Accelerated relicing

[Geek99]

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1375690972' post='2164194']
Send it to a mate 'return' using 24hr parcelforce!
[/quote]
How true

[Geek99]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1375707261' post='2164499']
Hey Simon, here's another vid with some ideas. I'm pleased I got to rescue the Fender Jazz from you before you went off the rails. ;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=o0i-Yz4Cm4A
[/quote]
I'm very glad you're enjoying it- I sold mr g a very nice cream/tort/rosewood mex jazz with copper shielding so its both smooth and non-noisy

Edited August 5, 2013 by Geek99

[Geek99]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1375706653' post='2164488']


Well, that's no good. Only Fender have the secret of how a bass turns from pristine to looking like sh*t in a fortnight.
[/quote]
Yes very funny - I always wanted a tired looking 70s fender but better made with better components than the real thing (cue the bass doc making me one)

[xilddx]

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1375704701' post='2164441']
I want to slit my wrists after watching that! What a waste of 8 minutes of my life!
[/quote]

Dreadful. I died after about 50 seconds. Not my own wrists I wanted to cut either. 'I appreciate you appreciating it, those who understand it' ??!! f***ing hell.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1375706653' post='2164488']
Well, that's no good. Only Fender have the secret of how a bass turns from pristine to looking like sh*t in a fortnight.
[/quote]

Quite literally. Last may I returned a 5 months old USA Precision to Fender cos the paint was peeling off. Mind you, they replaced it without any problems, which in my book is great after sales service.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1375710444' post='2164554']
Dreadful. I died after about 50 seconds. Not my own wrists I wanted to cut either. 'I appreciate you appreciating it, those who understand it' ??!! f***ing hell.
[/quote]

I've watched the first three videos now... there's actually some valuable information there, if you're patient.

What we have to remember is that Tom Murphy is the go-to person for relic treatments on Les Pauls. He's addressing a bunch of his fans (custom Gibson collectors) who want to know about Tom Murphy... they're not necessarily after a how-to guide (although he does give it... very slowly)

Part 1

0:00 Introduction... how he got involved in custom shop
6:00 Mentions faded finishes, first relicing project (blending a repaired section of a guitar with its existing worn finish)
8:00 Says that a razor blade staple of job (first hint of how he works)

Part 2

0:00 - Checking on guitars... Stanley razor blade with tape pad to blend repair work with original finish on vintage guitars. Comparison of relicing with antique refinishing. Doesn't actually tell you how to do it.
5:00 Heatgun to age finish... better result for patina than steel wool simulates lacquer losing solvency... shows centre seams, etc. need for care

Part 3

0:00 - Back to talking about him and his history, design of Historic Les Paul, demand for distressed look when working as a repairer outside of Gibson... eventual demand for distressed look in a new Gibson... concerns about cheesiness, cost, etc.

[xilddx]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1375786459' post='2165484']
I've watched the first three videos now... there's actually some valuable information there, if you're patient.

What we have to remember is that Tom Murphy is the go-to person for relic treatments on Les Pauls. He's addressing a bunch of his fans (custom Gibson collectors) who want to know about Tom Murphy... they're not necessarily after a how-to guide (although he does give it... very slowly)

Part 1

0:00 Introduction... how he got involved in custom shop
6:00 Mentions faded finishes, first relicing project (blending a repaired section of a guitar with its existing worn finish)
8:00 Says that a razor blade staple of job (first hint of how he works)

Part 2

0:00 - Checking on guitars... Stanley razor blade with tape pad to blend repair work with original finish on vintage guitars. Comparison of relicing with antique refinishing. Doesn't actually tell you how to do it.
5:00 Heatgun to age finish... better result for patina than steel wool simulates lacquer losing solvency... shows centre seams, etc. need for care

Part 3

0:00 - Back to talking about him and his history, design of Historic Les Paul, demand for distressed look when working as a repairer outside of Gibson... eventual demand for distressed look in a new Gibson... concerns about cheesiness, cost, etc.
[/quote]

I'm sure it's all lovely information, but I've heard it said Gibson have only cared about the finishes for a long time, and build quality and set up has been very poor for many years. The LPs and the Alex Lifeson sig I've played recently were awful.

[Skol303]

I know this isn't contributing anything to this thread... but I just don't get relicing. Not the process of doing it - that I understand - but the reason why you'd want to do so leaves me bemused.

I guess it's to do with people wanting to appear 'authentic', as though they've been round the block a few times and are seasoned musicians with stories to tell. It just seems like a huge exercise in vanity to me.

But heh. It takes all sorts, as my dear old mum would say

[xilddx]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1375787584' post='2165507']
I know this isn't contributing anything to this thread... but I just don't get relicing. Not the process of doing it - that I understand - but the reason why you'd want to do so leaves me bemused.

I guess it's to do with people wanting to appear 'authentic', as though they've been round the block a few times and are seasoned musicians with stories to tell. It just seems like a huge exercise in vanity to me.

But heh. It takes all sorts, as my dear old mum would say
[/quote]

I took my new Deluxe USA Strat to a bass bash a couple of years ago and it fell off a chair that I'd stupidly left it on for a minute. Thank god no damage to the neck, but it certainly had a good few body bruises. I decided to relic the body a bit. It was quite fun to do, and it looks alright, certainly doesn't bother me. But I know in my heart it was an empty and callous thing to do to my beautiful guitar, even if I had been careless putting it on a chair. I have to live with knowing that

Edited August 6, 2013 by xilddx

[dlloyd]

Part 4

Reassociation with Gibson... large scale relic jobs for Gibson, recreation of famous guitars (Dicky Betts, Duane Allman, Bob Marley, Gary Rossington... simulated breaks etc)

Part 5

More about simulated breaks, cigarette burns
2:40 How to do it... intro...

Part 6

How to actually do it... need side lighting
Checking: Create lines with a razor blade (have to study how it happens for real)
6:00 Smooth it out (a bit cagey here)... buffing.
6:53 Belt buckle

Part 7
More belt buckles
0.40 Bunches of keys
1:00 Bolts etc (in a sock)
1:50 Tuning fork for chips around binding
2:25 Oil, stains, etc.... simulated tobacco staining, buff it out to leave in creases

Edited August 6, 2013 by dlloyd

[dlloyd]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1375786796' post='2165494']
I'm sure it's all lovely information, but I've heard it said Gibson have only cared about the finishes for a long time, and build quality and set up has been very poor for many years. The LPs and the Alex Lifeson sig I've played recently were awful.
[/quote]

I'm not too worried about that in this context.

For the OP, the Tom Murphy videos take a long time to watch and probably aren't worth it unless you're specifically interested in the history of the subject.

What he seems to be saying:

Start with the correct (thin) finish
Use a heat gun lightly on the finish to take the flatness off... don't go overboard or it will bubble
Use a razorblade to simulate checking if you want it... study old guitars for that.
Buff it to remove edges from checking
Drop a bunch of keys on it over and over again (lightly) study old guitars for where to do that
Drop a sock full of bolts etc on it (lightly)
Spray/wipe with some sort of stain
Buff to remove the stain from the raised surfaces
Let a cigarette burn down in the headstock

[thefyst]

if i remember correctly nitro doesnt like UV much. Could try a sunbed if you want the effect of sunbleaching in a short space of time


just an idea i suppose not very practical if you dont work in some kind of beauty therapy place

[Skol303]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1375787892' post='2165522']I took my new Deluxe USA Strat to a bass bash a couple of years ago and it fell off a chair that I'd stupidly left it on for a minute. Thank god no damage to the neck, but it certainly had a good few body bruises. I decided to relic the body a bit. It was quite fun to do, and it looks alright, certainly doesn't bother me.[/quote]

Good point Nige. I hadn't considered that there's a case here for relicing an instrument as a way of easing the pain of accidental damage! More a case of trauma control than wanting to appear world weary.

I've recently bought a guitar on Gumtree ([url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/211966-just-bought-a-vintage-fake-for-l20/"]this one[/url]) which would become a relic job if I ever decided to strip it back to the original finish. Trouble is I can't play the damn thing (yet...), so any ruse of me being a seasoned guitarist with a road-worn axe would be quickly dispelled at the first strum

[BigRedX]

Slightly off-topic...

So what's worse:

Fake ageing on a new instrument, or a refinish on one that is old and worn to make it look new again?

[dlloyd]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1375787584' post='2165507']
I know this isn't contributing anything to this thread... but I just don't get relicing. Not the process of doing it - that I understand - but the reason why you'd want to do so leaves me bemused.
[/quote]

It's not just about faking mojo (although that is probably a large part of it)... some people genuinely prefer to play a beat up, worn guitar. They prefer the feel of it (less sticky finish for example) or feel less inhibited about the possibility of devaluing it if they accidentally put a scratch in the finish.

[Skol303]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375789692' post='2165564']Slightly off-topic...

So what's worse:

Fake ageing on a new instrument, or a refinish on one that is old and worn to make it look new again?[/quote]

I'm not sure whether it's a case of better or worse. But I'm guessing that the motivation is different in each case - i.e. relicing a new instrument maybe suggests you want to foster a road-worn appearance as a musician; refinishing an old instrument perhaps has less to do with self-image and is more about DIY geekery. But I'm obviously generalising.

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1375789842' post='2165567']It's not just about faking mojo (although that is probably a large part of it)... some people genuinely prefer to play a beat up, worn guitar. They prefer the feel of it (less sticky finish for example) or feel less inhibited about the possibility of devaluing it if they accidentally put a scratch in the finish.[/quote]

Another good point. I consider now myself educated in the whys and wherefores of relicing!

[dlloyd]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1375789430' post='2165554']
What he seems to be saying:

Start with the correct (thin) finish
Use a heat gun lightly on the finish to take the flatness off... don't go overboard or it will bubble
Use a razorblade to simulate checking if you want it... study old guitars for that.
Buff it to remove edges from checking
Drop a bunch of keys on it over and over again (lightly) study old guitars for where to do that
Drop a sock full of bolts etc on it (lightly)
Spray/wipe with some sort of stain
Buff to remove the stain from the raised surfaces
Let a cigarette burn down in the headstock
[/quote]

If anyone wanted to know what checking was, here's a good example of heavy checking:

[Lowender]

I think the reason there's such animosity over relicing is that some guys THINK it's about being phony, whereas some guys may just like an antique look. Having said that, I can't see paying for it or having one that looks like thousands of others. It can be a fun project. And if that's what you like...hey, it's your guitar.

[iconic]

Check out some old episodes of lovejoy for tips n hints of aquired patina...no really...the only other business where this relicing goes on and with some skill.....i wish i could apply 'mojo' and 'reliced' as a sales feature to some of my part exchange cars....but punters hate a ding or scrape here...

[dlloyd]

[quote name='thefyst' timestamp='1375789475' post='2165555']
if i remember correctly nitro doesnt like UV much. Could try a sunbed if you want the effect of sunbleaching in a short space of time.
[/quote]

This would certainly work to yellow it, as well as the plastic fittings (pickguard and knobs)

Yellowing is the bane of another, slightly sadder hobby that I used to have (honestly, used to), collecting Star Wars action figures. Original 70s/80s figures are often badly discoloured, particularly those with white plastic parts such as Stormtroopers. The UV in sunlight is the main culprit.

[discreet]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1375866312' post='2166551']
Yellowing is the bane of another, slightly sadder hobby that I used to have (honestly, used to), collecting Star Wars action figures. Original 70s/80s figures are often badly discoloured, particularly those with white plastic parts such as Stormtroopers. The UV in sunlight is the main culprit.
[/quote]

So could you buy modern Star Wars figures and relic them..?

[discreet]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1375798445' post='2165758']

[/quote]

This is great. You gotta love vintage white with a mint pickguard.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1375866636' post='2166558']
This is great. You gotta love vintage white with a mint pickguard.
[/quote]

You see it's all a matter of individual taste.

I feel unclean just looking at the photograph.

[iceonaboy]

I personally think that Strat is overdone. It looks mingin! I reckon if you want to get an old looking guitar without putting it through years of "abuse", why not just buy a relic'd body from ebay? Theres loads going cheap enough

[BigRedX]

I'd want to make sure that my Tetanus shots were up to date before trying any palm-muting with that bridge!