Why Nitrocellulose Matters
Everything begins with the finish. We work exclusively with nitrocellulose lacquer because it is the only finish material that ages authentically. Polyester and polyurethane finishes, used on most modern production guitars, are essentially plastic coatings that never develop the checking, yellowing, and wear patterns that define vintage instruments.
Nitrocellulose is harder to apply, takes longer to cure, and requires more skill to get right. But it breathes with the wood, develops natural checking as it shrinks over time, and wears through in predictable patterns where hands, arms, and belt buckles contact the surface. There is no shortcut around this material choice.
We apply our lacquer in thin coats, building up just enough material to protect the wood without creating the thick shell that fights against natural resonance. Thinner finishes also age more quickly and develop more authentic-looking wear when we begin the relicing process.
Understanding Wear Patterns
The difference between convincing relicing and obvious fake aging comes down to understanding why wear happens where it does. Every scratch, every worn spot, every ding on a genuinely old guitar has a cause. Arm wear on the top. Belt buckle rash on the back. Forearm contour wearing through on the treble side of the lower bout. Pick scratches around the bridge and between pickups.
We study hundreds of reference photographs of authentic vintage instruments to understand these patterns. A guitar played primarily by a right-handed strummer wears differently from one played by a fingerpicker. A gigging instrument has different damage patterns than a studio guitar. We discuss playing style with every client to ensure the wear story makes sense.
The best relic work is invisible as relic work. When someone picks up the guitar and simply accepts it as old, the job is done properly.
The Process Step by Step
Lacquer Application & Cure
We apply nitrocellulose lacquer in 6-8 thin coats with proper flash-off time between each. The finish then cures for a minimum of two weeks before any aging work begins. Rushing this stage produces poor results because insufficiently cured lacquer does not check or wear correctly.
Checking & Crazing
Lacquer checking is created through controlled thermal cycling. We use temperature differentials to stress the finish in ways that replicate decades of seasonal expansion and contraction. The pattern and density of checking varies by target era and geographic origin: a guitar stored in dry Arizona checks differently from one kept in humid New Orleans.
Physical Wear Simulation
This is the most skilled and time-consuming stage. Using a combination of techniques developed over years of practice, we recreate arm wear, fret wear, buckle rash, pick damage, and impact dings. Each type of damage uses different tools and different pressure to achieve authentic depth and edge character.
Colour Aging & Tinting
Nitrocellulose yellows naturally over decades due to UV exposure and oxidation. We accelerate this process using UV exposure and light chemical treatments to achieve period-appropriate amber tinting. White guitars turn cream. Blonde finishes develop honey tones. Sunbursts lose their red and shift toward tobacco.
Hardware Oxidation
New chrome and nickel hardware looks wrong on a relic'd body. We age all metal components using controlled chemical oxidation that produces authentic dulling, tarnishing, and green patina in appropriate areas. Screws are treated individually. Bridge saddles develop playing wear. Tuning machines show finger contact patterns.
Final Setup & Play Testing
Every instrument receives a full professional setup: nut slots cut to spec, action adjusted, truss rod dialled in, intonation set, and electronics checked. We then play the guitar extensively to verify that it not only looks right but feels right in hand and sounds as good as it deserves to.
Levels of Aging
We offer three general levels of aging intensity, though every build is ultimately custom:
Light Relic: Subtle checking, minor surface wear at contact points, slightly aged hardware. The guitar looks like it has been well cared for but genuinely played for ten to fifteen years. Suitable for players who want character without drama.
Medium Relic: Pronounced checking, visible wear-through at primary contact points, moderately oxidised hardware, some pick damage. Looks like a working musician's instrument with twenty to thirty years of regular gigging. Our most popular level.
Heavy Relic: Extensive finish loss, deep checking, significant impact damage, heavily oxidised hardware, worn frets. The guitar looks like it survived decades of hard touring, van loading, and occasional drops. For players who want maximum character and are not precious about cosmetics.
Common Questions
Does relicing affect the sound? Yes, positively. Thinner finish and aged lacquer allows the wood to resonate more freely. Players consistently report that relic'd instruments feel more open and responsive than their un-aged equivalents with thick poly finishes.
Will the aging continue over time? Because we use nitrocellulose lacquer, yes. The checking will continue to develop, the tinting will deepen, and your own playing will add genuine wear on top of our work. The guitar becomes more yours over time rather than remaining static.
Can you match a specific vintage guitar? If you have reference photos of a particular instrument you want replicated, we can match the wear patterns, aging level, and colour characteristics very closely. Many clients bring photos of famous players' guitars as reference.