You Won't Believe How I Made This €105 Telecaster DIY Kit Look Like a €3K Fender Custom Shop Relic
I turned a €105 Harley Benton Telecaster kit into a Fender-style relic full of vintage mojo. This DIY build was all about giving the guitar a real story - packed with grit, detail, and authentic wear, without the Custom Shop price tag.
When I got my hands on a raw guitar body and neck back in 1996, I was thrilled by the opportunities ahead, but I didn’t really know what to do. It was a complete failure - the guitar, a Strat-style with a wooden body, was unplayable. I remember struggling to find the correct bridge position. It’s a funny memory. Later on, in 2000, I got my hands on a tear-shaped 12-string VOX electric; needless to say, her fate was similar. Luckily, I managed to reassemble her and give her away to a friend.
I knew I had a burning desire to create a guitar myself, with my own style, embracing my love for the 1960s. That’s why when Harley Benton offered me a DIY kit to enter their 2025 DIY Kit Contest, I was thrilled, to say the least. I had some experience with wood and aging from crafting a table for my living room, so I was confident I could apply that knowledge to age the woods of the kit and finally create what I’d always been missing: a relic Telecaster!
I’ve always loved the Thinline Telecaster format, so I chose the kit from Thomann.de:
The Relic-ing Process Step by Step
Step 0: Unboxing the Kit
This part was pretty simple: every 3-year-old knows that opening a sealed box is basically the best thing ever. So, I handed the brand-new Harley Benton kit to my son Hermes, and his eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. He dove right in, pulling out every piece with that unstoppable toddler enthusiasm - bits flying everywhere, a little chaos unfolding, but all in the name of discovery.
Watching him so curious and excited reminded me why guitar building is really about joy and wonder, not just wood and screws. From that moment, I knew this project was going to be as much about making memories as making music.
Step 1: Roughing up the Pickguard
The pickguard naturally has a bright blueish tone, which is far from the vintage, yellow tone of plastics that have been through hardships.
I started with a 800 grit sandpaper that created rough scratches ( I will even them out later with a higher grit sandpaper). I used a thomann lighter to create burn marks, and a knife to create some deep cuts, as if the guitar had fallen againsts something sharp.
Please keep in mind my mentality in this project is to create a genuine retro style, not an emulation of such. To achieve that I must give the guitar stories, in a compressed time. That for me is the most crucial component in "relicing" a guitar.
Step 2: Aging the pickguard
This must have been the most difficult part of the process as nearly nothing I tried actually worked. I am going after a natural yellow tint, as if the plastic was exposed to the sun for 5 years straight.
I hate it when I see relic guitars with painted pickguards, it takes so much away from the illusion. So I had to age it in a way that the plastic itself would absorb the color, and not simply apply a layer of paint on top. See till the end to find out what actually worked and what didn't!
This part tested my patience like nothing else, with plenty of trial and error along the way. But getting that perfect, natural yellow tint was worth every failed experiment — it’s the difference between a believable relic and a cheap fake.
Step 3: Aging the metal parts
The metal parts give a relic guitar a big part of its charm. Metal wears off quite a lot in old guitars so we are aiming for a lot of rust and grime. Luckily this tele model does not have any plastic parts other than the pickguard, so this gives me a chance to apply the rusting technique to many elements at once. Watch the video to find out how!
The process takes some patience, but the payoff is huge when the hardware starts to look truly aged. It’s these little details that make the guitar feel like it has a real history.
Step 4: Shaping the headstock
It's hard to resist designing a custom fancy headstock but since I am going for a classic relic style Telecaster, the headstock must follow the traditional pattern. Be careful using the angle grinder, wear gloves, eyewear and my suggestion is to avoid a wood cutting disk and opt for a round metal cutting disk, since it's a bit safer for your fingers.
Patience is key throughout this process -rushing can easily ruin the delicate wood or damage important parts. Take your time sanding and shaping each piece carefully, and don’t hesitate to step back and assess your progress often. Remember, the charm of a relic-style guitar lies in its imperfections and character, so embrace the natural wear as part of the story you’re creating.
Step 5: Bruising the wood
50% of a good relic job is the successful aging of the wood but the other 40% is carefully destroying the body and the neck. Scratches, dents, marks are all parts of the history of an old guitar. Try to emulate them in a way that feels natural and not artifical or fake. Imagine the wear and tear the guitar has been through with countless of gigs, tours, falls, and breaks. Let your senses guide your hand as you knock it with a hammer to show how it fell from the bus on your way to the gig in @dublincastlecamden or how the bus closed the doors breaking the delicate surface of the body. Don't hold back, use force, but be gentle: treat her with love and caress!
Step 6: Aging the wood
I was very anxious of how this step will turn out! Luckily I was well prepared and had some past experience aging wood for a table I had built. Watch the video to see how I used vinegar, steelwool and dirt creatively, and gain all the knowledge distilled in 3 minutes 😉
It was the hardest part but also the most fun because the effort was rewarded, I love how beautifully aged the body and neck turned out to be.
What do you think?
Can't wait to show you the full build 😀
Step 7: Assembling the guitar
Not much needs to be said about this step as it was the easiest! There are clear instructions in all Harley Benton DIY kits for the uninitiated. It is marvel watching it all come together!
Putting all the pieces together was surprisingly satisfying after all the hard work. Following Harley Benton’s clear, beginner-friendly instructions made assembly smooth and straightforward. It felt almost magical watching the battered, aged parts transform from loose bits on the table into a fully functional guitar. The moment I tightened the last screw and strung it up, everything clicked - this was no longer just a kit, but a guitar with character and soul, ready to be played and loved.
The Final Reveal!
This project has been an absolute blast from beginning to end! Every challenge, every step of the way was worth it because the final guitar stands out as my all-time favorite creation. It’s not just an instrument - it’s a piece of my passion and style, perfectly embodying the classic relic Telecaster vibe I’ve dreamed of. I can’t wait to unleash it on stage and bring some serious energy to the upcoming @mobvibe shows 🎤🎶
So, what do YOU think of the finished masterpiece? Your opinion means a lot - please drop a comment below and share your thoughts! Let’s talk guitars!
Final Thoughts: From Kit to Stage-Ready Relic
This project was an absolute blast from start to finish. Huge thanks to Harley Benton for providing the kit and making this build possible - even though I may have lost the contest, what I ended up with in my hands is far more valuable: my next guitar for the upcoming Mobvibe shows. Every dent, scratch, and faded spot tells a story now, and I can’t wait to take it on stage and let it shine under the lights.
Relic’ing this Harley Benton kit wasn’t just about creating a vintage look - it was about breathing life and history into something new, turning raw materials into a guitar with real character and soul. If you’ve ever thought about trying your hand at a DIY relic build, I say go for it. The fun, the learning, and the memories made along the way are well worth the effort. Thanks for following along - and stay tuned for more adventures from Mobvibe!
About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com
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