Is this relic ok?

[Mr. Ray]

I like the LOOK of "relic'd" basses and guitars. But that's because I often get fooled into thinking its natural. I dunno... I wouldn't own one, though I do kinda enjoy seeing them made, but in the end, i'd 1,000,000 times rather stumble upon a really used 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand instrument that was legit played for its entire life and shows it.

My Gibson came into my life slightly banged up and worn, and from playing it at some shows etc its gottn more worn in my hands. Every scrath knick, rub, dent, and divot have a story that I can recall (and many i can't) but it was never involving sandpaper and blow torches. Though I did light the nitro finish on fire with some matches at a bar one night. Thanks, Jack Daniel's.


What's my point? If you want this look, go to band practice, get hammered drunk, hit your drummer's crash, ride, toms, stumble around, land on the floor, inadvertently drag your axe around looking for food, throw it at the fireplace, pass out on the couch, and wake up to your "relic'd" instrument.

Such was the fate of my Epiphone and it was one of the more... awesome practices that we'd ever had, I think we wrote 3 songs that day.


$.02

Your post really made me laugh, especially the "Thanks, Jack Daniels"

 

[SpiceBot]

I like the "less is more" approach. It does look like you "went to town" on that guitar, and a few of the spots are way out of reach for normal playing wear. Take one of the best examples of a worn bass from extensive playing, Victor Wooten's Fodera Monarch.

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Nearly every mark on the guitar is made from skin-on-lacquer contact and really highlights how versatile Vic's playing is. Next, take my own personal Hartke into account.

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Definitely not as impressive as the Fodera, and I obviously need more tricks in my musical bag, but the marks on my bass have been shaped by my playing. It's almost as if the instrument is being shaped by the music that is being played on it. THAT is what should be conveyed in any "relic" instrument, not just the fact that it's old and beat up.

 

[Dark Horse]

Here is a photo gallery I put together of some heavily worn vintage guitars and basses. These are all real guitars with real wear. It's easy to find pictures of guitars with "light wear" on the internet, but it takes more searching and time to find the "heavily worn" ones. Hopefully this gallery will save some people time and effort, as well as demonstrate that although many guitars have similarities in their wear, there are also a lot of guitars out there that don't fit into a nice little "typical relic/vintage guitar" box.

HERE IS THE GALLERY​

Enjoy.

 

[Dark Horse]

Hi, i just got a new SX jazz bass, but i want to make in look older, so i decide to relic it, but i wasnt sure if it would look good, so i decide to try my relic skills in another instrument, so i found a electric guitar for 30 bucks in a pawn shop, so i buy it, and this is how i relic it, those it looks cool? or should i practice more? this is my first relic, thanks

P.D. will it look cool in my jazz? is the same color



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In looking at the pictures, I notice a few things.

First (and the most "telling" that the wear isn't natural), I wouldn't advise "scraping" the paint off. It just looks like "scraped off paint", not paint that has been "rubbed off over time. Better ways to get realistic wear include buffing wheels, steel wool, and lots of elbow grease.

Second, the key to making a poly finish look worn is to use moderation. Don't go too heavy on the wear, stick to very "light use" wear. No big arm wear marks, just a small rub. Dings, but no huge chunks out of it.

Third, look at the hardware on an old guitar. How is it worn ? Is it "even", or is there more wear in the places where body oils come in contact with the metal ?


What you want to do is formulate a plan, follow it, but go just a bit "lighter" on the wear than your plan calls for. Get a grease pencil or wax pencil, put your guitar on a strap and mark where your arm falls when you are playing it. mark the places on the back where your belt buckle would be, and any other "contact points". Stick the guitar on a stand, and mark the points that would be "hit" if the guitar fell. Just things like that. It's almost like fabricating a "history" of the guitar, and then through careful "artwork", you are making that "history" come true.

I hope this helps.