We specialize in "Relic" or aged finishes/guitars. These instruments take cues from the finest vintage instruments that have been played lovingly for years, giving them battle scars, finish checking, hardware oxidation, and much more that we players often just refer to as "mojo." This lends to an instrument that feels less "fragile" and in the opinion of many, more inspiring. You can customize and have virtually any level of wear on your finish/hardware that you want, but I have divided it into 5 general levels for convenience:

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NOS: A.k.a "New Old Stock" is the highest level of 'perfection' I offer. This will essentially look like a brand new or very gently used guitar that has minor signs of demo use etc. Even trying as I may to get these as perfect as possible, occasional small dings/spots are practically unavoidable. If a small blem occurs, you will be contacted to either authorize a respray/additional wait or accept the finish as-is for a discount to relic pricing.

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Closet Clean Relic: My most popular option, this captures the vibe of a "closet queen" guitar that has been tucked away for years seeing only light occasional use. Minimal surface wear, checking (if desired) and no intentional dings, mostly like-new finish.

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Light Relic: Meant to mimic a typical vintage example that was played lovingly, but not heavily gigged/abused. Light surface play wear, sparse, tasteful dents/dings, light finish checking and general fading/aging of the paint capture that old school look without being too beat up, allowing you to make your own marks. 

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Med. Relic: Based on "journeyman" or standard relic models where checking and play wear are slightly amped up. Finish checking, tastefully placed and aged dings and scratches, and slightly worn thru topcoats give the look of a vintage guitar that has been well traveled and played often. 

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Heavy Relic: If you like guitars that look like they have spent the last 50 years in smoky bars and clubs covered in sweat and liquor, (but without all the grossness, odors, and technical issues that can come along with living that life) this is the level for you. Worn paint in high traffic areas, lots of aged dings, dents and scratches, heavy finish checking, and worn fretboard/neck lacquer etc. lead to an impeccable worn-in feel.

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Examples of each relic level shown below.