Relicing

[Jeff Flowerday]

This seems to be a passionate subject.

Personally I love it, I've yet to find a non relic custom shop strat that sounded as good as their relics.

IMO, the relicing opens the guitar up, it breaths and adds that smooth woody thing. I don't don't know how else to describe it.


Ok, let the battle begin. :)

[ajcoholic]

How exactly does "relicing" (which by the way in my business of building furniture is called distressing) "open" up an electric guitar?

I mean you chip up the paint, sand through the finish here and there (not belittling it - I dont particularly see the point other than to cosmetically make the guitar look old) and how does that make it sound any different?

AJC

[GuitarsCanada]

There have been many articles and many testimonials on the virtues of aged wood on tone. But I am not sure that would apply to new wood made to look old. Did the relic series sell that well? I dont think I have ever seen one outside of a print ad.

Would like to put the whole theory to the test.

[Jeff Flowerday]

How exactly does "relicing" (which by the way in my business of building furniture is called distressing) "open" up an electric guitar?

I mean you chip up the paint, sand through the finish here and there (not belittling it - I dont particularly see the point other than to cosmetically make the guitar look old) and how does that make it sound any different?

AJC

I guess I should have been more specific, it's not so much the chipping paint and sanding but the checking. Complete checking of the finish allows the wood to vibrate more freely.

[Lester B. Flat]

I wonder if your theory would hold up under a blindfold test, or do they just look like they sound better?;) If the relics have a thinner finish (I don't know), that could certainly account for a difference.

[Jeff Flowerday]

I wonder if your theory would hold up under a blindfold test, or do they just look like they sound better?;) If the relics have a thinner finish (I don't know), that could certainly account for a difference.

That would be a hard one, because you would instantly feel the difference in the finish of the guitar. There is more to just sounding different they respond different as well. Unchecked guitars are tighter feeling and responding. It's usually quite blatent and I think anyone could tell the difference if given say 3 of each.

[Lester B. Flat]

When I said blindfold I was thinking of someone else playing to compare sound, but if you are comparing sound and feel, then feel would be an influence on the percieved sound to the player, just like good lookin' food tastes better. Again, perhaps there is something in the finish that allows the wood to boogaloo. I've not played either guitars, by the way, so I'm in Theoryland.:D

[PaulS]

I am kind of skeptical on this relicing thing myself. To me the majority of the sound for an electric comes from the player, pickups and electronics. The wood plays part in the sustain and feel. Now many will beg to differ but this is my opinion. I have a 67 tele which you could say is reliced, naturally. I didn't notice much change in the sound of this guitar until I changed the pups.
I would also have to do the blindfold test to be convinced. :confused-smiley-010

[Milkman]

Funny, I thought it was just wannabees trying to look like they had been out there on the road.

My guitars all look "reliced', because I play them and don't worry about the odd ding and scrape.


This seems like buying jeans with the knees already torn out.

Just my opinion of course.

[CocoTone]

I wonder if your theory would hold up under a blindfold test, or do they just look like they sound better?;) If the relics have a thinner finish (I don't know), that could certainly account for a difference.

I'm with you on the blindfold. Hendrix` guitars all sounded excellant, and he only played new ones.

CT.

[Jeff Flowerday]

Well you guys best all get out there and do the test then, otherwise you are all just making assumptions, now aren't you. :)


To open up another can of worms, I've never really like Hendrix's tone. His playing well that's another thing. :eek:

[dwagar]

I saw an ad from Fender that you can now get vintage 'thin' nitro on some of their guitars.
I wonder if their relics came with nitro on them. That would account for the difference.

Some of mine are naturally reliced, from having the snot played out of them for years. And old nitro does crack quite wonderfully.

[CocoTone]

Well you guys best all get out there and do the test then, otherwise you are all just making assumptions, now aren't you. :)


To open up another can of worms, I've never really like Hendrix's tone. His playing well that's another thing. :eek:

Careful there pal!! :D His studio tone was always incredible.Wind Cries Mary for eg) His live tone was not always shall we say,`nice`, but sound reinforcement in those days was in its infancy. I personally will relic my guitars the hard way. One song at a time.

CT.

[Jeff Flowerday]

I saw an ad from Fender that you can now get vintage 'thin' nitro on some of their guitars.
I wonder if their relics came with nitro on them. That would account for the difference.

Some of mine are naturally reliced, from having the snot played out of them for years. And old nitro does crack quite wonderfully.

The time machine strats are definately nitro. But I don't know if the Relics is thinner than the NOS or not.

[SCREEM]

best way to "open" up a guitar is to play the shyte out of it, like say your second refret :D But IMO accoustics benefit most from playing them.

some ppl blast music at their accoustics when they are not playing them, to "open" them up. I don't think it would make a diff on an electric tho.

[GuitarsCanada]

I remember someone telling me once to never keep the acoustic in it's case... leave it out to breathe they say

[Lester B. Flat]

I remember someone telling me once to never keep the acoustic in it's case... leave it out to breathe they say

For me, guitar cases are for transport only. I have all my guitars out to breathe. Unless you live in a dry climate, they can mould if left too long shut up tight. They also take on and release moisture naturally without a possible sudden shock of coming out of a case into very different air.

[Mahogany Martin]

best way to "open" up a guitar is to play the shyte out of it, like say your second refret :D But IMO accoustics benefit most from playing them.

some ppl blast music at their accoustics when they are not playing them, to "open" them up. I don't think it would make a diff on an electric tho.

I think that if you play the shyte out of your acoustic that you'll both *relic it* and open it up much like blasting music at it. But yeah, blast music at it all day. It's probably good to *open it up* and it's also a good way to drive the cat nuts too while you're at work. :)