The truth about relic guitars

[Jimi75]

About a week ago I was in a very exclusive guitar store, this guy only sells fine stuff. I was there to ask something about a bone nut and the owner was talking to a midaged guy. They spoke about relic guitars and the owner said something like: "It's like with blue jeans that got cuts, relic guitars are for poeple who will never live the lifestyle than makes their guitar look reliced. Most of them play at home and these relic guitars give them the feeling of rock And Roll, of the "other life" they will never live. It's the same as with the S.U.V's, why do we need them? We never drive off road here in our small towns!"

Is there some kind of truth in his utterance? What do you think? At least it made me think a little bit. My guitars are naturally reliced, even my beaten up Jimmie Vaughan, played it 5-6 years in a row, treated it bad bad bad, it's got heavy scars, but none of them was intentional.

 

[sumitomo]

They are kinda cool in a way.I call all those nicks,dings ect soul marks and they come from owning a guitar for a long time and the woops,knock overs,and wear from where YOU play not someone else.When I buy a new guitar I want it to look new,it will get enough dings and scratchs and ect from me.Sumi

 

[Rocket]

Honestly relic = very cool
Pre-relic = very lame

 

[marnold]

There's probably more than a little truth to that. SUVs are status symbols. Expensively pre-beaten guitars may fall under the same category. Finally, if someone wants to buy them, it's their cash, not mine. Obviously there's a market. I suppose that in the last analysis its no different than my love for pointy headstocks. It doesn't have any functional benefit really, it's about the aesthetic. Same with guitars like that.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Bottom-line, I could personally care less.

If somebody just likes the look of a reliced guitar for that "well-worn" ambience, I think that's fine. But if the intent is to make other people think that they put the mileage on it themselves, then shame on that poseur! :nono:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

There's probably more than a little truth to that. SUVs are status symbols. Expensively pre-beaten guitars may fall under the same category. Finally, if someone wants to buy them, it's their cash, not mine. Obviously there's a market. I suppose that in the last analysis its no different than my love for pointy headstocks. It doesn't have any functional benefit really, it's about the aesthetic. Same with guitars like that.

I more or less agree. I voted "I don't care" because it is really no skin off my nose, but I wouldn't probably buy one unless it was a screaming deal on a guitar I otherwise wanted. Then, I would not let it stop me if it was a relic, and I liked the feel, sound and playability of the guitar, and the price was right. I would not pay ANY extra for it, and might even want to pay less. For example, I like the sounds of Mayer's new one he has coming out, but I would not pay full price for it. It would have to be a screaming deal to knock off my number one strat I already have.

As for SUV's, we are on dirt roads, in the snow, in the muddy ruts, and running roads that require clearance due to ruts and river rock, etc. very regularly, and pull a boat at altitude, plus launch it from steep, rocky, dirt boat ramps. That requires either a good truck or an SUV. For general town driving, they are a pain in the butt. Don't handle very well, actually do worse in the snow/ice on city streets than say a VW rabbit with studs, and are hard to park and maneuver. So we own one, but it gets used for what it was designed to do.

 

[Spudman]

They are kinda cool in a way.I call all those nicks,dings ect soul marks and they come from owning a guitar for a long time and the woops,knock overs,and wear from where YOU play not someone else. When I buy a new guitar I want it to look new, it will get enough dings and scratchs and ect. from me.Sumi

That covers me too. They are kind of cool but I still want to do the damage myself.

 

[Lev]

That covers me too. They are kind of cool but I still want to do the damage myself.

Yeah me too, but the problem is that most affordable modern guitars have bullet proof poly finishes that you can't really mark. I'd prefer to go for a NOS strat with a nitro finish that will relic itself over time.

 

[msteeln]

It's been yet another head scratcher for me just like a lot of the absurdities we've lived with for many recent years. There are a few makers that can relic extremely well, but what I've seen by the biggies have been rediculously bad and nothing I'd probably want for free (let alone the crazy money they demand) unless it happened to be a uniquely awesome sounding & playing guitar. And even then I'd have it un-reliced to some degree.
Why anyone would want a fake is beyond me, but to each his own.

 

[Rocket]

...most affordable modern guitars have bullet proof poly finishes that you can't really mark.

I'd love to test your claim... wanna loan me one of those "bullet proof" bad-lads to see if I can mark it?

 

[just strum]

I voted "I don't care..."

I wouldn't buy a new one and if I bought used, I wouldn't care if it was reliced when new or by the owner through use, as long as I liked the feel and the sound. However, I wouldn't pay extra because it's dinged and has a cigarette burn on the head stock.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

The entire "relic" thing has taken on cork sniffer proportions. To me, a brand new guitar faux aged is an absolute joke. Real players do their own relic jobs through years of playing. I'll leave the new "relics" to the wannabes and the non playing cork sniffers.

 

[Auriemma]

"Relic" is a gimmick, a fad. Nothing more than the newest trend.

Its also one way for the manufacturer to get rid of B-stock items for a premium price. How you say? Take a new guitar, fresh off the line. During inspection, they find a flaw. It gets sent to the "RELIC" department where they beat it up some more. Now they charge you more for it. Better yet, the "relic'ed" guitar makes it to the shop. Some kid comes along and drops it... who cares?

You want a real relic? A guitar with real character? Buy it new and play it for 20 years. This way every ding and dent have a story, thats what gives a guitar character.

 

[ibanezjunkie]

Fender roadworn = lame
fender jags (1969s) = lame
...
...
...
Gibson 60's Les Paul custom Black Beauty = FINE.

 

[bigG]

I just saw a Road Worn Tele Tuesday when I was in a local shop.

When you see 'em up close and in person...Good God they are UGLY as sin! I don't think I'd want one for free (for my collection), but I'd take it and sell it for the cash!

Looks like it wasn't road worn at all...looks like it had laid at the bottom of the ocean for too many years, more like! Phooey!

 

[just strum]

A cigarette burn has nothing on this guitar.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/a-les-paul-struck-by-630/

 

[FrankenFretter]

I always liked Rory Gallagher's Strat, ever since the first time I saw it, when I was a young lad. I loved the look of that beat-to-crap ax, which seemed to me to sound even better because of the knocked about-ness of it. I wouldn't buy something that had artificial character, but I'd love to own a beat up old git that had earned all it's war wounds the natural way. As long as it was still very playable, that is.

 

[sumitomo]

A cigarette burn has nothing on this guitar.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/a-les-paul-struck-by-630/

I guess that would count as a real flametop.Roach mulligan's ole Silvertone that survived the hotel room fire was just bubbled on the top from the heat,but that LP wow flame on!Wonder how it sounds all that energy stored up in those pups.Sumi

 

[sunvalleylaw]

A cigarette burn has nothing on this guitar.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/a-les-paul-struck-by-630/

When they say junk or highly collectible, I say junk. Would take way too much money to make it in playable condition, and I refuse to speculate on guitars like they are pork futures or something. That speculator attitude toward guitars just plain ruins it for me.

 

[hubberjub]

I'll pass.

 

[MichaelE]

I don't care for them. I want my instruments looking new forever and I treat them so that they will.

If I wanted some beat up POS, I'd buy at a pawn shop. When I buy an instrument, it better look like the best damn instrument they ever made in their history and knew I was coming to buy it.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Bottom-line, I could personally care less.

Same here, except that I'd say that I "couldn't" care less.

I feel no need to make a decision about the lamitude or lack thereof of relic'd guitars.

 

[just strum]

When they say junk or highly collectible, I say junk. Would take way too much money to make it in playable condition, and I refuse to speculate on guitars like they are pork futures or something. That speculator attitude toward guitars just plain ruins it for me.

If I owned it when it happened or if someone gave it to me, I think it would be a cool wall hanging, not much else.