I don't hate pre-aging/Relics...

[St_G]

But Holy CRAP, there are a lot of really terrible home attempts at it for sale on Reverb and eBay. Many of them on poly finishes.

 

[two fingers]

They cause wadded panties here at TB. But they're just like everything else. There guys who can pull it off with some good mojo, and guys who should have never picked up the belt sander.

 

[Axstar]

Poly finishes don't really age gracefully, but I'm sure you could do mild relic work to one if you were careful. I think some people just see it as an excuse to go rough on a guitar.

 

[2saddleslab]

Definitely an art to making it look natural.

 

[Ryan L.]

Definitely an art to making it look natural.

This. Some look great, and very natural. Others look just cheesy and terrible.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I know many people like "reliced" look. That's okay with me. But to me, every time I see one, I think, "he should have taken better care of that instrument."

 

[shaggy45]

I like real relics personally. I have nothing against people that like and buy commercially done ones. If I were to buy a relic that was intentionally done I would get something from @Dark Horse I dig his builds.

 

[fretno]

2 finisher / builder cats that do it well that I know of is Paul Slagle a TB'er & MJT , here is one of each and yeah I think Nitro will have the better appearance .

subtle but normal not overdone Paul is a master relic man and him and his buddies hang out here on TB and can often be seen talking code

ok up next is MJT , killer stuff , easy to get off ebay and do refins right .

And some legit age
ma '72

and '68

 

[2saddleslab]

MJT does amazing work. They've done 2 for me and a 3rd will be underway shortly.

 

[gln1955]

IMO, less is more when it comes to relics. People wanting to do this should look at a bunch or genuinely used basses and see how natural aging happens. Nothing is more ridiculous than a heavily aged body with a new neck and pristine hardware.

 

[Gorn]

I was at a Sam Ash once and the tech was in the middle of "relic-ing" a guitar for a customer. It was some kind of Strat with what looked like a modern, shiny poly finish, or whatever's not nitro (I don't know what it is but it's whatever you shouldn't be relic-ing). He was going at it with sand paper and a screw driver for strategically placed dings. We chatted for a bit. He told me he's been back and forth to California and was on the verge of a job offer from the Fender custom shop. I didn't believe him.

 

[Warpeg]

I was at a Sam Ash once and the tech was in the middle of "relic-ing" a guitar for a customer. It was some kind of Strat with what looked like a modern, shiny poly finish, or whatever's not nitro (I don't know what it is but it's whatever you shouldn't be relic-ing). He was going at it with sand paper and a screw driver for strategically placed dings. We chatted for a bit. He told me he's been back and forth to California and was on the verge of a job offer from the Fender custom shop. I didn't believe him.

Hahaha - A relic job done by one of Sam Ash's guitar jockies?! That's like going to McDonald's and having one of their line cooks attempt 5-star French cuisine.

 

[gln1955]

I was at a Sam Ash once and the tech was in the middle of "relic-ing" a guitar for a customer. It was some kind of Strat with what looked like a modern, shiny poly finish, or whatever's not nitro (I don't know what it is but it's whatever you shouldn't be relic-ing). He was going at it with sand paper and a screw driver for strategically placed dings. We chatted for a bit. He told me he's been back and forth to California and was on the verge of a job offer from the Fender custom shop. I didn't believe him.

The Custom Shop needs people to sweep floors just like everyone else.

 

[Bobby Bass]

My 1996-97 Custom Shop Relic Jazz (Cunetto) has been Reliced over the last 20 years of playing. So I guess it's been reliced twice.

 

[lfmn16]

I agree, so many bad, bad relic jobs. Whenever some a$$hat talks about belt sander and dragging behind a truck, I know that they have no conception of what a relic job actually is.

And the sharks are circling trying to figure out how to get an insult in at relics and the people that play them without getting dinged by a moderator.

From Forum Rules:

"Since artificially aging an instrument (i.e. relicing) is, at least visually, no different than artificially coloring an instrument (i.e. painting) any posts or threads insulting such procedures are hereby banned under the "no insulting ugly instruments" rule that has been the long-standing policy here at talkbass."

 

[EatS1stBassist]

But Holy CRAP, there are a lot of really terrible home attempts at it for sale on Reverb and eBay. Many of them on poly finishes.

I have always felt that artificially ageing an instrument is phony/fake as hell. Always turn me off. Age by playing the crap out of it and having it a long time.

 

[Robert B]

I'm not a fan of relicing, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit to lusting after this beauty! Thanks to Google ads, it follows me around the Internet everywhere I go!

Invalid Link Removed

 

[jaco944]

MJT for the win.....and any excuse to post these again. I need to take some pics fully assembled. I have basses with so called honest wear, some pristine and some road worns. I like the relic look and really like the necks on the Fender RW’s.

 

[St_G]

You clicked on a thread about relics just say you have no interest in them? See above re: wadded panties, I guess, huh?

I have always felt that artificially ageing an instrument is phony/fake as hell. Always turn me off. Age by playing the crap out of it and having it along time.

 

[jaco944]

You clicked on a thread about relics just say you have no interest in them? See above re: wadded panties, I guess, huh?

Beat me to it.