Our Custom Relics
“Relic”, “Road worn, Aged? What does it all mean?
I think it actually started when Hot Rodders in the America began to make their “Rods” look like they’d been sitting in a shed for 50 years. This resulted in a new kind of hot rod. I give you the “Rust Rod”. Why do these fanatics want to make their cars look like this? I don’t know, however I personally love them to bits.
Right then, I suppose you can think of the trend towards replica “aged” or “worn” classic guitars as being a bit like the above. To achieve this look takes a lot of time, patience and dear I say skill. The result sometimes turns into something more than just a replication. I would describe the end product as a piece of art. Each custom instrument is totally unique and bears the distinctive “Guitar Repairers” touch. The choice of materials, the shaping of the neck, the fret size, the tone and most importantly, the balance. What is that? I hear you say. Balance is how all the components come together to make the whole. For example, we might swap the necks three times before we find the “right” one for a particular guitar. It isn’t a formula or an exact science, it’s more about trial and error and what “feels” right. Our ambition is to produce a guitar that wraps itself around you like a glove and won’t release you.
One thing folks always say about a vintage replicas and that is “Wow! They really look beat” and indeed they do. When I was a younger chap and playing “Rawk!”5 nights a week in sweaty Queensland pubs, our guitars really took a beating.
The sweat, the heat, the booze, the occasional mishap…or not. Really took it’s toll. Many folks who’ve visited us have enquired about my ’92 Strat’. Sixteen years of gigging has taken it’s toll (in a good way). So if you can imagine what 40 years of gigging might do, then you’ll understand that my interpretation of “aged” is reaaallly aged!
