Our Guitar Relicing Story

[@GUITARSGIZMOS]

Nice video Paul. I buy my jeans stone washed, maybe with holes and I like my t-shirts to look a bit washed and worn. It's only rock'n roll. Of course I want my guitars to match my style. BTW I just played my beat up looking Strat with your lovely ID Chris Buck pickups. So good. Thanks for making great products.

[@seamanjive]

Buying clothes with hole....oh dear....

[@Scaredycat-dad]

Years ago, I asked a Sweetwater rep why somebody would want their guitar relic’d, I didn’t understand it at all. He said there is something about playing a guitar that already feels broken in they are very comfortable to play. I have never had the opportunity to play a relic’d guitar but if I did and I liked it, I wouldn’t hesitate in buying it. Some of the comments are using the word fraud. OMG if you don’t like it, don’t ever buy one at the same time live and let live. It is the very reason they make chocolate and vanilla not everybody has the same taste. BTW the relic’d loaded pick guard that you guys made for me absolutely gives my Stratocaster an entirely different look in addition to an amazing sound, which is what I was looking for.

[@RadioshopPickups]

Thank you David! So glad you love it!

[@seamanjive]

Hold on....the relic-ing changed the sound?

[@eoinc_Ire]

My relicing story has been years of drinking, smoking and a lot of Rock’n’Roll…. I might look 54, but I’m only still only 15 😂

[@RadioshopPickups]

Haha, love it!

[@nonameinfl]

You can find relicing in model trains. They call it weathering.

[@KurtWinters-g2t]

Relicing a guitar has nothing to do with trying to mislead anyone (I read here terms like fraud and such). To me, personally, a brand new guitar looks boring, plasticy and just a mass product. A reliced (I prefer the term lovingly aged ;)) guitar has just a unique look, feel and character that appeals to you personally or not. The time and care that went into adding all the details is sometimes mindblowing and is a testimony to the love and care that went into building the instrument as opposed to all the mass produced instruments out there. It makes your guitar a one of a kind and gives a much smoother feel when playing it. It really makes the guitar truly a unique partner for life.

[@kingcal53]

Agreed. Fraud is really too strong a term, no one here is trying to pass a guitar off as being an old guitar, they want a replica of one which is, both aesthetically and feel wise.

[@MAX96MENDES]

" Relicing is absolutely bonkers ". Very true. I have no respect for my guitar either. I like to throw it around and get as many dents and wear on it as possible. I even let my dog chew on it and my cat use it as a scratching post. Its all a natural "relic" process. Nothing was done with precision tools or a magnifying glass !

[@alanthew6490]

It seems weird that strats and teles are ok to be reliced but 335’s and hollow bodies should be perfect.

[@DavidDotson-lo6rp]

Yes, perhaps fraud is a misleading statement. From what I understand as in the Jimmy Page and many others the guitar is made to the last detail every nick and scratch of the original. Those are the memories of Mr Page, not my own. Even just new guitars made to look old are not really old, they play no differently than a new one. I guess appearance here is object of conversation and if someone wants a new guitar that looks old so be it. Of course when buying a guitar appearance is a part of the purchasing decision. I just don’t get it.

[@DavidDotson-lo6rp]

Yes, listening to you story, I’ll still have to say that aging any guitar to appear to be older than it is, is just plainly a form of fraud. One simply can’t have Jimmy Pages les Paul that he’s had for the past 50 years. Get a new Jimmy Page edition Les Paul and make your own wear and tear.

[@RadioshopPickups]

Not sure if I agree with “fraud”, David. Yes there are counterfeiters out there but most Guitar Relicers I’m aware of out there put explicit, non removable identification on the instrument to make sure it can never be passed off as a copy

[@classicraceruk1337]

Don’t forget when Jimmy Page bought that guitar it was new. That’s how I remember him, Clapton, Gilmour, Hendrix etc. playing newish guitars. That’s what I want, a new one. I think it must be led by the younger people who never saw these players back in the day.