82' Fullerton 'Dad' relic.....is on it's way to the USA

[FrieAsABird]

Well the good news is the body arrived back today and Im really happy with the job that MJT has done.

They have followed the brief and done just what I asked.

Blend in the amateur relic and darken the wood so that it generally looks less 'in your face' and more appealing.

I'll start to put the guitar back together either this afternoon or tomorrow, however, here are a couple of pics that show what they have done.

View attachment 593780 View attachment 593781 View attachment 593782

Nice, looking forward to pics of the assembled guitar

 

[WelhavenT]

It makes me wonder WTF people are thinking when they do stuff like this to a perfectly good guitar.

Custom shop relicing is one thing, but these crappy homemade relic jobs are usually really bad.

I hope MJT can improve your guitar for you.

I can’t spot the difference.

I am REALLY REALLY unable to tell a 'bad amateur' relic from a 'good' one......can't tell whatsoever....i'm oblivious and tried looking like 15 times.....oh well.....

Ah, you said it

 

[Martins Strat]

Well the good news is the body arrived back today and Im really happy with the job that MJT has done.

They have followed the brief and done just what I asked.

Blend in the amateur relic and darken the wood so that it generally looks less 'in your face' and more appealing.

I'll start to put the guitar back together either this afternoon or tomorrow, however, here are a couple of pics that show what they have done.

View attachment 593780 View attachment 593781 View attachment 593782

It's looking good, particularly the previously unsightly 'horn' section.

I can't help but think that it might have looked better if you hadn't taken to sandpaper to the arm wear yourself though. Does the rest of it all look a bit shiny and clean in comparison? Might need to knock it about some more!!

 

[Parksie]

It's looking good, particularly the previously unsightly 'horn' section.

I can't help but think that it might have looked better if you hadn't taken to sandpaper to the arm wear yourself though. Does the rest of it all look a bit shiny and clean in comparison? Might need to knock it about some more!!

Thanks mate, really appreciate your comment.

It does look shiny in those pics but probably just the light and the angle making it look like that.

I just posted another image with the white guard resting on the body.

I agree I shouldn't have done that but it is what it is as they say so I have to live with it.

Its certainly an improvement without having to go to the lengths of stripping it completely.

I'll put to back together tomorrow and post a few pics of the end result.

 

[Wrighty]

Yep, you're not wrong mate.

I think in this case the dad had very little idea of what he was doing and how historic this guitar is (i.e. an 82' Fullerton reissue).

He just thought it would cool to relic it.

I'm pretty sure that Matt at MJT will do the best they can to perform a 'relic rescue' on this one.

Only a post from Sydney could begin ‘yep, you’re not wrong mate!’. Good on yer for sticking with your native phrase book!

 

[Parksie]

So I've had the time to assemble the guitar and played it today.

As I hoped it sounds amazing. The 82' pickups are brilliant.

So this is the end of the road for this one as it's back home and ready to be enjoyed.

A few final photos in all its glory.

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[Jekscar]

Is that the finale result? To me it's still to smooth and regular in the edges between the finish and the wear... to me that beauty needs to do have a much more jagged profile on the wear. Just for my taste.

 

[Parksie]

Is that the finale result? To me it's still to smooth and regular in the edges between the finish and the wear... to me that beauty needs to do have a much more jagged profile on the wear. Just for my taste.

At the moment this is the final result.

I think particularly the darker wood looks way better.

The guitar arrived in this state below so I think its an improvement.

 

[Parksie]

Final final result.........

I decided to change the guard to green.

It's all finished now.

I think it's come up pretty good.

 

[jbylake]

I have a black 93 Strat that people still mistake for new. I bought it at GC, about 5+ years ago, on the condition that the tech I use and Fender both determine its year and authenticity that it was a '93, and all origional and both confirmed that.

If someone hit that sucker with a sander, It would really be hard not to gouge their eyes out. I know faux aging vs. real aging are personal tastes, and exactly that (it's your money and your guitar, do what you want), but I just don't get it. Never will. It's like buying a mint condition '69 Z28 camaro, beating the crap out of it with a hammer, and hitting a lot of the dents with bondo and some primer, to my imagination.

 

[Parksie]

Y

I have a black 93 Strat that people still mistake for new. I bought it at GC, about 5+ years ago, on the condition that the tech I use and Fender both determine its year and authenticity that it was a '93, and all origional and both confirmed that.

If someone hit that sucker with a sander, It would really be hard not to gouge their eyes out. I know faux aging vs. real aging are personal tastes, and exactly that (it's your money and your guitar, do what you want), but I just don't get it. Never will. It's like buying a mint condition '69 Z28 camaro, beating the crap out of it with a hammer, and hitting a lot of the dents with bondo and some primer, to my imagination.

You may not know that I purchased the guitar from a guy who’s father attempted a home relic job on it.

I didn’t do it.

What I did was take the guitar and send it over to MJT guitars in Missouri and they did their best to improve what was originally a pretty ****ty looking home relic.

 

[CirroStratus]

Y


You may not know that I purchased the guitar from a guy who’s father attempted a home relic job on it.

I didn’t do it.

What I did was take the guitar and send it over to MJT guitars in Missouri and they did their best to improve what was originally a pretty ****ty looking home relic.

Although personally I still don’t have any predilection toward relicing (when I grew up, we was po’ and everything was reliced because it was all hand-me-downs, so I got my fill of old sh% for life…) I do understand the motivation for it from an artistic perspective.

Ergo, I especially appreciate it when someone spends a not-so-negligible sum of cash on saving what deserves to be a well loved musical instrument and turns it into their personal piece of art. Well done.

Now, I was still going to pick on you for the pistachio ice cream pickguard, but that actually looks great!

 

[jbylake]

Y


You may not know that I purchased the guitar from a guy who’s father attempted a home relic job on it.

I didn’t do it.

What I did was take the guitar and send it over to MJT guitars in Missouri and they did their best to improve what was originally a pretty ****ty looking home relic.

I wasn't dissing the guitar or anyone's choice of what they do with them. I was just saying I don't understand the attraction, no matter who did what and when. I've got a Strat, 2010 vintage, and the back of it is all scratched to hell. Front's still pretty nice. So they will all suffer in the hands of people that play them rather than "display" them. So no disrespect or harm meant. I think it all boils down to the same reason that they make all kinds of different flavors of ice cream. And I shouldn't have brought it up anyway. That aspect has been talked to death.

 

[stratocarlster]

The 'wear' around the horn would keep bugging me. I can see a refin in this lovely '82's future!

 

[Blue Beagle]

I’d have had it refinished personally. I like relics but the guys you sent it to were working from a dreadful start point and although it’s come back slightly better, I can’t see enough of an improvement to warrant actually paying for (and shipping costs on top)

 

[Bazz Jass]

Well mate, if this is what Fender is cranking out new, I think you're fairly well placed with yours

 

[Will Lefeurve]

It makes me wonder WTF people are thinking when they do stuff like this to a perfectly good guitar.

Custom shop relicing is one thing, but these crappy homemade relic jobs are usually really bad.

I hope MJT can improve your guitar for you.

Agree entirely.. but from what I've seen of some Custom Shop (heavy relics especially) they are just as bad as the amateur stuff. No way do those guitars look like authentic use.. if that's what they're actually meant to represent that is..

 

[Parksie]

I wasn't dissing the guitar or anyone's choice of what they do with them. I was just saying I don't understand the attraction, no matter who did what and when. I've got a Strat, 2010 vintage, and the back of it is all scratched to hell. Front's still pretty nice. So they will all suffer in the hands of people that play them rather than "display" them. So no disrespect or harm meant. I think it all boils down to the same reason that they make all kinds of different flavors of ice cream. And I shouldn't have brought it up anyway. That aspect has been talked to death.

Oh no worries mate - just wasn't sure if you knew the back story on this one.

 

[Parksie]

I’d have had it refinished personally. I like relics but the guys you sent it to were working from a dreadful start point and although it’s come back slightly better, I can’t see enough of an improvement to warrant actually paying for (and shipping costs on top)

The reason I didn't go with the total refinish was due to 2 things.

1. I was happy to put USD195.00 + shipping into it to get me to the stage where I could live with it happily (that's the stage I'm currently at)

2. I didn't want to completely strip and refinish an 82' Fullerton reissue as although they are not super rare I think they are rare enough to be preserved.

A total refinish would mean that the original 82' sunburst would be lost forever and I didn't like that idea.

 

[Parksie]

Well mate, if this is what Fender is cranking out new, I think you're fairly well placed with yours

View attachment 595963

Funny you should post this because I saw this Custom Shop Wildwood 61' Relic yesterday.

Look familiar?

https://www.guitarscanada.com/threads/fs-ft-new-2022-fender-custom-shop-wildwood-10-61-3tsb-super-relic.293440/