Heat gun is used quite a lot BUT the trick is to keep it moving and not leaving it in one place for too long!

Well, I have Good news and bad news.


The Good news is, I am relicing a Jackson Dinky!

The Bad News is - it was never my intention to relic it!


I wanted to strip the paint off and refinish it, because I found a Jackson finish that I love the look of and have wanted ever since I first saw it. I searched Google and could only find a couple of models, one in the UK, and another Europe somewhere. I actually called the UK store and the price was equivalent to $600 US. But I would have had to pay shipping and duty taxes. All together bringing the guitar up to $900 (my estimate) which was too much for a guitar which I was going to have to upgrade some hardware on.

So I purchased the cheap used Jackson and watched videos on refinishing a guitar. That's also when I considered Warmoth. Came to find out, that to build the body I wanted alone, would have cost $1,000 (without the EMG pickups - but Floyd Rose included) all together, after the luthier put it together, it would have been a $2,000 guitar.

So I pulled out the sander and heat gun and went to work on the black Jackson...

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It didn't take me long to realize this was not going to turn out the way I had dreamed. So my new plan is to make it look intentionally rough as hell. It could actually look pretty awesome - sort of like that Zakk Wylde LP posted earlier in this thread. Before I started sanding it though, I had a couple of people say they thought it looked awesome burned to a crisp, like the 2nd picture above.

ALL IS NOT LOST though.

Because, as I was looking for a Floyd Rose on Ebay located here in the states. I could not believe that I found the EXACT Jackson I had been looking for. I had searched Ebay numerous times, gone through pages and pages of Google searches - and there it was.

So I got it. Brand new - and it cost $450. Which is a lot less expensive than when it was originally being sold a few years ago - Jackson has stopped making this particular guitar - but you can still find it in clear color-coated versions.

So, I am on cloud 9 today - can not wait. I have a Floyd Rose original on delivery and EMG 81/85s.


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EGAD!!! There's "relic'd and then there's "DESTROYED"
Thankfully, those particular jacksons are pretty dissapointing guitars in general so you haven't lost much I bought one a few years back and returned it the next day.

On a positive note, looks like you found the guitar you wanted on ebay!! Here's to hoping it's a killer axe. It's always a crap shoot on ebay. Record something for us once it comes in!

No, you misunderstand - I have totally ruined that Jackson. But I'm hoping the ruined look will turn out looking cool.

The other Jackson I just purchased yesterday. Before I started this project, that was the look I hoped to be able to achieve but I ended up achieving a mangled-charred mess. But I am excited about my new Jackson. I'm going to hot-rod it (not me - a professional), with a Floyd Rose original, also got the 37mm fat block for the Floyd Rose, and new set of Zakk Wylde EMDs.

Indeed, I called the music store Biggs Music in New York, and talked to them about the guitar. The guy was super nice. He admitted the pickups were crap - the "Duncan Designed", but the guitar is beautiful and the neck is the classic Jackson soloist neck - just bolt on (Dinky). He said I would benefit from the added block weight, and the EMGs. It's a new guitar, never owned, and the pictures of it hanging in the store looked great - so I am more optimistic about this one, plus the reviews I've read. At least I know I like the look, the neck, and will love the pups and Floyd Rose.

The guitar I'm "relicing", at this point I'm going for this look...


Behold, my self-customized Jackson...








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We guitar players can be very strange...

We want a 1965 guitar to look like it's been to hell and back, but...

We'd want a 1965 Mustang restored to look like it just drove out of the factory, not with a million miles of driving!

There's a lot of great companies that make relic bodies and necks (MJT is a solid one). There is also some SUPER cool companies that will take your guitars and upgrade and do whatever kind of relic you want, which I think is really rad.

BUT

nothing compares to really having a guitar for years and beating the snot out of it.

What do you guys think about the Road Worn straps :
http://www.fender.com/accessories/straps/f...rn-strap-brown/

I must admit they do look cool to me (though I wouldn't mind the same one but "new")

Also, I can't help but think if they also "road worn" the strap holes so it makes it easier to kill your guitar if it slips
What would be next, road worn picks where the tip is gone and grinded hehe

I have a feeling they might be taking the concept slightly too far - I can understand it for the guitar but going for accessories too...?

The ends look 'new' as in not stretched out and it says reinforced stitching so it looks old but it's still a new strap.

That being said, a guitar strap can get pretty worn in looking pretty fast.

Oh, I think I get it - it just 'looks' old

Exactly (and you pay extra for that).

One of the things that IMO makes over-relic'd guitars look fake is that the 'scars' are (usually) still wood sealed and lacquered over ... which is totally unrealistic. The other is the generally non-realistic wear patterns.

I'll just go for a normal finish and that's that for me Fair and square, I think.

It's a bit silly to pay extra for a thing like that