|
About Poly
Finishes
FIRST OFF: WE CAN RELIC A
POLY FINISH ON
A GUITAR. IF ANYONE SAYS THEY CAN'T, BEWARE!
I KNOW FENDER PAINT AS WELL AS ANYONE AND HAVE WRITTEN MANY ARTICLES
ABOUT IT, INCLUDING A
TOP ARTICLE FOR EBAY.
 All
finishes are different, all metals are different. The same applies
with electronics. Antiquing an instrument requires the knowledge
of period specific building techniques and environmental effects such
as humidity and smoke, and temperatures..
In
plain talk, Fifty years ago they used crappy paint, and old machines
to make guitars. They got older looking by the acid and grime on
people hands and the typical way the instruments were handled and the
way they stay in cases.
 Knowing
all that, Les Paul's typically wear a certain way, as do Strats, and
Acoustics. A true collector would
spot wear spots in odd places, and detect a relic instantly. |
What is
Relicing?
Relicing,
Antiquing. It's basically the same. With a guitar, the idea is
to make it look aged, or as it would if it had sustained many years
of use.
|
|
What is our process?
No, you can't just make a guitar look old
by tossing it down the stairs!
I don't know how I can explain it,
because I'm sure not going to tell anyone how I do it. It's a
lot more than just rubbing some steel wool on an instrument.
My process came from studying the
chemical and natural processes that happens to metal, wood, and paint
over a period of years, and the environments that these instruments
existed in.
When you send us your guitar, we
photograph it, then create a digital photo rendering of how we will
attempt to relic your guitar.
We go thorough revisions, till you are
happy with what you can expect from us. Then we sign an agreement, and
start work on your guitar.
Here is a example of a mockup that we
did recently.
click photos for full view
|
|
 |
Recreating a Resonator Guitar
from the Chitlin
Circuit
This resonator guitar needed to be made
look like it survived the Chtlin Circuit but also be converted to
period electronics that would work.. I bought it for about a
hundred bucks new, specifically for this conversion. |
Cool history about Jimi Hendrix playing
the circuit |
|
The finished guitar,
sounds as great as it looks!
The aging on the binding
is particularly evil. I can't tell ya how we did it, but this color is
to-the-core, and it is in the plastic, not painted. All I can
say is.... smoke damage? |
Check out the natural thickness wear on the headstock, simulating
years of tuning
Also Remember, These were BRAND NEW tuners. I'll put these
up to the real McCoy any day!
Notice the intricate layers of wear on the resonator cover. You
can see the various layers of chrome, nickel, copper and steel.
Also see the hammered
Gibson Soapbar pickup installed above the cone!
This guitar sounds great
through a Marshall! |
Fender Relic Neck
Once again, this was a brand new neck,
from an imported 50's series Fender Stratocaster The goal was to make
it look like the neck from the album
cover of Derek and the Dominoes, Layla and other Assorted Love
Songs.
|
After going through my time machine, here
is the result. Is there any more proof that you need to show that
we've got it figured out?After going through my time machine, here is
the result. Is there any more proof that you need to show that we've
got it figured out?
UPDATE: Since this photo, we have greatly improved our
neck relic process.
Look at our Gallery
and see what we mean |
|
