Relicing Tips

[Graffiti62]

Hi Guys--

One of the biggest musical influences has been Rory Gallagher. As many of you know, his main axe was a sunburst '61 Stratocaster. After years of having a sweaty Irishman over it, as well as being left in a ditch for a stretch of time, it developed the famous "Ex-Sunburst" finish.

I never plan to duplicate the Rory-wear to a tee, but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how I could get the look. Also, since this is going to be a "relic" guitar, I'd also like to hear if anyone has any relicing tricks that they use to get the "been in enough bars" look.

Thanks!

P.S.--Sorry I didn't have the pics shrunken down. I'm still learning how to handle photos on the message board.

 

[GoDrex]

coffee works pretty well on plastic parts....

 

[jackthehack]

1.)  See Tonar's posts on replicating the 3 tone '61 burst finish with nitro lacquer, poly WON"T do...
2.)  After final gloss lacquer top coats are completely dry, tie body behind a car/truck and drag up/down gravel road till it looks like Rory's.

 

[Graffiti62]

coffee works pretty well on plastic parts....

I've heard that too. I've used the Seymour Duncan trick of using brown shoe polish and working it in. Once it dries, you do pretty well.

 

[willyk]

A small hand held sandblaster gun. :evil4: :evil4: :evil4:

 

[Tonar8352]

I love that shot of Rory's guitar.  That guitar earned its skin or lack of the good old way, in the hands of a master.  I wish I could fall in love with one guitar and play it to death like that. Rory was one of the greats!!!!!  

To replicate Rory’s guitar you would need to add one step to my bursting process and that would be to seal it with Fuller Plast.  http://van-dee.com/clear.htm Order an alder body, Maple neck with Brazilian Board, and Clay dots with some pearl ones thrown in the appropriate positions. I would think about having Warmoth drill the neck for the fret dots and then order the clay dots from Callaham. http://www.callahamguitars.com/partsstr.htm

Fatboy has decent relic plastic. http://www.fatboyguitars.co.uk/page3.htm

You can buy relic hardware or do it yourself.  I suggest you do a search on how to relic metal, its not difficult but it is dangerous.

Do lots of research first and look into some people that are doing it.  Mark Jenney is one that comes to mind.  http://www.mjtagedfinishes.com/

Clive Brown is the master out of England that I am aware of but I do not know if he has any stuff posted on the net.

 

[kreig]

I'm really glad to hear someone here is a Rory  fan, I have 2 or 3 of his DVD's.
He was a "Hometown Hero" to the inth degree.
But all things considered, it was in the days where it was a different world. No Big Box music stores in every city, Vinyl Records, no Home studio's, etc...

Relic-ing is sacrilegious. Webster - "the intentional desecration or disrespectful treatment of a ...thing, or idea held sacred."
It's a lie, and should'nt be perpetuated, nor tolerated.

I tell people to treat a guitar like fine furniture.

If you want a "worn look", earn it . . . play the hell out of it, thats authentic and true.
My red tele has the brass showing through the chrome on the tail piece, and the red dye on my neck is worn down to the color of the wood.
Yea, it took 100's of hours, maybe even thousands... but it's the real deal. :icon_thumright:

 

[Xplorervoodoo]

Leave it in salt water for a couple days til it rusts, then beat it with greasy chains....

Seriously, if I put my hands on a guitar that looked like that, I'd feel the supreme urge to wash them...

 

[ByteFrenzy]

To avoid replaying the pro-contra relicing thread, can we just introduce a standard answer:

"Yes, it's okay, but only if you start with a pristine, original era instrument. An unplayed sixties strat will do just fine. Then beat the shit out of it, attack it with a blowtorch, urinate on it and leave it outside for a night or two... starting to hesitate yet???"

 

[GoDrex]

Seriously, if I put my hands on a guitar that looked like that, I'd feel the supreme urge to wash them...

when I first looked at the pictures my first thought was "damn that thing is gross." Definitely need some anti-bacterial soap after touching that thing hehehe

 

[tfarny]

Same here. I love the music and sweat that the wear represents but I can't imagine wanting to try to replicate that. That thing is nasty.

 

[Graffiti62]

Gee...I thought you guys were just going to tell me to wrap the body in wide masking tape and cut out the unworn spots, then spray sunburst over that. That, or use Zip Strip. I'd never beat a guitar. Looking back, were Stevie Ray Vaughan still alive, I cannot believe that his "first wife" would be anywhere close to playable in 2008, had he kept on the same path that he did. Rory's guitar wound up losing its finish because it was stolen in the mid sixties, and was found in a ditch outside of Cork, Ireland. In addition to that, playing in a flannel shirt every night will make one sweat a bit. Rory's brother said that he'd wind up getting perspiration on the body, and it worked its way in through the spots in the body where the finish began coming off after being left outside. After most of the finish wore away, Rory started wiping it down with light oil to keep the wood moisturised, as well as stop the body from losing any more finish. The only reason it looks so wretched and nasty is because of the lighting in the top picture. The Fender Tribute model is closer to what it really looked like.

Using skilled techniques to get something to look old is one thing, like what Tom Murphy does for Gibson to get the worn effect. Grabbing a guitar by the neck and grinding it against a wall is another.

 

[nathan a]

The shoe polish is an interesting finishing idea on its own. How would it work if one weren't trying to relic anything? If I just had an alder body and rubbed in shoe polish, then some sort of oil or other clear coat, could I end up with a nice sultry brown alder body?

 

[Graffiti62]

The shoe polish is an interesting finishing idea on its own. How would it work if one weren't trying to relic anything? If I just had an alder body and rubbed in shoe polish, then some sort of oil or other clear coat, could I end up with a nice sultry brown alder body?

The brown shoe polish is a trick that is used on plastic parts more than anything else. From what I read on Seymour Duncan's Q & A board years ago, is that he'll take brown Kiwi and lightly rub it onto something to get a consistent shade, and he'll let it sit for a while while the moisture dries out of it and it stains into the plastic. I've never thought of trying it on wood before. It could work because of the oil-based dyes in it, but I'd of course try scrap wood before trying on a body.