It Worked for Me: Relicing

by Eron Harding

Originally published in American Lutherie #111, 2012



“Relicing,” or producing the appearance of age, is a hot topic in the world of electric guitars today. Online forums are loaded with posts that generate controversy about faking arm wear, tinting pickguards, or corroding hardware. But nobody posts pictures; everyone holds onto their secret methods. I decided to conduct an experiment in corroding pickguard screws so I could have controlled results for reference. I made separate tests using muriatic acid, salt water, and circuit-board etchant.

Always wear gloves and eye protection when using acid. Do not lean over the bottle or tub; the fumes will get you. And if you get the raw acid on your bare skin, it’s not fun. I put about an inch of muriatic acid in a plastic butter tub, then put the screws in those small plastic cups that come with kid’s medicine and floated the cups in the acid. I put the lid on the tub and let the fumes of the acid work on the parts. Time is the important factor here — a little goes a long way. For my experiment I exposed the screws for two hours. I removed the parts and washed them in water to stop the action of the acid, then let them air dry for a couple days.