LOOK THE SHOP FLOOR SPECIFICATIONS PHOTOS FOR FULL INFORMATION The Heavy Relic treatment offers the look of a well-worn friend The Fender Custom Shop's Relic treatment starts with a period-correct nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Nitro finishes - standard back in the day - are significantly thinner than today's polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to breathe. Nitro finishes not only look authentically vintage - they also enhance the instrument's tonal qualities. Relic'd guitars are then put through the aging process, and in the case of Heavy Relics, that's a lot of work to give you an axe that looks and feels like it's seen over four decades of front-line action. The process creates instruments that are spitting images of the originals. Without sneaking a look at the neck heel stamps, you'd be hard-pressed to distinguish the Fender Custom Shop 1959 Strat Heavy Relic from the real deal.