A Relic Strat in Sonic Blue

Here’s a ’60s reissue Strat that Dan gave the full relic treatment to. The vintage reissues work particularly well for this kind of project because the truss rod is accessed at the body end rather than the headstock, as it was during those years. It’s one detail that would be a dead giveaway if it were wrong.

While Fender makes the truss rod true to the period, some of the other treatments these guitars receive at the factory are different from the original. So we took more authentic hardware and parts and distressed them to look like they are 45 years old. Then we completely removed the factory poly finish and applied a more authentic lacquer finish in Sonic Blue.

Notice the bit of red peeking through on the upper arm area? That’s not a mistake. Occasionally in the 50’s and 60’s the factory would be unhappy with a finish job in one color and so re-finish it in another. After years of wear, the original color starts to peek through.

After drying, the finish gets distressed as well and here we are with a guitar that has the true look and feel of a ’62 Strat, but without the $40,000 price tag.