The AXL Marquee Capricorn bass guitar is one of the newest relic basses from AXL.  This instrument combines some of the basic classic elements of a relic while adding in some modern bits and pieces.  It’s designed to appeal to those who want a vintage style bass but also want a bass that's got some new features.  It’s not going to appeal to just everyone, but to those who like this style, there’s not many other instruments out there that can match what the Marquee Capricorn has to offer. Read more

Danelectro has a number of great guitars available on their website, and one of their newest relic guitars is the Danelectro 2009 DC-12.  This new guitar is very affordable, which is one of the things Danelectro is known for.  Their relic guitars don’t cost thousands of dollars, so even amateur players can often afford one of these beautiful instruments. Read more

Many people out there are looking for a relic guitar that sounds great, looks great, and is overall just a cool instrument.  There are a number of relic guitars that fit this bill, but few are as cool as the Wilson Brothers Venture VM-50.  It comes in the classic Ventures body shape that is instantly recognizable.  It has a small C style neck and features outstanding pickups—it uses two APS9 single coil pickups.  Its tremolo switch is very similar to what you’d find on a Jazzmaster, but this guitar is not a clone of any other model.  It’s a very unique instrument, and you won’t find any other instrument with these tones. Read more

Like all of Fano’s Alt de Facto series of relic guitars, the PX6 harkens back to some of those classic guitars made during the middle of the 20th century.  They use many of the traditional styles, parts, and are all distressed to look just like they’ve been around for decades.  Of course, they also feature some modern guitar parts and concepts like a compound radius fingerboard and Gotoh hardware.  Each Fano guitar is individually handcrafted, so even if someone else has the same model as you do, the two guitars will be slightly different.  Every Fano PX6 is unique.

The PX6 features several different body options, including korina, alder, swamp ash, and mahogany.  You also get to select from korina, maple, or mahogany for the neck.  The fingerboard can be done in rosewood, maple, or Brazilian rosewood.  The guitar features 22 frets and uses 6105 fretwire.  The back shape is done in a late 50’s round style.  The relic guitar features aged nickel hardware, Gotoh Kluson tuners, and custom Fralin P-90s.  It has a three-way toggle, volume, and tone controls.  The entire guitar is done in a distressed nitrocellulose lacquier to make it appear aged and worn.  You can actually pick your own custom pain colors if you order one of the PX6’s from Fano, plus there are some other options such as aged gold hardware and Lollar firebird pickups for you to select from.

Eastwood Guitars has revived the Airline brand of relic guitars from the late 1950s and 1960s.  These awesome guitars have been played by a number of great players, including guitarists for the Cure, Calexico, White Stripes, and David Bowie.  The Airline guitars were originally produced from 1958 to 1968 by VALCO and were sold exclusively through Montgomery Ward department stores.  Original Airlines now sell for well over $2,000.

However, the Airline ’59 2P offers players a chance to get their hands on a guitar that looks and feels like one of the originals without paying that much.  The limited edition 50th anniversary model comes in either red or gold, and it features just about everything the original did.  It’s done in a mahogany body with a bolted on maple neck.  The fingerboard is made from rosewood and features block markers.  It has two Airline vintage voiced single coil pickups, a three way vintage switch, two volume controls, two tone controls, and a master volume control.  It has a tune-o-matic bridge with a custom chrome tail, and it features vintage kluson style nickel/chrome hardware.  Two unique features of the Eastwood Airline ’59 2P include its striped pickguard and its rubber body binding.

Wilson’s line of Ventures guitars is very popular.  These relic guitars look and sound amazing, and you’ll swear you were playing a guitar from decades ago.  The Wilson Ventures VM-65 is like owning a small piece of history.  This is one of the most famous guitar designs ever, and it has been completely constructed from scratch to create a very different and innovative instrument.  It might look like other relic guitars, but it’s got that Ventures touch that makes it different from anything else.

The VM-65 features a small C style neck and Seymour Duncan pickups.  It also have a tremolo setup that is similar to Jazzmaster guitars, although it’s slightly different.  The Ventures VM-65 also features zero fret and a great vintage setup that is like the VCM 2002.  But don’t think that just because the VM-65 resembles two other guitars in some aspects that it’s not original—this great guitar has its own unique look, and it’s certainly not a copy of anything.

The Ventures VM-65 uses an agathis body and a rosewood fingerboard.  It has 22 frets and a maple neck that is bolted on.  You’ll find three controls: volume, tone, and a three way selector.

The Vintage Guitar company is based out of the UK, and their relic guitars are co-designed with Wilkinson Parts.  While they’ve been available in the UK for more than 20 years, they’ve just now become available in other parts of the world.  These relic guitars are priced very reasonably, but just because they have low price tags does not mean that they’re not incredible guitars.  The V100MRPGM Lemon Drop, for example, is a great Vintage V100 ICON guitar.  The tone this guitar delivers has been described as absolutely amazing, and many are shocked by the sounds it can make.

The V100MRPGM features a mahogany body and neck, and the fingerboard is made from rosewood.  It has 22 frets.  The neck inlays of this relic guitar are done in pearloid crown, and it uses Wilkinson Deluxe WJ01 chrome tuners.  Likewise, the double coil pickups are made by Wilson.  The bridge is a Tune-O-Matic.  The V100MRPGM features two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three way toggle.  The finish does lack a bit in quality, but it will hold up to wear and tear, and it looks great from a distance.  This cheap yet great relic guitar is perfect for both practicing at home in your bedroom and playing before an audience.

There are some relic guitars that just look amazing, and the Ventures VM-110 by the Wilson Brothers is one of these guitars.  It’s a recreation of one of the hottest 1960s mosrite guitars, a guitar that was actually endorsed by The Ventures during that time.  This great relic guitar does more than just look great, of course.  It also sounds wonderful.  The Ventures VM-110 has a small C style neck and features pickups designed by Seymour Duncan.  It has a flawless finish and has some great fretwork.  Overall, the entire instrument looks like something out of a time warp, but it doesn’t sound ancient.

The Ventures VM-110 features an agathis body with a carved top.  The tremolo and bridge are both great vintage pieces, and the fingerboard is a nice rosewood.  The guitar features 22 frets and dot inlays as well as a bolted on maple neck.  This hot red guitar has a white pickguard and Duncan design single coil soap bars to finish it all off.  It’s really a cool looking relic, especially for someone looking for an instrument that has a bit of a flash to it.  If you’re a lead guitarist who wants to impress the audience, check out the Ventures VM-110.

While working at Fender, Vince Cunetto was one of the designers who started the whole relic craze.  Now he creates his own relic guitars under the Vinetto brand.  One of these is the Artifact SC 56 WG.  This relic is based on one of the guitars from the mid-fifties.  It was during this time that guitars were undergoing a change, and the Artifact SC 56 WG represents the best of those changes, including things like the change from the V neck to the C shape neck and the move from flat poles to staggered poles.

The SC 56 WG features 21 frets and has a neck made from solid maple.  The fretwire is modified vintage, and the radius is 9.5 inches.  It used bone for its nut material, and if has a Gotoh vintage style tuner.  The body itself is sold and is made out of swamp ash.  Over on the bridge, you’ll find 3 vintage brass saddles and a Glendale in-tone cold roll.  The pickguard is done in a single layer of white rigid vinyl.  The SC 56 WG features a three-way pick up selector and master tone and volume controls.  It also has lollar vintage T pickups. Read more

The Scott Henderson model by Surh is a great reproduction of the very same guitar that Scott Henderson is famous for playing.  This guitar has a great look to it, and it sounds incredible with its Suhr pickups.  One of the really nice things about the Henderson model is that it sounds like it’s been played for years, so you don’t have to worry about it needing any breaking it.  It stays in tune very well, and it is sure to last for quite some time.  The guitar has an awesome vintage look, but it incorporates all of the playability and durability of a modern Suhr guitar.  Like all Suhr relic guitars, you know the Henderson is going to stay in tune, sound amazing, and last you for years. Read more