How to Relic Guitar Parts For an Aged Look - Billy Penn 300guitars.com

Here is a video about how to "relic" guitar parts for that aged vintage look. This is the way I've been doing it for a number of years with great results. It's best of you do this in a well ventilated area and wear rubber gloves. After you remove the parts that you want to age let them sit for a while on cardboard or something similar. Check them in about an hour and rinse them with water. See how they look and if you want more aging then put them in for another round. Cut the time for gold hardware down to 10 minutes and see what your parts look like. Gold will age faster than nickel and certainly chrome or stainless steel. Please feel free to ask any questions and leave me some comments on how this works for you. http://www.300guitars.com/

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• Fender
• Gibson
• Guitar
• Relic
• Aging
• Billy Penn
• 300guitars
• Stratocaster
• Telecaster
• Les Paul
• 300
• guitars

[Jonnydeathwish]

Great tips thanks! Do have any tips on aging a white finish on a guitar? Thanks =)

[300guitars]

@Jonnydeathwish Well, I have done some finish relic-ing in the past and got pretty good results. There are some really good guys doing that sort of thing like Mark Jenny and Gord Miller. Is your guitar nitrocellulose or poly finish?

[Jonnydeathwish]

@300guitars I believe it to be poly. I've heard about sunbathing but I'd rather get advice from a pro. Thanks for the help!

[300guitars]

@Jonnydeathwish I have heard about the sunbathing but if I remember right it takes time. You could take off all the parts from the guitar and try some brown shoe polish. If you get a color that is brown or light brown it will tint the color a bit. This is much more effective on nitro finishes however. -Billy

[littlezeke2000]

Great Video on relicing thanks for the points I did it on my re- built 62 strat parts... Now it looks like 49 year old guitar....

[300guitars]

@littlezeke2000 GREAT!!! Hit me up any time. -Billy

[Nick80R]

DOH! It was just an example, sorry, I feel stupid now.

[Nick80R]

Didn't he just drink out of the water that is acid????

[TheMotorman116]

@jeff1586er Will you just take it easy, man? Some people like the look of a worn guitar but don't want to wait until they're old to have it look worn. If everyone liked the same thing the world would be a pretty boring place don't you think???

[Dazp94]

muriatic acid is also good for bottle explosions ! :)

[TheABLTZ]

I got white pickups..how can i make em yellowish?

[zymase]

Even though I think relicing has gotten out of hand, I think your relic Tele looks really good. Authentic-looking wear spots and the bridge looks real, not overdone which typically looks phony, as you mentioned.

[Lukeblueslover]

@psyoptica wasn't the Beatles opening for him back then? Heard they played in Hamburg or something... that's Germany, right?

[psyoptica]

I'm relicing a violin right now, making it identical to Paganini's 1831 Strad used during his tour of Bavaria. Surely, aging my violin will give me access to the talent of Paganini and "magic" associated with the Early Romantic Era.

[lowereastsideburns]

Thanks a lot for this - is this suitable / anyone ever tried this on a aluminium bigsby? Cheers!

[cmgill2]

I know what your saying but some people don't want to wait 40 yrs, I've got a strat I've had for 37 yrs and it looks like new, it's been well gigged and played regularly at home but I look after my guitars so the 'relic' process could take 100 yrs. My point is that I don't think it matters what people do to a guitar as long as it gets played, I can't understand seeing red about people relicing guitars when they don't have a financial interest in the 'relic', it won't de-value yours.