6 Jaw-dropping Aged Guitars

Bringing together two iconic Fender finishes of the 1960s into one well-worn package, this Fender Custom Shop GT11 Stratocaster electric guitar concocts a stunning, exclusive Inca Silver over Black Paisely “paint-over” aesthetic that you’ll only get here at Sweetwater. Treated to the Fender Custom Shop’s Heavy Relic aging process, the guitar wears dings, nicks, checking, and subtle traces of hidden Black Paisley, all in the spirit of an overhauled instrument that’s run the industry gauntlet and lived to tell the tale. But underneath it all, you’ve got a flawless juggernaut of a Custom Shop Strat at your disposal. In fact, we’d venture to call it beyond flawless. Its GT11 distinction promises a number of Sweetwater-specific specs, including its namesake 11-inch fingerboard radius and trio of hand-wound Sweet ’64 pickups to match its good looks — creating a true Holy Grail Stratocaster tonal palette, if we may be so bold!

The custom-color finish and Maestro Vibrola–equipped elegance of the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V electric guitar scream mid-’60s style. Plus, the instrument is a stunning example of Gibson’s old-school offset. Every curve, contour, and dimension of this guitar has been masterfully replicated from true vintage examples — from the sustain-enhancing, 9-ply mahogany/walnut neck-through construction to the fire-breathing mini-humbuckers to even the deluxe banjo tuners on the swooping headstock. The neck sports a sleek slab of rosewood that’s simply a joy to play on, with an authentic ’63 medium C-shaped profile to capture the feel of a vintage original. Finally, the Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V is wrapped up in a beautifully relic’d Murphy Lab Heavy Aged Antique Frost Blue finish. Always tasteful and never gaudy, the Murphy Lab’s ability to capture the vibe of a vintage guitar is nearly unmatched, with every scratch, chip, and dent on this guitar perfectly placed with the utmost care and authenticity.

There are tribute guitars, and then there’s this. The EVH Striped Series Frankenstein Relic electric guitar isn’t just a nod to Eddie Van Halen’s iconic patchwork instrument; it’s a tribute built by the EVH brand, right down to the battle scars. The relic work here is the real story: dings, wear marks, and finish checking make it look like it just came off a 1984 world tour. But it’s not just cosmetic — that worn-in feel makes it comfortable to play from the moment you first pick it up.

Under the hood, a direct-mount Wolfgang humbucker at the bridge delivers exactly the kind of raw, aggressive tone Eddie built his sound on. The dummy Strat single-coil at the neck is purely for authenticity — no middle pickup, no backplate, just like the original. The Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo means you can dive-bomb with reckless abandon and come back in tune every time. The oil-finished, graphite-reinforced neck is fast and smooth, and it never gets sticky. If you ever wanted to play that guitar, then this is about as close as it gets.

For the model’s slab base and archetypal foundation, the Tele arguably cleans up better than any other electric solidbody. Case and point: this magnificent Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Bow Tie Telecaster electric guitar! The Aged Firemist Gold finish on the top is stunning on its own, but flip it over, and you get natural mahogany on the back and sides. Throw in the red tortoiseshell pickguard with double tortoiseshell body binding, and this thing turns heads before you’ve played a single note.

It sounds just as interesting as it looks. Lollar pickups do the heavy lifting here: a Charlie Christian single-coil pickup in the neck brings a warm, jazzy voice with real depth and character while the B.S. Tele single-coil in the bridge delivers that classic Tele snap and cut. A Jaguar/Jazzmaster-style bridge and a Fender-branded Bigsby B5 round things out, giving you smooth vibrato and a silhouette that’s pure vintage cool. The roasted maple neck with its V-shape profile feels comfortable and broken-in right out of the case. It’s a limited run — and one of those guitars that’s hard to put down once you’ve picked it up.

Most players and collectors consider guitars from 1959 — the year everything came together — to be the peak of perfection in a Les Paul. Originally sold for $280, only around 1,500 were made before production stopped in 1960. To own one today would practically cost what it would take to buy, furnish, and park a car in a decent-size family home! Rarity and reverence make the ’59 legendary. There’s something special that makes you stop and just stare at it, and this Gibson Custom 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue electric guitar is exactly that kind of guitar. The Kindred Burst finish paired with Murphy Lab’s Ultra Heavy Aged treatment gives it the look and feel of an instrument that’s lived a whole life. The figuring on the maple top is stunning, and all the period-correct details are here: single-line Kluson tuners, a laminated CAB pickguard, and CustomBucker Alnico III PAFs that nail that classic ’59 tone. Honestly, holding one of these makes your mind wander. You start wondering about all the stages it could have played, all the hands that might have held it. Even though it’s a reissue, it carries the same weight and mystique as the real thing.

Under the discerning eyes and ears of six-string virtuoso Rick Graham, the Charvel Rick Graham Signature Pro-Mod DK24 2PT CM MPL electric guitar elevates the well-loved energy of a bygone era of rock to meet the high-performance demands of modern players. To start, a Worn Shell Pink paint job over an alder body with a maple neck/fingerboard presents a striking aesthetic right out of the gate — a worn-in take on Charvel’s standard and ever-popular Pro-Mod DK24. Its trio of custom-wound pickups, in an HSS configuration, delivers Rick’s preferred tonal range with ease, engaging delicate glassiness and hard-driven howl with equal authority. A back-mounted instrument jack and thorough backside contouring — including a shredder’s cut heel and a scalloped lower cutaway for unimpeded 24-fret access — ensure absolutely flawless command to satisfy even the speediest players as soon as you plug in.