The process can include tools as varied as sandpaper, steel wool, bathroom cleaner, coffee, razor blades, hair dryers, and car keys, among other things.
[9] Similarly, Julian Lage recalled aging a Telecaster when he was younger—"before relic'ing was a thing"—via means like working nail polish remover into the frets and throwing the guitar against a curb.
[6] For the 1995 NAMM show, Fender made two 1950s-era relic'd models, a "Nocaster" and a blonde-bodied "Mary Kaye" Strat, initially fooling attendees who thought the guitars were original.
Enthusiasm over the concept led to high demand from the Custom Shop, which began producing their "Relic" line with a Nocaster and '50s and '60s-era Strat models, and then later a '60s Jazz Bass.
Multiple changes to earlier reissue models were implemented at the behest of luthier Tom Murphy, who had been researching the company's older production techniques.
[1] Gibson uses VOS finishes for other signature models based on older guitars, such as Billy Gibbons' "Pearly Gates" 1959 Les Paul[12] and Chuck Berry's 1955 ES-350T.
[1] Tom Murphy of Gibson's Custom Shop often relies on atypical items, such as old car keys and even a railroad spike, the latter for altering the texture on the back of guitar necks.
[12] Common techniques include extensive exposure to sunlight to fade paint colors and subjecting the guitar to sharp temperature changes to create cracks in the cellulose finish, which can also be mimicked with razor blades.