Gleason Finish & Aging

”Quality does not have to mean expensive, and expensive does NOT always mean quality. Guitars are very personal; and in order to maximize the effectiveness of any guitar, one must understand the individual needs of themselves as a player before looking at all of the bells and whistles on the build sheet. Understanding this will make your quest for the “perfect guitar” so much more achievable.” -Cody Gleason

Cody’s passion for music took root when he received his first guitar at age 13. He didn’t realize at the time, but it was that very black Squier Strat that set the course for what would eventually become Gleason Finish & Aging.

After a degree in Audio Production, several jobs in the music industry, and a short stint working for an e-commerce business, Cody started an online guitar resale shop with a friend. For many years, Cody flipped high-end and vintage guitars and worked the trade show circuits. Having had the privilege of spending quality time with so many incredible high-end, vintage, boutique and rare guitars gave him a unique and broad perspective about quality and tone. It was that period of time that he began to really understand what made a guitar “special.”

Once he discovered his new-found obsession with quality, Cody took an apprenticeship under legendary craftsman and luthier Don Bell (who also rebuilds Corvettes and consults for Lockheed Martin when he isn’t working on guitars for guys like Don Henley). Cody learned basic guitar restoration principles and finishing techniques for the better part of 2 years under Don, and eventually set out on his own quest—tastefully replicating vintage finishes in convincing ways using modern methods. Using the framework that he had built for selling guitars online, Gleason Finish & Aging was born. Cody began practicing his aged finishes on used Squier necks and selling them online. They sold so fast that he had to find another source for necks, so he set up his company and became an authorized dealer for Allparts, Mighty Mite, and WD Music…which he still maintains.

Today, Gleason Finish & Aging has done custom aged guitar parts for customers all over the world! Their necks and bodies are on tour with bands like Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett and Kenny Chesney, just to name a few. They offer the most concierge services anywhere in the aftermarket guitar parts industry; with options like Standard or Premium nitro finishes, rolled fingerboard edges, fret dressing, neck re-profiling, hand-carve bone nuts, aged waterslide decals, custom inlays, aged hardware and plastics, or even full custom or replica builds!

“We enjoy helping our customers examine every possibility, and love watching them come to life!”