Short Answer:
A Fender Custom Shop Relic finish is a type of treatment a Fender Custom Shop guitar's lacquer finish is subjected to, resulting in simulated wear and damage. The Fender Custom Shop operates with different levels of Relic finish wear that ranges from barely affected to heavily worn and damaged.
Long Answer:
One of everyone's favorite parts of any Fender Custom Shop guitar – the Relic finish treatment. For any Fender Custom Shop player, there is a Relic finish treatment worth checking out across nearly every Fender Custom Shop electric guitar. Fender Custom Shop guitars are renowned for their Relic finish treatments that simulate age, wear, and damage in artistic ways. Relic finish treatments are completely synthetic, in that the guitars, while exhibiting authentic wear and damage, are not actually damaged. This makes Relic finish treatments entirely aesthetic.
Fender Custom Shop Relic finish treatments run the gamut from lightly to heavily worn. This range runs from the Fender Custom Shop's Time Capsule finish treatment to the Fender Custom Shop's Super Heavy Relic. Common elements to Fender Custom Shop Relic finish treatment include paint checking, dents, discoloration, and chips. Totally, Fender Custom Shop Relic finish treatments offer opportunities for Fender Custom Shop artisans to flex their creative muscle and create visual stories across Fender Custom Shop guitars.