Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why

Guest-blogger Marc de Jonge is here to talk about relic’ing: the artificial aging of guitars and basses to give them a weathered, played-in look and feel. There are various ways to go about relic’ing an instrument, and Marc has several tips for everyone who’s thinking about giving it a try. It’s definitely something that takes guts, an eye for detail, and a little artistry.

What’s Relic’ing?

As I just mentioned, relic’ing is basically nothing more than making a guitar or bass look older than it actually is. Scuff marks, scratches, chipped-away paint…there are a lot of things that you can create to make it seem like your guitar has seen countless stages over the course of decades when, in fact, it came in brand-new just a week ago. Big-name brands even use relic’ing techniques to recreate vintage models from the ‘50s and ‘60s, but it’s also a great way to recreate the go-to axe of your favourite guitarist.

Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why

Why Relic an Instrument?

There are three reasons why you might want to relic your guitar or bass:

To Increase resonance
For that played-in look and feel
To create a ‘signature’ design

Increased Resonance

Removing the paint from the wooden body can enhance the resonance, which is why heavily relic’d guitars sound more resonant than guitars with a fully intact coating. Relic’ing for this reason is interesting for both bona-fide tone-chasers and guitarists that are still carving out their signature sound.

Played-In Look and Feel

Different strokes for different folks: some love the pristine look of a freshly unboxed axe, while others prefer the feel of a battle-scarred bass or guitar. That’s also why some musicians handle their instrument like it’s a newborn baby, while others bring their trusty, stickered-up sidekick everywhere they go. It’s a bit like cars: some love modern hypercars, others love old-timers.

Your Own Signature Model

From John Mayer and James Hetfield to Joe Satriani and Henson, pretty much every well-known guitarist has their own signature model — or multiple. Signature guitars are of course easy to market as there are lots of guitarists who want to get their hands on a lookalike of their favourite player’s signature model. I’ve personally been relic’ing guitars for so long that I’ve developed my own recognisable style. At the same time, every model is slightly different than the next, making every creation unique.

Different Degrees

Guitars can be relic’d to different degrees. Generally, there are three main types of relic’d finishes: light, standard and heavy.

Light Relic Finish

A light relic is also referred to as a road-worn finish and makes it look like the instrument has been on tour but was treated with some care and still sounds as intended by the original design.

Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why

Standard Relic Finish

A standard relic finish makes the instrument look like it hasn’t seen one, but multiple tours. This type of relic’ing also results in audibly enhanced resonance.

Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why

Heavy Relic Finish

Heavy relic finishes are reserved for instruments that need to look like they’ve been through over four decades worth of gigs and rehearsals. In this case, you can clearly hear the improved resonance. John Mayer loves heavily relic’d guitars, and so did the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why

DIY

Relic’ing a Guitar or Bass: How and Why Relic’ing a guitar isn’t as simple as going to town on it with a hammer and chisel. The process demands guts, an eye for detail, and a little artistic vision, and it’s worth noting that it doesn’t take much to botch it up completely. If you’ve already made up your mind and want to give it a go, I recommend starting out with a guitar that you aren’t overly attached to. I speak from experience when I say that it takes about ten guitars before you really get the hang of it. With every spot, crack, scratch or dent you want to make, you have to think carefully about how realistic it’s going to look and whether the exact spot makes sense.

What’s your opinion on relic’d guitars and would you ever dare to relic your own instrument?