#1952846 - 06/04/08 07:33 AM
Vintage Guitar Look
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Keego
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Registered: 06/04/08
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Hey Guys,
Whats the best way to get the body of a guitar worn down and 'vintage looking'? Is the varnish than the manufacturers put on guitars to strong to be worn away?
Thanks
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#1952854 - 06/04/08 07:43 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Keego]
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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play it.
seriously, you can buy a vintage looking guitar and that is fine if that is what you want. There are a few on the market that are new but look older. But the finishes on your instruments are designed to protect the instrument.
Obviously it is not too strong to be worn away. There are a bunch of really cool looking old and worn instruments out there.
If you really want to have a vintage guitar, buy one. Do you really want a phoney? I can tell you thsat I bought one of those Murphy preaged 1957 Gibson gold top reissues, and though I like the guitar a lot (because of the neck size and other original 57 approintments) I really wish I had just bought the 57 reissue rather than the preaged version, just because I know that it si phoney and that I would never abuse one of my own instruments that way.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#1952860 - 06/04/08 07:53 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Bill@Welcome Home Studios]
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Mudcat
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I've got a buddy who did a very authentic looking relic job on a blonde strat body. The key was getting the paint to crackle and discolor. Unfortunately I can't recommend the method he used because it is a potential health hazard, so proceed at your own peril. After finishing the body as you normally would and allowing the paint to set up, he sprayed the thing with freon, then he hit it with a belt sander in appropriate locations where you would get finish wear from your arm resting on it. He made the thing look like it was 40 years old and played to death.
I have no idea why anyone would deliberately want to make a guitar look like this.
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Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo-
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#1952870 - 06/04/08 08:03 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Mudcat]
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Michael Patrick
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I prefer the old fashioned way of playing the hell out of them...
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#1952872 - 06/04/08 08:05 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Mudcat]
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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sure, and using flap sanding wheels, steel wool, wire wheels, fibre wheels, dsand paper, chemicals, plumberrs torches and any number of other things can abuse the body.
When I was a -lot- younger I worked for a guy for a while who built custyom fancy stuff for rich peoples homes. One of the things that he did was faux aging of metal and wood, and building phoney architectural elements and aging them. Its not that hard to do. But as you say, why would anyone do it to an instrument.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#1952958 - 06/04/08 10:36 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Strategery]
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caprae
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0i-Yz4Cm4A&feature=related
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#1952961 - 06/04/08 10:41 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: caprae]
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caprae
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The heat and nitrous oxide method for checking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ok1FDzgzME
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Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren.
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#1953006 - 06/04/08 11:44 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Trucks]
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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That is real easy to do with an acoustic.... just leave it in the trunk overnight on sa very cold winters night. Then bring the guitar into a very warm house, and open the case. Instant checking. Might work for electrics, too.... I don't know, I was only stupid enough to do it once, and it happened to be with an acoustic.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#1953018 - 06/04/08 12:09 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: caprae]
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Billster
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0i-Yz4Cm4A&feature=related
Today, having a beat-up old guitar is preferable to having a bright shiny new one. Luthier Steve Soest summarizes what he did to relic two guitars. These easy steps will transform your brand new guitar and make it look like it has the scars of a road warrior.
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#1953023 - 06/04/08 12:21 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Billster]
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0i-Yz4Cm4A&feature=related Today, having a beat-up old guitar is preferable to having a bright shiny new one. Luthier Steve Soest summarizes what he did to relic two guitars. These easy steps will transform your brand new guitar and make it look like it has the scars of a road warrior.
Yeah, but it reminds me of a "Happy Days" episode, wherein Fonze tells Richie that he doesn't have to fight if he can bluff hard enough. Richie gets beat, and the Fonze says something like, "yeah, well, I guess you have to have hit somebody once." The -guitar- can look as road-weary as a San Diego whore after the fleet comes in, but in the hands of a poser instead if a player, the cool looks won't help.
Ahh... hell. What is the difference? I like honesty, and the wear and tear on my other guitars, well, they came by that wear honestly.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#1953034 - 06/04/08 12:41 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Bill@Welcome Home Studios]
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Billster
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Better to "relic" the guitar than to have people go to a plastic surgeon so they can look like Keith Richards.
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#1953164 - 06/04/08 04:23 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: GeoffB]
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splitting hare
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Put me in the "play the hell" out of them camp as well!  I recently saw the Fender Thin Skin guitars at a show - aren't these finishes designed to wear away faster? That's what I assumed anyway. On the lighter color ones the finish was transparent enough to see the wood grain.
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#1953167 - 06/04/08 04:29 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Greg B.]
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RobRose
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I think everyone would prefer to have a genuinely worn guitar from playing. However, not all of us are able to afford it or want to wait that long for nature to take its course.
I've looked at Nash guitars and other providers of faux-worn guitars... they are attractive in their own right. I don't know if it's a task I would take on myself. The guy who's refinishing my strat body has taken on a few "aging" jobs... the results have been pretty cool...
I have som great newer guitars, but they are pristine and really don't have a lot of personality... I am happy to work in a coule of them, but I've certainly considered offering up one to that process to gauge the result.
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LP, CS-336, TA DropTop T, Gretsch 6121 Nashville, ASAT Cstm, Ravelle Cstm, Cstm Shop Strats, Reverend Charger290 & Parris Models, Custom Variax, Martin DC16RGTE
Bogner Shiva, Carr Vincent amps
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#1953189 - 06/04/08 05:18 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Keego]
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paully
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When that nice, white binding turns yellow with age, it's not the plastic.. it's the clear coat. You can buy tints to replicate any color from mild yellow to orange just by mixing with clear n-cellulous lacquor and re-shooting. When dry, automotive rubbing compound is a good way to remove the 'hot spot' lacquor in areas that you want to stand out. Unfortunately the lacquor smell is a dead givaway, and takes a LONG time to dissipate.
Best, Paul
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#1953203 - 06/04/08 06:17 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Bill@Welcome Home Studios]
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Dave da Dude
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That is real easy to do with an acoustic.... just leave it in the trunk overnight on sa very cold winters night. Then bring the guitar into a very warm house, and open the case. Instant checking. Might work for electrics, too.... I don't know, I was only stupid enough to do it once, and it happened to be with an acoustic.
Bill
I had been warned about that shortly after I started playing, forty years ago in NORTHERN Vermont. I always took it seriously, and still do. I never open my guitar case up until it's sat for a while. I just take the attitude that it's not available for a couple of hours or so. Of course, that would be difficult to do if I was gigging and the show was supposed to start in two MINUTES! 
_________________________
Gotta' geetar... need an amp.
One step at a time... burp... GAS... burp... GAS...
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#1953208 - 06/04/08 06:35 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Mudcat]
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Dave da Dude
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I have no idea why anyone would deliberately want to make a guitar look like this.
I'm with ya' on that one for sure! As a matter of fact, no matter how old they are, I prefer them to be near-perfect.
Other than two small spots, that 1986 Ibanez I just got is near-perfect with the exception of a little vintage yellowing of the coating to make the white have a hint of yellow.
My 1973 Martin has only some VERY deep pick marks on the front-top of the body from a left-handed foster kid playing the guitar with a pick. WithOUT my permission of course, and I was... furious!!!  But that is the ONLY flaw on the entire guitar. Not even belt buckle rash. I always wore my buckle to the side when playing it.
SOoooo... why go out of your way to make people think that you've mistreated your guitar?! The entire concept boggles my mind.
_________________________
Gotta' geetar... need an amp.
One step at a time... burp... GAS... burp... GAS...
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#1953220 - 06/04/08 07:19 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Dave da Dude]
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Bill@Welcome Home Studios
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yeah, there is a difference between playing the guitar so much that you've worn the finish off of the neck and at places on the body where your arm might rub, and kicking the body down the street.
Bill
_________________________
"...it's easier than hitting the kids, and almost as much fun..."
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#1953240 - 06/04/08 08:05 PM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Bill@Welcome Home Studios]
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Caevan O'Shite
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"...playing the guitar so much that you've worn the finish off of the neck and at places on the body where your arm might rub..."
Guitars like that are sometimes very comfy, all 'broken-in' feeling...
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_ _ ___ _ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _
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#1953355 - 06/05/08 05:27 AM
Re: Vintage Guitar Look
[Re: Dave da Dude]
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miroslav
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As a matter of fact, no matter how old they are, I prefer them to be near-perfect.
I'm with you.
And…not ALL well-played/old guitars get that worn-off finish look...no matter how much you play them.
There were some in years past that just had poor finishes that would wear and chip off a lot sooner then on other guitars of the same vintage. I've seen many very old guitars with lots of playing history...and other than the typical bumps/nicks...there was never any finish all rubbed out and chipped off on them down to the bare wood.
But yeah...I like my guitars looking as near perfect as possible, for as long as possible.
My oldest guitar...the original Hagstrom Swede...after 33+ years it only has some nicks/dings and a little buckle rash on the back...but overall, the finish is still completely in tact, and that guitar has seen a lot of play time.
I'll see how the new crop holds up after a few years go by....
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miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
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