Relic’d guitars have seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years. So, when Chibson USA joked about relic decal stickers as a budget-friendly hack, Dame Guitars took matters into its own hands.
Everyone from Charvel to Solar has jumped on the trend in recent years, as more and more players crave road worn-looking electric guitars straight off the shelf. Elsewhere, Gibson’s Murphy Lab has been making new guitars look like vintage gems in genius ways, and the Fender Custom Shop has seen a surge in relic’d requests.
And so, in true Chibson USA fashion, the meme machine made a spoof social media post about the relic decal sticker concept. A good chuckle was had by all, except by Korean-based Dame Guitars, which took it upon itself to bring the idea to life.
Under its post announcing the decals, Chibson commented, “When we came up with this idea, it was only supposed to be a joke.”
They look surprisingly effective. The stickers – which make it look like the wood beneath a guitar’s finish has been exposed – are certainly giving the S-type seen in the video a little more character.
Applied around the edges of the body, they look effective on screen, and their imperfect shapes mean that application should be a doddle; you don’t need precision.
Speaking to Guitar World about the the rising popularity of relic'g guitars last year, Fender Masterbuilders Andy Hicks and Austin MacNutt dismissed the naysayers who believe players must earn their relics, detailing that a growing number of players simply want brand-new, old-looking axes.
Originally, though, relic’ing work was a little less scientific and a little more... well, brutal. Adrian Belew famously went to savage lengths to relic his Strat in the late 1970s – making it one of the first purposefully relic’d guitars ever.
These stickers might not be for everyone, and they're sure to attract some doubters, but there's no denying they look like a harmless relicing ‘mod’ for those who don’t want to beat up their beloved guitars, or spend a few grand on a pre-worn instrument. Better still, they're completely reversible.
The decals are priced at 9,500 won, which is approximately $6.20.
Keep your eyes on Dame Gutiars for more.
