Hi Nathan: Thanks so much for your videos on your strat build. I am in the process of making a relic strat and I have watched your videos several times. Having you state what worked and what didn't, and what you would do differently has been very helpful to me. I have a tip for anyone reading this: I watched many other videos as well, and they all used multiple teabags in their tea mixture - so that is what I did. When I put the vinegar/steel wool mixture on top of it, I eventually ended up with a very black colour - using an alder body. I thought at first I had put too much steel wool in the vinegar, but I have since discovered it was too many tea bags. One tea bag is all you need in the tea mixture. My body looked like it had been in a fire with severe black smoke damage (just too much tea in the mix) - not what I wanted. I did not spot test it first and did the whole guitar with it, hence it was a very black guitar. I sanded the body by hand for well over an hour, but that did not help much. After a couple of days of thinking about it, I decided to try some CLR on it. I discovered that CLR would remove the black and bring it back to a light brown colour. What a relief. I used a lot of CLR, and it did the trick - no side effects to the wood colour from it either. As always, though, if you try it, do it on a small spot on the back. After I got the black off with the CLR, I did the body again with a one teabag mixture and my original vinegar/steel wool solution, and it came to a nice darker brown that I was looking for. I used these same two mixtures on the back of the maple neck, and they worked wonderfully there too. Thanks so much for posting these videos. They are the best relic guitar videos on TH-cam. Jim
Wow, thanks for the kind words, Jim! It's great to hear that these videos were helpful. And thank you for sharing your experience! It seems like that's one of the best ways to learn; discovering & sharing little tricks along the way. And way to go by persevering & finding a solution with the CLR! All the best with your project. 👍🏻
Awesome video, I recently purchased an “aged” guitar and it doesn’t make much sense. They relicd so heavy but didn’t age the wood at all so it doesn’t look authentic. Excited to try and darken it up. Thanks!
Really interesting. This is the only video I've found of someone using this technique on an entire guitar body. I'm considering doing this to a bass body I have, not as part of a relic job, but as a the actual finish of the guitar. I bet after a heavy dose of tru-oil it would look great.
Just a heads up that the wood color (in my case anyway) seemed to turn brown over time. I also put Tried & True Oil on the exposed wood & I think that added to the brown look. Not necessarily what I was going for (I actually like the grey) but it doesn’t look bad. Here’s the playlist for this entire guitar build/relic process if you’re interested: th-cam.com/play/PLT0llhi52k8pfgZILIgbDUVNXc24g5T1E.html
Hey man I appreciate your videos. I've found them very helpful coming from a similar place of relative inexperience and wanting to experiment with different methods. I recently reliced a (very cheap) Chinese Strat neck using the steel-wool concoction in this video and it worked quite well. I thought you might be interested to know that adding coffee to the steel-wool / vinegar mixture really made a huge difference in the outcome. It added quite a bit of "contrast" to the wood color as well as a bit more of an amber tone. I'd suggest giving it a try if you do something similar again!
Looks cool man, I've done a bunch of this relic style finishing for customers and the only suggestion I would give (not that you asked), is to treat the entire body, the cavities are important too because someone is going to take that pic guard off eventually and don't be so timid with the process. Get those fingerprints in there, make it irregular, slosh that stuff all over. If you do it that way it's more organic and raw looking with is what happens when a guitar truly ages over the years. Cool video though thanks for sharing.
eddie julian thanks for the feedback. I always appreciate suggestions; especially from folks with experience. The reason I didn’t touch the cavities is because I chose not to finish them (with paint or clear coat). My reasoning was that the less coating, the lighter the guitar & the more the wood can “breathe” (I know that’s debatable). I’m pretty happy with the results. :)
Hey man love the channel, super informative! I’m in the middle of my BKL1 build and I’m stuck. Solid Alder, sanded down 320 etc did the tea stain, let it sit while my steel wool/vinegar mix did its thing. I did a thin layer and it did turn it gray but that’s it. How do I get it to the darker brown or the same as how everyone else’s has turned out? Thanks!
Thanks! The same thing happened with mine, until I clear-coated it with Tried & True Oil (linseed oil & beeswax). Here’s a (associate) link: amzn.to/3xHTq5n You usually can get it from Stew Mac in a smaller quantity, but it looks like they’re out of stock at the moment. Here’s what my guitar looks like now: instagram.com/p/B7wU7uOg34C/? The oil is the same stuff I used toward the end of this video: th-cam.com/video/7WnknauVz5k/w-d-xo.html I basically put it on all the exposed wood parts.
if you go too a cigar shop, purchase a dark rocky pattel cigar. The darker the better, place it in a jar with boiling water and allow it too cool on its own, then add table spoon of olive oil and apply with rubber gloves. Make sure too use the bits and pieces of the cigar to the body with the olive oil. allow body too dry and it should take one application. do a second as you like it.
hi, due to I'm not native english and not able to understand the speaking, could you tell me the composition of the two liquid solutions you've used on this video? You've mentioned apple cider and white vinegar but the tint of the liquid is black colored...why? thanks in advance
Hi mate, so did you finish nitrocellouse later by any chance? I seen a comment below saying that you must wear as amsk. I was wondering, did the nitro fix to the wood ok? I am looking to do something similar, and spray a nitro matt finish on top (I have only exposed and aged part of the guitar, the rest is black, and dont want it to look shiny new)
bpdarragh I did finish the guitar in nitro. I carefully taped over the exposed wood parts first. Here is a video explaining what I did: th-cam.com/video/UPSzbX3T7_s/w-d-xo.html If you're interested, there is a whole playlist about this guitar here: th-cam.com/play/PLT0llhi52k8pfgZILIgbDUVNXc24g5T1E.html
In retrospect I should have planned my relic job out in advance more but I’ve already painted my guitar. Once I do the relic job, do you think it would be safe to do this after painting? Obviously be careful I’m sure but would it really discolor the paint?
On the exposed wood parts? I would just be careful near the edges of the paint. The wood like probably swell a bit & cause the paint to chip...but since it’s a relic, maybe it doesn’t matter. 🤷🏻♂️
I don’t do relics, but I am a builder of some southern delta blues, southern rock style teles, strats and lp jr. I have used all sorts of methods to try to age the woods for that purpose and they rarely work as well as what you’ve done here. And certainly not as quickly. Very nice. Is the steel wool mandatory, or would the tannins in the wood and tea react without them?
@@ralphdrees4413 to be honest, I think I just got lucky. I basically took this information from someone else, tried it out & it worked. I suppose the best way would be to try different variations (some with steel wool; some not) on the same sample of wood & see what happens. Sounds like you have lots of good experience, but hopefully this was somewhat helpful. 🙂
Hi Nathan:
Thanks so much for your videos on your strat build. I am in the process of making a relic strat and I have watched your videos several times.
Having you state what worked and what didn't, and what you would do differently has been very helpful to me.
I have a tip for anyone reading this:
I watched many other videos as well, and they all used multiple teabags in their tea mixture - so that is what I did. When I put the vinegar/steel wool mixture on top of it, I eventually ended up with a very black colour - using an alder body. I thought at first I had put too much steel wool in the vinegar, but I have since discovered it was too many tea bags. One tea bag is all you need in the tea mixture.
My body looked like it had been in a fire with severe black smoke damage (just too much tea in the mix) - not what I wanted. I did not spot test it first and did the whole guitar with it, hence it was a very black guitar.
I sanded the body by hand for well over an hour, but that did not help much. After a couple of days of thinking about it, I decided to try some CLR on it. I discovered that CLR would remove the black and bring it back to a light brown colour. What a relief. I used a lot of CLR, and it did the trick - no side effects to the wood colour from it either. As always, though, if you try it, do it on a small spot on the back.
After I got the black off with the CLR, I did the body again with a one teabag mixture and my original vinegar/steel wool solution, and it came to a nice darker brown that I was looking for. I used these same two mixtures on the back of the maple neck, and they worked wonderfully there too.
Thanks so much for posting these videos. They are the best relic guitar videos on TH-cam.
Jim
Wow, thanks for the kind words, Jim! It's great to hear that these videos were helpful. And thank you for sharing your experience! It seems like that's one of the best ways to learn; discovering & sharing little tricks along the way. And way to go by persevering & finding a solution with the CLR! All the best with your project. 👍🏻
Awesome video, I recently purchased an “aged” guitar and it doesn’t make much sense. They relicd so heavy but didn’t age the wood at all so it doesn’t look authentic. Excited to try and darken it up. Thanks!
JFive thanks! Hope it turns out well!
Really interesting. This is the only video I've found of someone using this technique on an entire guitar body. I'm considering doing this to a bass body I have, not as part of a relic job, but as a the actual finish of the guitar. I bet after a heavy dose of tru-oil it would look great.
Just a heads up that the wood color (in my case anyway) seemed to turn brown over time. I also put Tried & True Oil on the exposed wood & I think that added to the brown look. Not necessarily what I was going for (I actually like the grey) but it doesn’t look bad. Here’s the playlist for this entire guitar build/relic process if you’re interested: th-cam.com/play/PLT0llhi52k8pfgZILIgbDUVNXc24g5T1E.html
Hey man I appreciate your videos. I've found them very helpful coming from a similar place of relative inexperience and wanting to experiment with different methods.
I recently reliced a (very cheap) Chinese Strat neck using the steel-wool concoction in this video and it worked quite well. I thought you might be interested to know that adding coffee to the steel-wool / vinegar mixture really made a huge difference in the outcome. It added quite a bit of "contrast" to the wood color as well as a bit more of an amber tone. I'd suggest giving it a try if you do something similar again!
Spaghetti Papa thanks for the kind words, and the tip! Great idea!
Looks cool man, I've done a bunch of this relic style finishing for customers and the only suggestion I would give (not that you asked), is to treat the entire body, the cavities are important too because someone is going to take that pic guard off eventually and don't be so timid with the process. Get those fingerprints in there, make it irregular, slosh that stuff all over. If you do it that way it's more organic and raw looking with is what happens when a guitar truly ages over the years. Cool video though thanks for sharing.
eddie julian thanks for the feedback. I always appreciate suggestions; especially from folks with experience. The reason I didn’t touch the cavities is because I chose not to finish them (with paint or clear coat). My reasoning was that the less coating, the lighter the guitar & the more the wood can “breathe” (I know that’s debatable). I’m pretty happy with the results. :)
@@NathanSink when you paint an entire guitar with however many layers you want. It HARDLY adds any weight what so ever 😂
@@Skylerjarvi I know, I can be a little extreme sometimes. 😉
Dude thank you so much!! I’m so happy I found your Chanel! Sub’d!
Thanks! Glad to help! 😊
Relic Process Step 1: Aged look finish complete. Step 2: 10:25
@@TheVampireKit yep! 😂
Cool finish looks good I used on a pallet sign same method to get "aged look". Good for your first try!
BedRoomRock Studios thanks!
Hey man love the channel, super informative! I’m in the middle of my BKL1 build and I’m stuck. Solid Alder, sanded down 320 etc did the tea stain, let it sit while my steel wool/vinegar mix did its thing. I did a thin layer and it did turn it gray but that’s it. How do I get it to the darker brown or the same as how everyone else’s has turned out? Thanks!
Thanks! The same thing happened with mine, until I clear-coated it with Tried & True Oil (linseed oil & beeswax). Here’s a (associate) link: amzn.to/3xHTq5n You usually can get it from Stew Mac in a smaller quantity, but it looks like they’re out of stock at the moment.
Here’s what my guitar looks like now: instagram.com/p/B7wU7uOg34C/?
The oil is the same stuff I used toward the end of this video: th-cam.com/video/7WnknauVz5k/w-d-xo.html I basically put it on all the exposed wood parts.
You didn't need the tea. Steel wool and vinegar works Great on it's own. I used White vinegar. Also It will get darker over time.
Good to know!
if you go too a cigar shop, purchase a dark rocky pattel cigar. The darker the better, place it in a jar with boiling water and allow it too cool on its own, then add table spoon of olive oil and apply with rubber gloves. Make sure too use the bits and pieces of the cigar to the body with the olive oil. allow body too dry and it should take one application. do a second as you like it.
Michael Maresca Sr. cool & unique method! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this very informative idea... Did you put sanding sealer after that?
Glad to help! I didn't use it on mine because it was alder. If the body is ash (or another porous wood) you’d want to use sanding sealer.
Cool man!
hi, due to I'm not native english and not able to understand the speaking, could you tell me the composition of the two liquid solutions you've used on this video? You've mentioned apple cider and white vinegar but the tint of the liquid is black colored...why? thanks in advance
Hi. The first solution is just black tea. The second solution is steel wool dissolved in vinegar: you can use either apple cider or white.
@@NathanSink many thanks for you kind answer
@@anto7199 glad to help!
Hi mate, so did you finish nitrocellouse later by any chance? I seen a comment below saying that you must wear as amsk. I was wondering, did the nitro fix to the wood ok? I am looking to do something similar, and spray a nitro matt finish on top (I have only exposed and aged part of the guitar, the rest is black, and dont want it to look shiny new)
bpdarragh I did finish the guitar in nitro. I carefully taped over the exposed wood parts first. Here is a video explaining what I did: th-cam.com/video/UPSzbX3T7_s/w-d-xo.html If you're interested, there is a whole playlist about this guitar here: th-cam.com/play/PLT0llhi52k8pfgZILIgbDUVNXc24g5T1E.html
@@NathanSink Thanks man. Very kind of you.
In retrospect I should have planned my relic job out in advance more but I’ve already painted my guitar. Once I do the relic job, do you think it would be safe to do this after painting? Obviously be careful I’m sure but would it really discolor the paint?
On the exposed wood parts? I would just be careful near the edges of the paint. The wood like probably swell a bit & cause the paint to chip...but since it’s a relic, maybe it doesn’t matter. 🤷🏻♂️
@@NathanSink that’s kinda what I was thinking aswell, I’ll probably test it out underneath the pick guard and see how it goes
Thank bro. Subscribed.
You're welcome! :) And thank you!
I don’t do relics, but I am a builder of some southern delta blues, southern rock style teles, strats and lp jr. I have used all sorts of methods to try to age the woods for that purpose and they rarely work as well as what you’ve done here. And certainly not as quickly. Very nice. Is the steel wool mandatory, or would the tannins in the wood and tea react without them?
@@ralphdrees4413 to be honest, I think I just got lucky. I basically took this information from someone else, tried it out & it worked. I suppose the best way would be to try different variations (some with steel wool; some not) on the same sample of wood & see what happens. Sounds like you have lots of good experience, but hopefully this was somewhat helpful. 🙂
How about basswood??
I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it. Maybe test an inconspicuous spot?
Is there any way to remove the iron smell after doing this?
It’s seems to go away over time.
And there goes a very fine DRY piece of wood..
Rogerio Sartori which has turned into a great guitar. 👍🏻
The trick to get the grain to stand put is a blow torch. Your welcome
Thanks. 😉
What's in the bottle?
@0:37 it’s steel wool dissolved in vinegar.
@@NathanSink thx!!
Interesting & also just noticed you got a tonebomb body from the folks up here in canada. =)
terrybear yeah, they were great! Good communication & price was fantastic.
u do some weird stuff
Thanks?
the toy screws
caivs yeah that was pretty weird, I guess. 😂