{"id":1271,"date":"2014-06-13T11:55:59","date_gmt":"2014-06-13T10:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2022-11-09T09:21:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T09:21:41","slug":"art-aging-guitars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/art-aging-guitars\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Ageing Guitars – How to Achieve the Road Worn Look"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you play \n\nguitar<\/a>, or do you just love the instrument?\u00a0If so, have you come across the trend for custom guitars? It’s often called ‘relicing guitars’, and it’s a hot topic\u00a0that’s been fascinating guitar owners, players, collectors and lovers for a number of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directly in line with the current fashion for shabby chic interior d\u00e9cor, ageing guitars is all about making new or relatively recent instruments look like beautiful old, used and well-loved vintage guitars. The idea is to make the instrument look like it’s been heavily used for forty or fifty years, and the effect is often called ‘road worn’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fender
Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster Ultimate Relic<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As the \n\nTelecaster Discussion Page Reissue<\/a> (TDPRI) states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Because of the expense of buying a beat-up vintage Tele, guitar manufacturers decided in the \u201990s to ‘recreate’ the look and feel of 40 years of use on brand new guitars. Relics, as Fender branded them, were an instant success \u2013 and an instant controversy. For many they are completely wonderful, for others they are complete heresy. “Why beat up a brand new guitar and then charge more for it?” seems to be the main sentiment, but for many others, it just makes perfect sense. Naturally, if the factory can do it then the DIY market can do it better.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The trend was given a boost at the infamous Dallas guitar show back in 2006, where a demo was carried out by the legendary Fender Custom Shop. You can read all about the demo in fine detail via the link above, where there’s a step-by-step guide showing the demonstrator using a tinted wood stain to help age the instrument to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Original vintage guitars from the 1950s and ’60s can sell for tens of thousands of pounds, because of their historical value as well as the lovely, aged finish. A genuine relic Stratocaster is a highly desirable object, far beyond the pockets of most people. A real road worn Telecaster is a seriously costly item. New road worn guitars usually cost more than standard guitars. But they’re still a lot less than the ancient originals, which are worn naturally over many decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously a Fender relicing job is an expensive business when carried out by the masters themselves. But you can do it yourself, making beautiful, old-looking guitar bodies, necks and fittings with a little confidence, creativity and the right wood finishing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Stevie
Stevie Ray Vaughan and his iconic, road worn Stratocaster – and a great guitar face!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to Relic a Guitar – Guitar Relicing 101<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might not want to practice on a guitar you love, just in case it goes horribly wrong! You can pick up cheap second hand guitars at junk shops, antique emporia, charity shops or online and hone your skills before letting yourself loose on your favourite instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does relicing a guitar change the sound?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because the body material and the pickups remain the same, the sound of your guitar shouldn’t change. If it’s a cheap model, sadly it won’t sound any better. Upgrading the pickups to more ‘rustic’ or ‘vintage’ sounding ones will give your guitar the look and sound of a killer axe but is entirely optional. On the positive side, you won’t ruin the sound of a good quality guitar that just needs a touch up or adding your own customisation to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIY Relic Guitars – Step 1 – Making the Wood Look Old<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The guitar body, neck and the headstock are easy to age. Manufacturers do it by enhancing the varnish’s ‘fraying’, usually with a very fine grit sandpaper. It’s simple, but you need patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you carry out the distressing? Natural wear occurs wherever the act of playing, storing or transporting the instrument causes damage. There are plenty of images online, or you could make a note of the effects your own style of playing has on various areas, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n