.
But I just got my first "expensive" guitar and I'm scared I will fuck it up. I also heard a lot of people think it's odd but man it looks so damn cool.
I wish I had a guitar with a nitro finish that I could just play until it looks like this.
Its crazy how with nitro finished guitars. You can literally scratch it and its being reliced that way. I have my strat since 2013 and Its been everywhere. Dropped many times, and it looks brand new. Not a fan of the thick shinny coating
I'm too careful with my guitars so people like me this is what a careful player like me will have to do as playing for decades would not make that happen..It looks fantastic great job
Thank you very much. : )
Dave , How do you into the frets without unbalancing the surface area? Do you feel the grooves when you play?
Beautiful playing. I also liked your relic job. I did a squier affinity relic this year. I threw in a loaded mint green pickguard on Olympic White body. Threw a fender waterslide on too. Turned out terrific and with a new trem block it turned into a buttery rich dessert that is dreamy with fat tone that makes panties wet before they drop. You did a great job on this one. Would like to hear more of your playing as well.
Thank you very much indeed. :)
The art of destruction, not my cuppa tea but each to his own, good viddy all the same Dave. :)
Thank you very much . :)
The art of destruction is a very valid school of magi.... sorry wrong gam.. i mean life? i dont know anymore :C
It's not exactly my thing either, but I do want to make a Blackie at some point, so...
it doesnt look old just looks relicd
Jaime Moreno yeah the guitars not even. it has paint on the body and Lacquer on the neck taken off but it's not even. the area on the neck that's not reliced looks bright and new and you can tell it's not genuine.
Jaime Moreno yeah a good relic job is actually tough work hence why they can be expensive. the biggest problem with this one is that most old Strats are a nitro finish which is really thin and wears easily and yellows over time. Poly is a lot thicker and harder and a poly guitar would not wear like this at all naturally.
The name of the video is how to relic a guitar, not how to time travel and make it old...
those pickup covers and knobs need some love too mate! also an awesome trick I learned for the metal parts. bridge, tuners, input jack hardware etc. is muriatic acid.1. just buff all hardware with sandpaper.2 in a good sizes flat bottom Tupperware. pour 1/2 inch of the acid in. 3 place pieces (not touching) into a smaller Tupperware and float on top (no cover) of the 1/2 inch of acid
cover the large Tupperware with a lid and leave overnight. the vapor will age the shit out of the metal and it looks amazing! hit it with some vinegar after or it will keep aging! make sure you use this indirect process because if the acid actually touches the metal its way too much! thanks for the vid!
Thank you very much indeed. : )
beautiful project, great job! what was the donor strat for this? was it some cheap fender?
i would never do this, but i love how into it you are. great work, looks awesome
Thank you very much indeed. : )
fretboard looks great..
Thank you very much. :)
Almost 650,000 views on this one now!!! Congrats Dave!!!
I want to relic my Bach trumpet. Any suggestions?
I saw a video of a your of the Fender factory and it was back when this relic stuff first started and the guy in the Custom Shop had a big key ring on a chain 28th a bunch of keys, like you might see with an apartment maintenance worker or something, and he would literally just lightly take a swing and slam the keys into the guitar's body to put random dings and scratches in the paint... I could absolutely never do/own a relic job, but to each his own.
ugh- excuse the typos, stupid autocorrect on my phone...
No. You just don't proof read. LOL!
MrJohnnyDistortion This is RUclips we aren't writing an essay so proof reading is not needed...Just edit is after
I don't think the custom shop are doing good relic work any more. When they first started doing them they were outsourced to a guy called Vince Cunnetto. He set a small company up and a small team did the work and then shipped the parts back for assembly. They looked good. Fender decided to do it in-house so he wound the company up. For whatever reason he chose not to continue as a service in his own name. What I dislike about the custom shop is that because each guy uses the same bunch of keys you see the same patterns of dings over the guitar.... It looks like someone has thrown a bunch of keys at it. It's not random because of that. I've kind of gone off the look of them. Each to his own though. Playing at the end sounded great btw OP.
Love it....what about the shiny hardware....shouldn't you age it also
Hope you are well Dave , great vid as always.
Thanks for this! I used it as a baseline to do mine and it turned out great!!
So happy to hear that. : )
This is a really great job and the time you've invested is evident in the finished product. I have a Black fender strat with a maple fretboard and I want to "relic" it. Your video has given me some valuable insight into how to go about it the right way. Thank you my Friend
Thank you very much. :)
I think it look good! People buy a sunburst because they like it people relic because they like it. It's all about the love of the guitar. Cheers
Nothing wrong with relicing a guitar it's just a finish.
The guitar was not blue in the first place....it was wood colour.
And then somebody faked it with paint.
Andy Shellldon: that's deep🤘🏻
I bought an MIM Tele sunburst for $180 with an amp. They brought it down because it has some chips on the paint and some scratches. Its a 2013!!! Little did he know, this is exactly what I wanted to do when I first saw the posting of it!!
Only thing I won’t touch is the fretboard though. I’d like to hopefully do that naturally
I have a blue fender sandblasted strat, I was wondering what I could do to relic that (or if you think it would even look good). Anything helps, thanks!
This made me want to make my guitar look like this so I'm going to pick it up and play it
Thanks Dave, another great video! I really love those relicted guitars, but I'm also wondering, if the whole thing isn't a bit too much. I remember, when I first saw a report on EC's Blackie (a heavy used and well aged guitar) on YT. It never showed up those heavy marks on the body. The neck itself looked dirty and roadworn. All I wanted to say is, I couldn't do my guitar any harm ;-)!
It does hurt
sparingly use and careful apply tan shoe polish to slightly add a brown tint to SOME areas of a light pickguard.
Thanks for the info. :)
Thanks!
Which grit sharpening stone do you use?
And what happens if you use that dye on a new pickguard? Should I use an abrasive on the normally worn areas first?
I have no idea what grit it is. Sorry.
The wood dye will discolour the plate but I would;t recommend using it. It wears away and also does;t look very natural. :)
Hello Dave, what a great result!
The best aged guitar on RUclips!
Now I'm going to relic my Fender Strat.
Thank you very much. :)
enjoyed very much,really like this strat,let me know if you ever want to sell her😉
Thank you very much and shall do. :)
How to save 1,000+ dollars then buying a custom shop
Beautiful playing at the end!
Very nice mate, ive just built my own strat and painted it with nitro, all done now, on to relic'in the body! Lovely playing at the end btw 👌
He's a tip. Those Fender nickle plated parts, like the bridge, tuners, string tree, screws, will tarnish if you dampen a paper towel with white vinegar and leave it over night.
Thank you very much indeeed. I'll give it a whirl. :)
This is me after a cup of coffee
How u finish the relic on the body??polish or just leave it after scratch the paint??
The last minute and a half were great!
Mad!
so many hate comments. do your own thing people. not everyone plays their guitar 8 hours a day, gigs in bars on the weekend and want to wait 10-20 years to achieve a certain look. I like the relic look, they look like an instrument ready to be played in any setting and they dont have to be babied. Keep playing your poly coated USA standard that looks like every other strat in the bar or church on Sunday. Nice vid Dave
Very well said. Thank you for watching. : )
Love the relic look, especially the jack area. Just wondering what reverb your using for the end playing section
Thank you and the reverb was just the Peavey Bandits built in reverb. :)
I bought a factory reliced guitar and loving it. I have been using it and also displayed in our living room. I have the cort sunset tc worn butter. 😊
I love the look of a worn out guitar and what’s so good about it is that once it’s worn there’s no way you can make it look bad because it would just add to the look
I say have both! A stunning flawless finish guitar that looks like it's from the future, and a guitar that looks like it's seen hitler lol.
I wish this thing was popular with cars....my car would be worth a lot!
It is actually, look up "patina truck" and you'll find plenty.
What would you do for relicing a rosewood fingerboard? I feel as though it would be an entirely different process
Love the relic job and even more so, the playing at the end. Playing the shit out of it!
I envy you, that you can do that. I have relativly good Fender strats and I dare not to do that. I am unskilled and it would certainly end in a desaster. So I let time do the job and let dings come natural. The only thing I have done is darken the white plastic hardware (scratchplate, knobs etc.) I have done it an other way than you, because I only wanted a gentle darkening. I have a method with low risk. I simply but the things in coffee and let them there over night. But it creates only a slight effect. The good thing is, you an do this as often as you want and slightly get more effect. And because i am unskilled the chances are high, that I get some "relic" if I try to repair or setup the guitar.
Thank you for watching. :)
you should use the pencil method on the body
Could you please inform which Colron Wood Dye color number you use? Thank you so much!!
great video as always! Im relicing my sunburst v6 strat and ive noticed the wood is very pale, what would you recommend me to use to darken it up?
Thank you. I normally use pencil lead. Colour the guitar in like in the video and smear it into the wood. :)
Play Nirvana including endless namelessfor years and put it back together after smashing it. Then cover it with stickers and then sand the stickers an play it for Twenty years. O yeah.....and it's not even nitro. Now it's my favourite guitar and sounds and looks great. My friends thinking it's a custom 😂.
I just play the shit out of them for 10 years, seems to work naturally for me
MrBigboy1057 I've played on one of my guitars for 20 years and one for 18, still looks quite new. Maybe I play in a way that does touch the guitar that much. I always heard from people that I play really hard and aggressive. Oh well. :)
WOOLgum its because of the polyurethane finish that they dont wear down
Any tips of aging les paul inlays ? wood the pickguard methord work ?
Came out so cool love that look great job.
After years of learning how to play. Your playing has a kind of honesty. Why then fake the guitar. Guitar players can spot this a mile away.
Because i really liked the way the guitar looked that i modelled this one on and wanted one the same. Thanks for watching. :)
Neil Morgan
Most people use relicing guitars as a playable display or decoration
Not for make believe
Now the real question why do you care
Austin Lucifer Why do you.
It's a heck of a lot more fake to me NOT to create the look you desire. Only morons ever though it was intended to "fool" anyone.
Whatever makes you want to pick up the guitar more to play it goes for me. If that be relicing then go for it! If that be covering it in stickers and duct tape go for it! If that be burning down the lacquer go for it! Or if that be leaving it as is go for it! I mostly hate to see folks buying a real relic guitar and having it locked behind the glass as a decoration. Whats the effing story with that. Sure its "real" but its not playing anymore! Job well done Dave! Your playing awesome as per usual!
People who say they don’t like reliced guitars must be wearing the bluest stiffest jeans of all time. Cause most jeans are faded and made to look worn before you buy them. So does that make you fake also? Hmmm
Thanks for tips Dave.Looks great! I'm going to use your recommended methods. What was that piece you played at the end of the video? Or was that your own composition?
This was very satisfying to watch lol
Hi Dave, I think it looks too much but at the same time looks too clean.... You need to 'rust' the bridge saddles, screws and pick up magnets by rubbing over with sandpaper and using a cotton bud to paint on vinegar and then leave. This works. Also all the plastics need to be made to look a bit grubby. Soaking in tea / coffee is only part of this. Again, rub plastic parts (pick up covers, knobs ) with 800 grit paper, and then soak in tea and then rub dirt into scratches. Remember LESS IS MORE... Body looks OK but I would rub the whole body with 1000 -1500 -2000 grit paper to take the shine off.
I just came up with a brilliant idea. Relic cars, straight from the factory. BRB gonna call toyota ask them to ding up the car a bit, add some keyed scratches.. boom!! $5k more.
Dave I just want to tank you for posting this video, it helped me a lot in building my Billie Joe's guitar replica, the wood dye works very good.
I'm so happy to hear that. :)
I love everything about my strat except the fact it is a lacquer finish - will it ever relic or could I do anything to aid it in its journey?
Put the knobs in coffee
I saw a video years ago where the plastic parts were stained by leaving splashes of cold coffee in random places for a week or so. Works and looks really convincing
One can't just fail when it comes to ruin a nice guitar. lol
Nice job Dave! I built a kit Strat and painted it the same color. Did a relic job on it too...hardware and all. It turned out pretty nice for my first build, but not perfect. I think I'll use some of your tips and go back over the relic work on the neck and body to make it a little more convincing, like you did it. I think yours looks awesome!👍😎🎸🎶
Thank you. : )
Dave Simpson yep!☺
play it for 30 years that's the answer
you'd know from experience?
Simon Gummer it doesn't work like that if it's a poly finish which almost all strats are these days. that's kind of the point of this video.
Ricky Weimann They still make and sell nitrocellulose finish strats anyway.
Gavin O'D no I know that. I actually own a 62 vintage reissue hot rod strat that I absolutely love that's finished in nitro, it was one of the things I made sure of when I was buying a 62 reissue cause even those were poly unless you got the hot rod version or a custom shop. I was just making a point that almost 80 percent of fenders now are poly finish unless it's a special run or custom shop for the most part.
Ricky Weimann Yea I know, the nitro finish is just something I wish they would put on all their guitars. It's a pity they don't. Guess fender are just getting cheap.