Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Relicing, observation.


NancyJohnson

Recommended Posts

Whether or not the original instrument is finished in nitro or poly, why is it that relicing seem almost exclusively based on Fender basses?

I know there's a handful of companies like Sandberg that do reliced guitars, but you never see Stingrays, Thunderbirds etc. and even then it's pretty much always Jazz-style basses.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure that they exist but I can't really picture a 'modern' bass like an Ibanez or a Yamaha looking good reliced, even though they've both been making electric basses for long enough for there to be some genuinely worn examples in circulation.

I think we may have reached 'peak' relicing a couple of years ago, it seems to be here to stay but it doesn't seem as prevalent as it was.

Roasted maple necks seem to be the new 'big thing' fashion wise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worked at a Titanium Dioxide Pigment Company for many years it's a white powder used in Paint, Plastic, Toothpaste ect and i'm sure the embedded pigment on my skin and hands helped in Relic'ing my Norman Acoustic Guitar, all along the neck it's worn down to the wood and the shoulder of the body ect....looks great but i must say it's been with me for almost 20 years the only instrument i would never part with....looks great, sounds great and played regularly.

Edited by thebigyin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the the finish just wore away as the result of you playing it, that’s not relic’ing, that’s real and honest wear and tear 🙂

Relic’ing is fake wear intentionally applied to achieve the effect of looking aged when, in truth, it’s not old or worn at all.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/09/2020 at 17:02, thebigyin said:

I worked at a Titanium Dioxide Pigment Company for many years it's a white powder used in Paint, Plastic, Toothpaste ect and i'm sure the embedded pigment on my skin and hands helped in Relic'ing my Norman Acoustic Guitar, all along the neck it's worn down to the wood and the shoulder of the body ect....looks great but i must say it's been with me for almost 20 years the only instrument i would never part with....looks great, sounds great and played regularly.

Tioxide in Grimsby I assume.  I visited it a few times and the stuff used to get everywhere.  I'd be blowing it out of my nose for days.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/09/2020 at 08:36, NancyJohnson said:

I know there's a handful of companies like Sandberg that do reliced guitars, but you never see Stingrays, Thunderbirds etc. and even then it's pretty much always Jazz-style basses.

Gibson do a few relics but only on stupidly expensive custom shop. I doubt you would get a thunderbird though, gibson don't even bother making those every years, let alone coming out with a new finish. I suppose they don't really care about basses anyway.

Surprised that G&L don't though, they come out with every finish going.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Gibson do a few relics but only on stupidly expensive custom shop. I doubt you would get a thunderbird though, gibson don't even bother making those every years, let alone coming out with a new finish. I suppose they don't really care about basses anyway.

Surprised that G&L don't though, they come out with every finish going.

Relic Art in France recently did a black thunderbird 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/09/2020 at 08:36, NancyJohnson said:

Whether or not the original instrument is finished in nitro or poly, why is it that relicing seem almost exclusively based on Fender basses?

I know there's a handful of companies like Sandberg that do reliced guitars, but you never see Stingrays, Thunderbirds etc. and even then it's pretty much always Jazz-style basses.

I think probably if it’s your USP as a company you’ll do it.

Fender will do it as they have been around since the dawn of time.

Other people will use old looking wood purposefully for a similar effect.

For example these chaps in France use nowt but local wood, and there are some stunners

https://www.alpineguitar.fr

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/09/2020 at 08:36, NancyJohnson said:

Whether or not the original instrument is finished in nitro or poly, why is it that relicing seem almost exclusively based on Fender basses?

I know there's a handful of companies like Sandberg that do reliced guitars, but you never see Stingrays, Thunderbirds etc. and even then it's pretty much always Jazz-style basses.

I suggest it's because Fender basses, from the 70's onwards, don't really show any wear. The 60s basses were coated in nitro and wore easily but the newer basses were coated in much harder wearing poly finish.

Brands that started being manufactured in later decades have no history of looking roadworn.

My 80's bass looks brand new (other than a couple of dents).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interestingly, the poly finish on my 1990 jazz just sort of...fragmented and split. It’s really odd. There’s buckle marks on the back that are down to a particular belt I wore for years, but in other places, the finish just cracked into little jigsaw pieces and fell off. A recent crack has appeared by the control plate. No idea why but it looks cool and the bass is pretty dinged up anyway. 

0E90FE52-F860-488F-B979-C97BEB0D7E2D.jpeg

D256C5E7-1174-4FCC-9F26-48391A9C8A8D.jpeg

CA5A0516-8C33-43C8-83E1-03F54A42447F.jpeg

B9047373-1194-478F-A9A7-69E9919E4417.jpeg

7D1597B3-5E41-4696-8900-476FB0608611.jpeg

193857A1-D554-4986-B42C-229AA7A7C8AD.jpeg

3F3441D7-AF9B-4E36-BA13-AFA83D2E50D7.jpeg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, gjones said:

I suggest it's because Fender basses, from the 70's onwards, don't really show any wear. The 60s basses were coated in nitro and wore easily but the newer basses were coated in much harder wearing poly finish.

Brands that started being manufactured in later decades have no history of looking roadworn.

My 80's bass looks brand new (other than a couple of dents).

Seems to me that Fender instruments are seen by players as utilitarian tools and a certain amount of wear is inevitable.  Old Fenders do tend to look a bit beaten up, whereas vintage Gibsons, Epiphones, Gretchs and others seem to look a bit more looked after.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Nicko said:

Seems to me that Fender instruments are seen by players as utilitarian tools and a certain amount of wear is inevitable.  Old Fenders do tend to look a bit beaten up, whereas vintage Gibsons, Epiphones, Gretchs and others seem to look a bit more looked after.

Not sure about that, especially gibsons you get a lot that are very worn, and what proportion of gibsons from the 60s have their necks unbroken?! Most goldtops from the 50s/60s are woodtops and it seems that a lot of EB basses from the 60s and 70s are not only worn but have holes for other pickups, bridge replacements, various holes. In fact I think the SG shape in particular is designed to look tatty.

Its just they don't come like that unlike fenders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/09/2020 at 08:36, NancyJohnson said:

Whether or not the original instrument is finished in nitro or poly, why is it that relicing seem almost exclusively based on Fender basses?

I know there's a handful of companies like Sandberg that do reliced guitars, but you never see Stingrays, Thunderbirds etc. and even then it's pretty much always Jazz-style basses.

There's a relic'ed Ritter in the Basses for Sale thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Not sure about that, especially gibsons you get a lot that are very worn, and what proportion of gibsons from the 60s have their necks unbroken?! Most goldtops from the 50s/60s are woodtops and it seems that a lot of EB basses from the 60s and 70s are not only worn but have holes for other pickups, bridge replacements, various holes. In fact I think the SG shape in particular is designed to look tatty.

Its just they don't come like that unlike fenders.

I was going to say, if Gibson did relicing they would need to snap the headstock off and glue it back on. 
 

if Warwick did it then the input jack socket wouldn’t work. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...