How to make a Fender style relic.

Andy Eagle said:
I think the biggest part of a relic job is not the dings, chips and wear, it's actually getting the context for them to look right. Not like your four year old got hold of a brand new strat.
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Agree, and it also shouldn't look like somebody took a belt sander to a freshly store-bought new guitar. Some of the relic work I've seen even on for instance Suhrs, I've literally never seen that kind of wear in real life, don't know how it could happen without that belt sander.

Just to be clear, I'm 100% NOT talking about your work!
 
Last few parts arriving to finish this project .
I just got the fender vint 50's knobs and covers . These are along with a new small number option from Hosco the only 50s pattern knobs that are the correct font in the right size.
These are real ones
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These are shit cheap ones reliced and sold at a MASSIVE mark up;
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The numbers are a joke.
Here is the Fender vintage set;
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Very close just not quite the ridge at the top of the skirt. And I will need to relic them I little .The Polystyrene originals (not bakelite) are light weight brittle and almost blueish white and can easily be identified by the noise they make when you drop one on a hard surface (like a Tusq nut). They don't fade to cream, That is the later ones when the plastic was changed.
 
The nut will be bone and slots cut with a V needle file like the originals .The pickups are Lollar Blackface with flat poles, not my choice but not because they don't sound fantastic just the flat poles look wrong . BUT this is not for me and we are using pragmatic choices for some things, Gotoh relic hardware for a start. Once again this is as good as vintage hardware gets but it is not clone accurate.
 
The last thing I was waiting for was the wax paper cap .IMG_2057.jpg
I really like the sound of these as you roll them.
This as you can see is pragmatic in the use of ties and not trying to fool anyone. Highest quality parts for vintage tones but not anything close to clone.
 
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Not fake but is certainly sounds as good as the real thing, and by that I mean 50's original.
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You can go a lot further with these but the cost goes dramatically up the more accurate the parts get. This is a good place; the tone, the vibe and the look are all here but an honest repro.
 
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People usually say they want quite a lot of relic work and then back away to this amount when they see it finished but not reliced.
This can grow old gracefully without worry of every little mark and with nitro you WILL get lots.
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Now for the one big revelation; This was painted using commercially available guitar rattle can nitro outside with no spray booth or special equipment as a challenge (from a friend) who didn't believe that a convincing relic refinish was possible without specialist knowledge or equipment. You can decide or maybe try to do one your self.
 
Oh and I've fixed that wonky screw. It was drilled for a fender jack plate . The Gotoh that is on has a slightly different spacing and it's pulled it over. My mistake but an easy fix not visible even with the plate off.
 
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Excellent work, as usual!!

I stripped a MIM Strat neck a couple years ago and used a can of tinted nitro from Re-Ranch to finish it with, it definitely nailed the tint but I’m assuming I needed to add more layers because it doesn’t have that glassy look to it.

Man, I’m kind of wishing I had you build my Gilmour CAR Strat instead of MJT!!
 
Andy Eagle said:
This came up in my 5150 build thread as I am up to the relic element of the build. I also have a 61 strat replica on the go that this will come up as well but as I am waiting for the necks to finish both builds I though I could use this.
This is a maple Allparts neck and a UK Guitar Build swamp ash 50s two piece body. The customer wants a moderate relic nitro two tone sunburst early 50s style and a reasonably aged maple neck fitted out with 54/5 appointments.
The body is very nice as UK guitar build bodies usually are. I.7Kg off centre joined two piece made to fit USA imperial measurement parts perfectly. I find these to be the most accurate vintage speck bodies you can buy. The contours are fairly middle of the pile in depth and style for this era so that is OK for this build but you could always cut them deeper at this stage.View attachment 88891
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GuitarBuild is about a mile or so from my house
Was quite amused when I found out as Lincolnshire is hardly the centre of musical excellence
 
RevDrucifer said:
Excellent work, as usual!!

I stripped a MIM Strat neck a couple years ago and used a can of tinted nitro from Re-Ranch to finish it with, it definitely nailed the tint but I’m assuming I needed to add more layers because it doesn’t have that glassy look to it.

Man, I’m kind of wishing I had you build my Gilmour CAR Strat instead of MJT!!
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Yes it's quite a few coats to get the look, this is about 5, three different tints and clear. it's still pretty thin compared to fender reissues.
 
ak301 said:
GuitarBuild is about a mile or so from my house
Was quite amused when I found out as Lincolnshire is hardly the centre of musical excellence
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Their bodies are excellent, very accurate shapes and a perfect fit with USA fender parts. For a replica or even a clone they are as good as you can get. Necks are a work in progress IMO at the moment.
 
That is some very fine craftsmanship.

Question: Was there a reason why you didn't age the plastic parts as well? They look very bright white for a relic from my perspective.
 
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