Bass Relicing Techniques?

Might want to ask this is the Bass forum

 

The best technique is spending time with it, and let it distressed by itself.
I'm not being sarcastic or anything,It's just the right way.

 

When I was 16 I tied my old ZimGar electric guitar to the rear bumper of my friend's car and had him drive around the block a few times. That "relic'd" it pretty darn quickly!

 

Relic finishes are a somewhat specialized field. If you want to pursue it I would look for someone who does professional instrument finish work that also does relic finishes. Doing any of this work on your own will probably result in your instrument being damaged in such a way that you won't be happy with the results. And when you do shop around for someone to do relic work for you, by all means ask to see some photos of relic work that they've done in the past. That way you can go into the process with a sense of confidence about the work that's going to be done.

As for your current instrument? If it's got a poly finish, then the odds are that it probably won't wear the way that an instrument with a nitro finish wears over time.

 

Try the ReRanch Forum. Thirty-five glorious pages of refinishing/relicing information.

 

Don't do it unless you know what you are doing. In the last few months I've looked at 4 MIM basses totally ruined by their owners trying to make them look well worn. All 4 owners were all puffed up with pride at their work, but to me it just looked like random vandalism of some decent little basses.

It takes real talent to do such things and not make a total botch of it.

 

Nothing's worse than a bad relic job. Finish wear isn't damage from gouging. It's damage from use. That's hard to fake.

 

Wrap your arms and torso in 60 grit and play nonstop for a few weeks maybe?

 

It can be done but it needs to be done tastefully. Most can't do that.

 

If you have a body, light in color, with body checking already established, you can "enhance" the checking by putting coca cola on it. Sounds childish but it works.

This guy is a master at relicing. http://massresonator.com/2011/06/mass-st-music-visits-seuf-guitars/

He lives here in KC and is a coatings expert. I've seen his work. Absolutely amazing.

 

just use a bass with Nitrocellulose paint on her. i practice sitting in my plastic office chair and i'm down to bare wood on the bottom edge in less than 2yrs!

 

Yeppers, extra points for a Highway 1. I've got a highway 1 J bass and it's already starting to show play wear at less than a year old.

If I could find a red one I'd put a light coat of black on it so I'd get that cool black wear with red edges.

 

Ibanezcollector had a decent tutorial in PDF, but I've long since lost the file or the link to get it. You could probably search for it and find it quick enough.

 

+1

Dave is a master at relic work among other things. Yes, absolutely amazing.

I own one of his P-basses (it's "lightly" relic'd) and I've seen/played other examples of his work.

 

+1 on Nitrocellulose. Poly finishes don't relic well.

 

Follow the self-explanatory directions:







And there you have it!

 

Uriah bass for the win