Restoring old instruments requires a particular approach, as, in order to be successful, the repair has to respect the original materials, techniques, colours and varnishes used, but also has to be invisible and take into account   the aging of the instrument. Each case is unique, as the life of each instrument has been unique.

Also, transforming a modern stratocaster, telecaster or a Les Paul into a vintage « relic » is not easily done.  It’s not a case of getting hold of some sandpaper and making some marks, but often means completely re-finishing the instrument - ensuring that the final result looks like the action of time and use.

This is, in any case, one of the parts of my craft that I enjoy the most, which involves research and perfection of lots of tricks and techniques in order to get a credible result.

For those who are insensible to the charm of the “false vintage” and don’t see the point of this kind of work, I would like to add that the replacement of an over-thick polyurethane or polyester varnish by a celluloid varnish applied in ultra thin layers gives spectacular results in terms of sound quality.

Here are some examples of my work :