Naturally aging a guitar

[Leland105]

Okay so I love the look of reliced guitars. I would never want to relic one on purpose, but my question is how long would someone have to play a guitar for it to have a nice road worn look and also can new guitars get aged from playing it since most have a poly finish. If i want a guitar to get a relic look but from actually playing would I want to refinish it in Nitro and then just play the heck out of that thing?

[Paul in Colorado]

Put it in a window where the sun shines a lot. That's why the front of my Esquire clone is more surf green and the back is daphne blue. When you assemble it, don't worry about it falling off of benches or knocking it into doorways. Assemble and play the heck out of it, especially on hot days.

[chrisgblues]

I can speak from experience on this one. I have a 1982 strat that was MIJ with an olympic white POLY finish. I can confirm that after all these years, the only 'aging' that happened to the finish was from me dropping it and/or smashing it on the floor during my 'Jimi' impressions!

Otherwise, poly is practically impervious to.....everything. Including most paint strippers Even sanding poly is a tough task.

Nitro on the other hand can be almost too easy to relic from what I've read.

[johnnylaw]

It ain't the years, its the miles. Truly, the "vintage" finishes were less stable than the evolved modern compounds, and I think gigging in smoke-filled venues also tortured materials more than the clean-air bars of today.

Dents, chips, and scratches seem to be easier than the soft-edged wear and patina that draws us into the "if this guitar could talk" mystique of the decades-old road warriors.

I think excessive playing is the best medicine! Read [U]The Velveteen Rabbit[U] to your favorite six-year old for inspiration.

[prawnik]

Walk around with your guitar without a case to help it accumulate chips, bumps and scratches.

It also helps if you move to Byelorus where you can get hold of lacuqer without plasticisers or other adulterants.

[flatfive]

Are you asking how to make a guitar look like it's
been played on stage for 3 hours a night, 200 nights
a year, and 10 years?

And to do this by just playing the guitar?

Isn't the answer obvious?

Originally Posted by Leland105

Okay so I love the look of reliced guitars. I would never want to relic one on purpose, but my question is how long would someone have to play a guitar for it to have a nice road worn look and also can new guitars get aged from playing it since most have a poly finish. If i want a guitar to get a relic look but from actually playing would I want to refinish it in Nitro and then just play the heck out of that thing?

[limbe]

Do a tour in Scandinivia during the winter.I have guitars with polyester finish that I`ve bought used that are so cracked it would make a ´50s Fender proud.

[rcole_sooner]

I ya want one that looks worn, just give in to relicing, and don't fall for the "ya gotta earn it" hype.

[rand z]

i have guitars that are 20 years old and look brand new... theyve been played a good bit, too. gigs and all.

brand new.

i like em that way.

(ps. i also have a few that have cracks, dents, chips and worn through the finish down to the bare wood. i like em that way too.)

theyre just guitars. works of art, but functional tools as well.


rand z

[Tim Armstrong]

Play it a whole lot, take it to parties and jams, get in a band and gig, sweat on it and don't clean it, and most important: don't use a case or a gig bag.

It'll certain age faster than it would otherwise!

Tim

[Telesavalis]

How to "naturally relic" a Fender guitar without playing it every night for 30 years:

1-Spill coffee on it and leave it outside on the patio for a few days before wiping off
2-Spill beer on it and leave it outside on the patio for a few days before wiping off
3-Set it next to the Webber whenever you're smoking some baby back ribs
4-Give the fretboard a good rubdown with used motor oil every time you change your oil
5-Lay it on the hardwood floor when your 3 yr old son is playing with his toy trucks
6-Forget the case and keep the guitar behind the seat of your pickup truck
7-Play it, without a shirt on, outside, when the tempurature is over 100, for 2 hours min
8-Set it next to an open bottle of vinegar for a couple of days, every now and then
9-Let anyone play it whenever they ask

And if you want to speed up the process, after doing all of the above, tie a rope to the headstock and drag it behind your riding lawn mower while you mow the front yard.

:)

[homerzeppelin]

Yeah, if you want the aged look, go with nitro!

[Del Pickup]

Sadly, from my experience, a poly finished guitar will probably never age - ignoring chips and dents. The poly is just too resistant to all the things that thinner nitro finishes respond to.

You just gotta get rid of the poly.......... heat gun and sharp blade is the best way.

[Leland105]

I understand that to get a worn out look I need to play it all the time. That is what I do with my guitar now is play it all the time which is good because it makes me a better player but I am thinking about refinishing a guitar with nitro so that when i do play it all the time it will eventually look worn in.

[bossaholic]

You should give shellac a try for finish. I've been experimenting and absolutely love it. Not as volatile as nitro, and it has the same characteristics, but from what I have learned, wears quicker than nitro.

[DADGAD]

UV light (Either the sun or a tanning booth)
Thermal cycling (hot, cold, repeat)

[Seanrezel]

Even relic'ng a nitro guitar is tricky as the new nitro types fender uses is different to the ones they used to use back in the 50s and 60s. The new ones don't wear down so much.

[Twang Man]

Thin Skin, like this one of mine...

Started life with me looking like this...



then after a couple of years of this...



I now have this...





bear in mind that this guitar is only used on 120 gigs a year because I use a squire during rehearsals.