"Relicing" Your Guitar

So I have an old Aria Pro II guitar that I don't use very often. I do however love the idea of relicing a guitar; either that or just screwing it up so bad yet making it look better.

So, I just realised my dad has an old blowtorch. I think you know what will happen soon.

I was wondering though, what do you guys know and think about relicing a guitar? Because personally, when I find a good relic guitar, I don't understand how people feel so disrespected.

Example: http://i.imgur.com/5fld1.jpg

I like them okay. I bought one off of Craigslist here and it sounds great. I figured if it didn't play well I could always hang it on the wall.

I think the best relic job is one that time produces.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/KaiNHooD/20150609_173538.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/KaiNHooD/20150609_173505.jpg

I think the best relic job is one that time produces.

I agree entirely.... there are guitars I own that I've barely played out, some have light relicing from a previous owner, most are MINT as hell even though they are older than I am and I am okay with that. Maybe I will put play wear on them and maybe I won't. Then there's my strat that I played into the dirt in multiple bands for over a decade, got it in near mint condition and all the wear is authentic so I love it. Or my esquire with the giant dent in the lower bout where the previous owner knocked it into a floor wedge, I am okay with that too... but would I intentionally fuck a guitar up or let some dude put fake play wear on my new guitar? Not so much guys...

So, I just realised my dad has an old blowtorch. I think you know what will happen soon.

everyone needs a blowtorch, I use mine all the time, sometimes just for crème brulee, but still....

would I intentionally fuck a guitar up

Personally, with a blowtorch, yes. Just look at Steve Vai's "burnt" Jem. Very nice.

let some dude put fake play wear on my new guitar?

The only custom job I have ever liked is the custom Road Worn Jazzmaster by Fender for its subtlety. However, a good relic looks like a guitar that survived a flood. I like the idea of something that's been stripped to the core, yet still unleashing some killer blues solos.

The only custom job I have ever liked is the custom Road Worn Jazzmaster by Fender for its subtlety. However, a good relic looks like a guitar that survived a flood. I like the idea of something that's been stripped to the core, yet still unleashing some killer blues solos.

when you go that far its almost like a 'burnt/raw finish'

when you go that far its almost like a 'burnt/raw finish'

http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/vintagefx2012/library/EBAY%202013/01%20JANUARY%202013/1961%20Fender%20Strat?sort=6&page=1

Raw does not even scratch the surface!

but that's a genuinely old guitar with water damage and finish checking, not a fake

but that's a genuinely old guitar with water damage and finish checking, not a fake

And God I wish people sold stuff like that on eBay and Craiglist :'(

but that's a genuinely old guitar with water damage and finish checking, not a fake

And God I wish people sold stuff like that on eBay and Craiglist :'(

they do, and at guitar shows.... no mortals can afford a genuine '61 strat, even in bad condition like that... the real cream is at Chicago Music Exchange and Gruhn's in Nashville, although OK guitar gets some great stuff, that guy is like the king of quality, vintage ES guitars... he has a gbase.com store as well as his brick and mortar location as does CME

http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-modern-player-mdrn-plyr-j-crimson-red

Goddamn I've been looking for one of these with a rosewood fretboard and a decent finish for a long time.

But those pickups...

I bet I can rip those out and put a Seymour Jazz Set...

http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-modern-player-mdrn-plyr-j-crimson-red

Goddamn I've been looking for one of these with a rosewood fretboard and a decent finish for a long time.

But those pickups...

I bet I can rip those out and put a Seymour Jazz Set...

yeah, fender humbuckers in the Gibson style stink, PU! A jazz and JB are a great combo for a rocker who needs a balanced and warm clean at the neck too, but they are not the be all end all. They are very late 70s/early 80s pop/rock. Great but almost a stereotype and low in piano like lows and bell tone highs. At the moment I am really digging Duncan's 59/custom hybrid. Its a fairly high output pickup with really mismatched coils. It bucks hum really well still, but has great chimey highs and very open and full lows like a hot single coil but with the cutting mids of a Duncan custom or JB, especially under heavy distortion. I modified one of mine to make it mellower. I paired it with a Duncan pearly gatyes enck (a serious output mismatch with them stock), but I swapped the magnets so the pearly has an A5 magnet for stronger lows, highs and boosted output and the hybrid has the A2 to bring the output down a smidge and give it a mellower character. But the hybrid is just awesome either way and modding potted pickups like that is not for novices!

anyway, I am just saying that there are some really amazing pickups available just from Duncan that blow the classic jazz/JB set outta the watter for complexity while retaining power at the bridge and clarity at the neck. I have a Burstbucker pro neck and stock 59/custom hybrid in my LP platinum and that guitar sounds fucking fantastic. Way better than the LP I had with a jazz/JB combo....

At some point i wanna relic my bullet strat, just gunna take the neck off and chuck it of the balcony and see what happens as I plan on buying a new body and neck anyway and taking the scratch plate i wired off it and shove it into said body

At some point i wanna relic my bullet strat, just gunna take the neck off and chuck it of the balcony and see what happens as I plan on buying a new body and neck anyway and taking the scratch plate i wired off it and shove it into said body

don't do that, if you start putting accidental road wear on your mains trat you willr egret the intentional destruction.... I am still kicking myself for all the times I threw my Olympic white strat at shows whether there was someone off stage paid to catch her or not, I fucked that guitar up cosmetically and a little bit structurally only to have the intense gig schedule as underyourbed continued to build and lsoe a fanbase add gobs of damage, particularly from other bands on the bill who would be drunk and disrespectful backstage

Didn't think about the accidental wear you get on there from just general usage. my Ibanez has a lot of dings, dents, chips etc. Really like how its starting too look actually haha. One thing I may do is get all the poly off my strat and nitro it because I like how nitro ages. Have built a telecaster copy and nitroed the body and neck looks really great in my opinion

yeah, lacquer, duco and shellac all age really nicely versus more modern alternatives

but please, if you plan to gig heavily do yourself a favor and don't relic your guitar, it will look plenty cool after a couple serious bands and a few years of small tours