Vintage Icon needs a bit more relicing...

SlopeSoarer

...  (in my opinion) but how!?

I recently picked up a Laguna Blue, Vintage Icon V6 and whilst it is very nice (very playable, fantastic neck) the way the relicing is done it leaves a hard edge and obviously done by pulling a sort of stensil off before the paint has fully dried. Looks fairly good from a short distance but I can't help feeling that it could be improved with a little extra wear.





It appears that there guitar body has a clear lacquer then the laguna blue is painted over the top and decal/stencil is pulled off to create the distressed worn look.

The actual laguna blue paint looks to have been done to replicate an amatuer paint finish (think orange peel/matt/satin finish). My feeling is that I need to feather down the edges to create a more worn look. My worry is that I'll also wear through the clear lacquer coat.

I have two thoughts. 1) to use very high grit sanding paper. 2) Use a buffing tool with very fine rubbing compound.

Any advice is welcome as 'if' I do this I want to achieve a realistic effect and not f it up: )

GoldenEraGuitars

It’s not lacquer, certainly not nitro to my knowledge. Very likely to be a minimal polyurethane finish. I could be wrong.

If it’s polyurethane, it’s plastic. Hence the harsh edges. You could try feathering it down with wet and dry paper then buffing it to get rid of the scratches.

GoldenEraGuitars

For the record, sanding this finish will not “age” it anymore. It’ll simply make the edges softer. I don’t think you’ll achieve the result you want given what the body is finished with.

SlopeSoarer

lonestar said:

For the record, sanding this finish will not “age” it anymore. It’ll simply make the edges softer. I don’t think you’ll achieve the result you want given what the body is finished with.

No, I I'm not thinking about aging specifically but for about feathering the edges. Whether or not that contributes to an aged effect is something else to me.

When you say, "given what the body is finished with", what do you think it is finished in?

To me I'm just thinking about creating a softer look. Ironically I think Vintage used to do a better lookin road worn affect. The guitar is very playable though. I love the silky smooth neck.

GoldenEraGuitars

You’d really need a nitro finish to achieve any kind of authentic aged effect. Plastic finishes on guitars rarely look decent (although that’s just my opinion). 

To do any sort of work here you’ll need wet and dry paper from 800-2000 and a buffer with various compounds.

SlopeSoarer

lonestar said:

You’d really need a nitro finish to achieve any kind of authentic aged effect. Plastic finishes on guitars rarely look decent (although that’s just my opinion). 

To do any sort of work here you’ll need wet and dry paper from 800-2000 and a buffer with various compounds.

  Yep, I get what you mean. I'll think long and hard before I do anything... I might not do anything in retrospect: ) I know it isn't every ones cup of tea and to be honest this is the first time I've had my hands on one of the Vintage distressed guitars. I'd say I'm about 8 out of 10 happy with it.

On thing about is I won't be upset if it gets a little dink here or there!

Thanks for your thoughts.

SlopeSoarer

Well, it wasn't very long or hard I thought about it before I had a go with some fine wet & dry, just a very small piece 25 mm x 6 mm and very gently started to feather the edges.

Not sure what the paint is but doubt it is polyurethane!? It was reasonably soft paint and nice to work with.

Instantly that area of the guitar feels better not having the hard edges. In my opinion it looks less artificial but then again it will never look like a naturally distressed finish. There are places on that section which still show a little of the original stencilled shape.

I will order some ultra fine sanding paper though before continuing.

GoldenEraGuitars

I’m gonna hazard a guess that they’ve sealed the body and colour coated it. There doesn’t appear to be any clear coat on it. I suppose it saves them a lot of time, money and hassle.

Glad you’re getting the results you’re after.

enjo

That looks a lot better to me!

SlopeSoarer

lonestar said:

I’m gonna hazard a guess that they’ve sealed the body and colour coated it. There doesn’t appear to be any clear coat on it. I suppose it saves them a lot of time, money and hassle.

Glad you’re getting the results you’re after.

Well it is closer to what I was thinking but it will never be a Fender Custom Shop: ) What I've got to do is not get too carried away as it is strangely addictive.

enjo said:

That looks a lot better to me!

Thanks. I've done a bit more and to me (others may not agree) but it does look and feel so much better.

Off to Reidys at Blackburn to look at some proper ones tomorrow: )

SlopeSoarer

Just a few photos of what else I've done, pit I didn't take more photos before I started but all areas had the hard edges shown in a couple of earlier photos.

All hard edges gone but mentally now trying to think about where would be worn and where would be chipped.

I now need to wear a few of the wife's belts for the back: )

VJIves

Looks SO much better without the hard edges. Great job.

axisus

I hate to say it, but it doesn't work for me. Personally I think that the only way to get a good aged finish is to strip the whole lot off and re spray with Nitro, having done some intelligent and well planned masking of area of wear. There is then other work to be done as well.

SlopeSoarer

axisus said:

I hate to say it, but it doesn't work for me. Personally I think that the only way to get a good aged finish is to strip the whole lot off and re spray with Nitro, having done some intelligent and well planned masking of area of wear. There is then other work to be done as well.

I'm my own worst critic and I feel that for me, it is better than when I started out and considering it will only stand me £125 including the Vintage V6 Icon, I'm happy.

I must say I don't agree with a fair bit of where Vintage have placed the areas of wear: ( but just working with what is there.

I'd love to do one properly as you suggest one day but I suspect I'd spend more in materials than what it has cost me. 

Part of me says that any reliced (other than natural) is cheesy and has to be just seen as tongue in cheek: ) 

SlopeSoarer

VJIves said:

Looks SO much better without the hard edges. Great job.

Thanks: )

DrBob

Part of me says that any reliced (other than natural) is cheesy and has to be just seen as tongue in cheek: ) 

Totally agree, I like James Tyler’s typically perverse take on relic’ing with his “with bacon” finish option 

https://www.crguitars.com/site/items/tyler-classic-ocean-teal

Just have fun with it !

SlopeSoarer

DrBob said:

Part of me says that any reliced (other than natural) is cheesy and has to be just seen as tongue in cheek: ) 

Totally agree, I like James Tyler’s typically perverse take on relic’ing with his “with bacon” finish option 

https://www.crguitars.com/site/items/tyler-classic-ocean-teal

Just have fun with it !

He's had some fun there! When I first saw the main photo and looked at the headstock it made me feel sick.... I couldn't work out what it was (initial thoughts were heavily burned) but seeing the close up made me feel better as it made more sense: )

lonestar said:

You’d really need a nitro finish to achieve any kind of authentic aged effect. 

The more I read, look at the finish and compare with past experience of stripping an old Squier (which was definitely polyurethane) I'd say the finish on this is nitrocellulose.

There appears to be 3 layers a clear base coat, the blue coat and then another coat which has a slight yellow tint (can clearly make it out on the photo of the back) which I guess is otherwise clear. All 3 coats are thin and appear to respond quickly to buffing. Also (not that I have done much... hardly any) but it appears to scrape easily.

As Dr Bob has suggested... just having fun: )

WezV

i think you are starting to get it on the right track.   It needs some subtle chips and discolouration to bring it all together.

there are 3 pics about half way down this article showing the difference between worn through, worn through and chipped slightly and finally worn through, chipped and tinted

https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/diy/relic-nitro-finish/

It won't be nitro, and that would look better... but I think from where you are you will still be able to get a more pleasing result.

SlopeSoarer

WezV said:

i think you are starting to get it on the right track.   It needs some subtle chips and discolouration to bring it all together.

there are 3 pics about half way down this article showing the difference between worn through, worn through and chipped slightly and finally worn through, chipped and tinted

https://www.theguitarmagazine.com/diy/relic-nitro-finish/

It won't be nitro, and that would look better... but I think from where you are you will still be able to get a more pleasing result.

I totally agree about the need for subtle chips and discolouration and am trying not to rush in, it would be easy to make a complete hash of it.... some may say I already have: )

Thanks for the encouragement and the link to the article, it will be of great help.

Alvin

 You have done a great job of improving the look and even if you didn't - so what as long as it's a good player and it makes you bond with it more .  How far do you go ? That's where experience comes in i guess .  I would rub the logo off the headstock myself , not to change or try and deceive anyone what it is but i just don't like the Vintage logo , it's to bold , you would probably be left with an obvious mark from where it was though but if it's reliced ?

  Have you seen a Rory strat close up ? The relic job on those isn't great either (at least the ones i have seen) and looks similar to how yours did to begin with , perhaps Fender should come to you for lessons !

SlopeSoarer

Alvin said:

 You have done a great job of improving the look and even if you didn't - so what as long as it's a good player and it makes you bond with it more .  How far do you go ? That's where experience comes in i guess .  I would rub the logo off the headstock myself , not to change or try and deceive anyone what it is but i just don't like the Vintage logo , it's to bold , you would probably be left with an obvious mark from where it was though but if it's reliced ?

  Have you seen a Rory strat close up ? The relic job on those isn't great either (at least the ones i have seen) and looks similar to how yours did to begin with , perhaps Fender should come to you for lessons !

Thanks for your comments.

Just looked at the Rory Gallagher Custom Shop.... in my opinion that looks awful for the money!