been having a play with some relicing

[WezV]

i dont think they are that authentic yet - but getting there!!



what do you think??


btw - these are not BKP's - i would have just ordered them aged!!  They are a cheaper set of nickel covered humbuckers that i wanted to play with.

ageing complete pickups is more difficult than just ageing the cover and screws away from the delicate coils.  Luckily these are well wax potted and that makes it easier.  but i wouldnt try this at home

[MDV]

Not bad, but it looks like they've been wire woolled a bit too obviously.

Well, I dont even know if they have been wire wooled, but there are pretty obvious scratch marks that look like they've been had at with the wire wool, is all I'm saying.

[WezV]

yeah, i know what you mean. its not wire wool though!!

i modelled the scratch patterns on my 70's fender wide range, and for the most part it worked well but i am not so happy with the more obvious scratching near the poles on the neck pickup.  i am very happy that the neck pickup has obvious 'between the strings' wear.  i went for less of that on the bridge to match where people tend to strum

overall i am happy, except my dirt mixture is a little dark so that will come out and be replaced by dirt that isnt as black

[Philly Q]

The wear right through to the copper is a bit excessive, maybe?  Not that I've been up close with too many vintage guitars, but I don't think I've seen that.

I guess it'll oxidise and turn green, though.

[WezV]

it does wear through - but the plating colour underneath varies so the orange on this would certainly not be authentic for an old humbucker... and as you say - it probably does need to oxidise a bit.  i may see if i can hurry that along

[gwEm]

had a stab at aging a fender jack plate this and last weekend. i've made somewhat of a dogs dinner of it.. but i know exactly how i'd approach it next time.

something a bit phony with your aging too, although i can't say what exactly - far better than my efforts though!

[WezV]

i think the darkness of my fake dirt makes it all look a bit disneyfied, hoping i can sort that out

also the shape of the covers is obviously wrong for old humbuckers!

i need to try doing some chrome stuff next!

[gwEm]

what do you use for fake dirt?

for chrome, i think fake dirt, and light scratching with P400 or P600 wet and dry.. putting some pitting in it with the end of a jack.

[WezV]

it was a shellac based scratch filler. quite a dark brown mahogany colour but it looks almost black on the pickups

i will try a lighter one or maybe some real dirt!

[Jonny]

I like them Wez. I wouldn't want a relic'd guitar made for me. I'd want a distressed guitar. And I don't say that with contradicting myself.

Even if the undercoating bit isn't what relicing is about I'd like it as a set.

Good job Wez!

[WezV]

i like distressed too - thats what i did the last time i was messing around with this kind of stuff

'The Veteran' ended up with 'wartorn' hardware.  completely non-authentic but fun all the same


those are BKP's though.  i did the hardware and tim and the boys did the pickups

[WezV]

here they are in the guitar i was thinking of putting them in:




I think the pickups really look loads better in the guitar than they did out of it

I finally had a chat with the owner of this guitar and managed to seperate all the fact from my mothers embelishments.

The guitar was made by Ray Majors and was played and recorded by him with Mott the Hoople and British Lions in the 70's.  it was given to the current owner around 78 and has been hanging on a wall in his gallery since.

Now a lot of the other names my mother was mentioning where not necissarily connected with this actual guitar, but are connected with the current owner - who may be playing it at wembley next year if it turns out nice!!


i said i didnt really want to put new hardware on and suggested we try this first.   The reason its not getting BKP'd is because  the current owner wants to get it together first  and see what its like... its been a long time since its been a playable guitar!!!

[Philly Q]

And is the current owner anyone we'd have heard of?

[WezV]

not a famous guitarist philly, but an occasional slide player and artist.  i will keep the details under my hat for a while longer yet ;)  its more about the connections and having this going to a place it will be seen and hopefully played

[FernandoDuarte]

The right one (on 1st pic) looks very cool, the other has some risks that could be thought as aged...
:D