Beyond Partscaster. Building a Telecaster from parts. Avoid the pitfalls and mistakes. Part 6. 

Techniques are acquired when required. There are many and they evolve and change. Tremendous fun and pleasure to be had. Plus you get a cool guitar at the end. C

Some people do too much and it just looks ruined rather than worn. You just have to be reasonable and guesstimate what would get a bit of wear. C

Thanks very much. Used not abused is my objective

Thanks so much. It was a good build and I was very happy with the outcome. They don’t all go that way. C

Yes… relicing is not for the faint hearted. I guess you could wait 25 years to get the patina, but… it’s an odd feeling messing up a perfectly acceptable finish in pursuit of imitation age. But when you get it right you get a guitar that feels lived in. Somehow the wear becomes valid. It’s like inventing a cool story for a scar you got tripping over a kerb. I guess that’s why it’s worth doing it well and not trying to make it look like Hendrix set it on fire. Thanks for your support Randall. C

Thanks Bryan. It was fun to do and it’s great to know you enjoyed it. C

Thanks Bryan. It was fun to do and it’s great to know you enjoyed it. C

It’s not a big deal either way. Some do, some don’t. On this build the pocket was quite large and the thickening that occurred in the neck and pocket actually improved matters. The 1st rule in my workshop is: 1. There are no rules. Second thought. If you leave pocket unfinished it will be open to moisturise ingress and atmospheric influences. Over time it may mean the body could dry out and possibly move a bit. Generally I would say it doesn’t matter unless you’ve made the pocket too tight. I see idiots on RU-vid waving unglued necks in super tight pockets extolling their incredible skills. That’s gonna be a real problem once you spray the neck. It’s simply not going to fit and the finish will get scraped off. Duh.

The relic process is false ageing. It’s optional of course. It’s similar to the process for ageing furniture. I don’t normally do it, but we were trying to build a vintage instrument. Definitely not for everyone or the faint hearted. Glad you enjoyed the series.

Thanks very much. It was a fun build. C

It’s a choice. It’s not every guitar that demands it or every user that wants it. It’s odd but I feel comfortable with a relic in my hands. If only because I’m not worried if I drop it or dink it. There is more after this stage that is very relevant. Please don’t be put off, skip to the next two episodes or you will miss setup and intonation.

Thanks Pedro. It’s been such fun sharing this with all you guys. X

Oh yes the goof ups…There are always plenty. It’s how you recover from them that matters. Wood is beautiful but ultimately a bit unpredictable. But I guess that’s part of the fun.

Thanks. It’s not my main thing. Relicing has to have a point and it shouldn’t be used to simply hide shoddy guitar making. It’s a strange thing, but playing a relic is often more comfortable than something shiny and new. I suspect that is in the mind. C

That is wonderful to hear. Welcome to the world of splinters cuts and swearing!! I’m kidding. It’s a joy and you will love it. C

Thanks Mario. There are more sophisticated methods but they involve dangerous chemicals, freezer sprays and heat guns. This is just my way of getting them to look worn.

I blow hot and cold with it too. Sometimes I think it works and sometimes it’s a bit contrived. As I say used not abused is how I like it. There is a story about Hugh Cornwell of the Stranglers leaving his Tele in the garden to get it aged. Just seems daft what some people do to decent guitars. C

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking There was some music store in the states that was making "replicas" of Les Pauls. Apparently their trick was to make and finish the body and then leave it on the roof of their building for a few years. I seem to remember that they were in Las Vegas so that meant lots of sun and little water.

Glad to hear it Kristoffer. Thanks for your support.

As I take great pains to say at every opportunity. This is optional. Skip over it or you will miss setup and intonation. Relicing is a choice. It’s a good one if you want a vintage style instrument and/or you don’t have extensive access to good spraying and finishing tools and extraction. As I say so often. Optional.

Thanks Bill. That’s what I was aiming at. If I was buying a 64 Telecaster I would accept that it would be worn but if it was actually damaged or defaced I would pass and keep looking.

Thank you so much. Your comments lift my spirits. Relicing is a processing of adding character not destruction. I find the first steps slightly traumatic. But you get into it. C

There is always something abt. a Tele. They just seem to be more loved & played for generations, because they were so good to begin with & of course they get better w/time & being lovingly played.

@@jerrystephenson1172 The Telecaster is such a brilliant design. Fender did an extraordinary thing going directly to the perfect solution in one go. It’s an engineering triumph.

I hope it’s what you hoped it would be. It’s my way. I don’t use freezer sprays and heat guns, heavy acids and Chlorine gases. But I think it does the business.

Same here :)

@@paulwalter7294 Thanks Paul

Me too sat with a coffee and really enjoyed this mini series hoping for more from your channel all the best

@@waynekeenan6252 Thanks Wayne. The next project is a Les Paul Junior style guitar. I’m going to try and update the approach whilst keeping the look

Me too. Great colour that really suits the era look. Thanks for your comment Greg.

Thanks Graham

Of course. Makes perfect sense. Thanks!!

Yup. It’s been said. I had heard of it before but 100% retention still evades me. Old age is nothing but one vast disappointment as we slide towards senility

Another Fender build would be a bit too similar. But... I do have a Strat that I built last year that would look good reliced. I might do that. C

Nothing more personal than messing up your own work on purpose. Thanks for watching C

It’s also a very naughty guitar.

Why not indeed. I guess I’m just lazy. I never seem to have a belt buckle around when I need one. Oh… Oh hang on…. What’s this holding my trousers up?

I don’t own such a pickup so it’s unlikely. I have a very stoic attitude to pickups. I hate paying too much as I’m not convinced it’s worth it. But I remain open to the concept. C

If one is looking for a certain tone such as Danny Gatton had, then JB do really help.@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking

Yes. The question has been answered. Thanks for watching Chuck. C

Ooo you are going to be almost a neighbour. You could pop over. C

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Neighbours? Did you have a senior moment and only get the first letter typed ,before you forgot what you were going to say? Age I know all about it. Take care.🎸🎸🎸🎸

@@mototakahe836 I’ll be in France quite soon

Incredible. Tell me all about it!! C

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Hi. Sorry to reply late. I'm a 12 year old and I found Old guitar parts The back of one of the closets at my nanas house And put them together over like 2 hours. And It up Stringing it Just 2 days ago. It's still not finished though.

I go to great lengths to explain my rationale. I think the relic process is to be used appropriately. It’s a skill in itself and should be done with restraint and care. It should not be used to cover up a shoddy job or bad workmanship. If you are making a 60’s style guitar then tasteful relicing is appropriate. I would love to let the process happen in real time but being 64 it’s highly likely I would never see the end product. Thanks for your comment C

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking I can see your point of view about the desire for a certain appearance on an instrument. Do you have any videos where you cut the Stratocaster style contours onto a Tele body? I saw that Fender sells them but they are quite expensive.

@@mightymikethebear I haven’t done a video of that, but I have done it myself. You will need a good rasp and a sharp plane. You need to mark it out carefully and keep to your marks. Finish up with a Radom orbital sander. Getting the right tools and take your time. Then you will need to sand smooth, grain fill and prime before spraying the top coat. Don’t skip the fill and/or priming it makes it so much easier. All the very best. C

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking TY

Thanks Paul. It was a fun build. More to come soon. C

If you will never understand, what do you expect me to say to you? If you have the $10,000 - $20,000 required to buy a truly vintage fender then you should definitely not bother watching my videos and go buy one. I don’t feel particularly wedded to relicing guitars. I do it sometimes and it suits vintage style fender builds. It also means that if you don’t have the skills or space to do a factory perfect finish you can take this route to an impressive guitar. But, as you say yourself, you will never understand this process, so it’s a pretty pointless conversation from my end. Thanks for sharing your views Bib2388. C

I need to apologize for sounding like a curmudgeon. I do appreciate your videos and will continue to watch. You explain things well and I have learned a lot. Whether to relic or not is a matter of personal taste; I don’t paint my guitars either, and that too is down to preference. I look forward to the progress of the Strat build.

@@blb2388 I find the finishing stage a bit torturous. It’s fiddly and uncomfortable. I’m not a fan of factory perfect finishes and tend to stain and varnish my own designs. When it comes to replicas it’s a lot easier and somehow more comfortable to go for an aged look. They somehow feel better in the hand than a factory style shiny but fake fender. It’s all a personal choice. I’m finishing the Strat neck right now and… it’s not going well for many reasons. I shall prevail however. C

Stay with it…

Hi Barry. It’s a personal choice I guess. If I had been given a guitar when I was 15 it wouldn’t be in that state. If you had given it to my buddy Dave it would have been firewood decades ago. Fender relics are similar to my light relicing. Many people go much further. I do stress in my video this is your choice. Do whatever you like Barry I have shown you the principles. The application is your choice. Thanks so much for watching. C.

I admire your purism. I have a red strat that I built to relic. It’s still untouched

Maybe we can temp you… to the dark side. Mwah ha ha ha haaaaa…. Etc.

I tend not to do it very often. If you are looking for a vintage vibe it’s fun to do. I have mixed feelings about it but wanted to show how it can be done subtlety without freezers and heavy mordants. Not your cup of tea? Don’t do it. Thanks for your comment C

Oh I forgot to say… yes the cost of reliced instruments is ludicrous. This was made mostly from bits lying around the workshop. It probably cost me about $90 all told. Paying 2000 dollars for such a thing is insane

As I said although not my cup of tea it’s a really good job and a very interesting video. I have had a notion of a self build and you certainly made a very clear instructional video.

@@johnmontgomery9149 thanks John. I hope your build is a triumph

Interesting.