Relic Guitar Cases.com

Experts at Replicating Wear, Age and the Effects of Time

Vintage Guitar Case Restoration 


A GIBSON LES PAUL CASE, MADE IN COSTA RICA.  IT HAS A TRANSPLANTED INTERIOR FROM A 1950'S LIFTON ARCHTOP CASE AND THE EXTERIOR, INCLUDING ALL HARDWARE, IS AGED. IT WEARS AN ORIGINAL 1950'S LIFTON LABEL AND HANDLE. 

A NEW FENDER TWEED THERMOMETER CASE FOR AMERICAN-MADE TELECASTER TYPE GUITARS.  FULL EXTERIOR TREAMENT AND REAL 1950'S BAKELITE HANDLE.

BEFORE:  VINTAGE FENDER REVERB POORLY RECOVERED 

AFTER:  COMPLETE RECOVERING AND MILD AGING

 

CUSTOMER COMMENTS


Original 1952 telecaster Case Restoration;  "The case arrived and exceeds all my expectations.  Truly wonderful work."  Bill M.


BEFORE:



AFTER:


More Comments

WOW!  The case looks completely amazing.  You've done an incredible job!  Cheers, Leon                   (A discontinued Costa Rican Les Paul case with an interior transplant.)

The case just arrived. It looks fabulous! You do incredibly nice work. Hard to tell from a vintage case!" Jeff

"Frikkin' amazing John. Totally cool.  … you really have a touch!
Thank you for the photos…. truly awesome."  Pete

"Hey John,
Just a beautiful, beautiful job on my case!! The relicing/aging couldn't possibly appear more authentic, and my '52 Esquire is going to look right at home in there. Great work!!
Thanks so much!!
Best regards,
Ralph"

"The case is incredible!!  Thanks, John!"    Lee R., New York City, owner of an early 1950's Blackguard Telecaster. 


Do you have a vintage or aged reissue instrument that looks perfect except for the shiney new case?  Do you have a valuable instrument with a rare and fragile case that you want to preserve?  We can help.  Relic Guitar Cases.com provides an aging/relicing service for guitar, bass, banjo or any modern tweed or Tolex instrument case.  You provide the case and guidelines and we do the rest.  You can choose from mild to heavy aging and relicing, simulating years of use and abuse.  We can age and wear the case covering, oxidize nickel, unplated steel, brass and brass-plated hardware.  We can age handles, install original Bakelite and leather handles, add original vintage travel stickers (USA or international) and age the interior.  (Interior aging is usually minimal so as not to endanger the instrument's finish.)  We can also transplant an original vintage interior to a modern reissue case or another original case.  (See Gallery 8.)  Amplifier cabinets, both tweed and Tolex, aged/reliced, as well. Shown at left are before and after images of a brand new reissue tweed thermometer case that we just completed for an Esquire guitar.  The customer wanted the look of 60 years of age and use, but without excessive wear or aggressive relicing.  This would be considered medium to heavy aging but light to medium relicing.  Additional detailed images in Gallery 1.  

Pictured at top is a late 2000's Les Paul case as supplied by Gibson.  It was aged, reliced and has an original late 1950's interior which was transplanted from a salvaged case.  After the transplant we installed a brand new bright pink interior, with the original Lifton label, in the salvaged case.  Pictures of both in Gallery 8.

Below the Les Paul case is pictured a recent Fender tweed thermometer reissue case that was reliced and aged, both exterior and interior, complete with an original 1950's Bakelite handle.

Frequently we are asked to repair or restore a vintage case.  Please email information and pictures if possible. Restoration work is limited  primarily to 1950's Gibson, Bulwin, Stone, ESS & ESS, Geib and similar cases.   Please note that we do not work on cases with moldy, musty or animal related odors.  We do not repair or restore chipboard cases or modern cases.  

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