Relic'd Guitars Options

[Hexabuzz]

Just curious as to personal preference -

How do you feel about guitars that have been artificially aged?

Would you want a "vintage" style instrument to be "NOS" (new, old stock, as if it had been put through a time machine from when it was made), "Closet Classic", as if it had been played a bit, years ago, then stored away, or "Heavy Relic" as if it has been played to hell and back?

I think they all have their own appeal, and just wanted to hear what others think...

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This post has been edited by Hexabuzz: Mar 27 2014, 05:14 AM

[PosterBoy]

I like relics that have been well done, like Danocaster does, not so keen on Nash and some of the Fender custom shop stuff that looks like a belt sander has been used, or with paint worn away in odd places.

It not only the look of course but that worn in feel that the guitar has.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Just last evening I tried a custom shop re-issue 68 road worn Strat belonging to a friend of mine. He is a leftie so I couldn't enjoy much of that guitar, but it sure looks great! BTW, if you didn't know, I heard that they obtain the 'road wear' by dragging the guitar body from a car while driving.

Here's my friend and his axe:

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[Davidian]

I like relic'd guitars, as long as it's not over the top. It can look nice, and I wouldn't mind getting one.
If I'd dent/scratch one of my guitars (not relic'd), my heart would skip a few beats and I'd feel bad.
Would this be the same with these kind of guitars?

Off topic: Cosmin, does your friend star in Mad Men?

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[klasaine]

I find that most 'relics' are WAY over done and have very little to do with the actual wear patterns of an old, well played guitar. Most of them look like they've been dragged behind a car for a kilometer or two.

That being said I do have one very lightly relic'd axe. I made an exception for myself because historically this guitar has never existed as an actual Fender model.

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This post has been edited by klasaine: Mar 27 2014, 02:24 PM

[Hexabuzz]

my LsL has what they call a "light relic", where the neck is really untouched, but the body has a few dings and scratches, and the real nitro finished has checked and cracked, and I think it's beautiful. Even the bits of rust on the bridge and the screws is a nice touch, and it's only a few years old! I bought it used, and I think if I were to buy a new one to my tastes, I'd keep the aging on the body the same, but maybe just a bit more on the neck to feel more worn and played in, enough to make it feel like satin, and not just the lacquer finish.

In many ways, the idea of a guitar that already has its "first dings" makes it more appealing to truly play as it was intended - I've been guilty in the past of treating a new guitar too gently, being afraid of putting the first mark on it...

That being said, I agree with all that say it should be at least done with style and taste... So many look like they have not been aged as if by playing, but just hit on with hammers and sandpaper...

I find that most 'relics' are WAY over done and have very little to do with the actual wear patterns of an old, well played guitar. Most of them look like they've been dragged behind a car for a kilometer or two.

That being said I do have one very lightly relic'd axe. I made an exception for myself because historically this guitar has never existed as an actual Fender model.

I completely agree, and... Nice! Love the color!

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[Cosmin Lupu]

I like relic'd guitars, as long as it's not over the top. It can look nice, and I wouldn't mind getting one.
If I'd dent/scratch one of my guitars (not relic'd), my heart would skip a few beats and I'd feel bad.
Would this be the same with these kind of guitars?

Off topic: Cosmin, does your friend star in Mad Men?

Not that I know of He's actually one of the most esteemed romanian photographers and a great player as well!

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[Todd Simpson]

Sorta like buying jeans with the holes already in them just to be fashionable IMHO, but then again, some folks enjoy being fashionable So to each his own.

Just curious as to personal preference -

How do you feel about guitars that have been artificially aged?

Would you want a "vintage" style instrument to be "NOS" (new, old stock, as if it had been put through a time machine from when it was made), "Closet Classic", as if it had been played a bit, years ago, then stored away, or "Heavy Relic" as if it has been played to hell and back?

I think they all have their own appeal, and just wanted to hear what others think...

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

Speaking of relic'd guitars, my american strat would probably be worth more if it was relic'd. Right now it has one huge dent which is very visible and which would decrease the value a lot, but if it was more road worn, I'm sure it would sell for more. Not that I'm contemplating selling as it is.

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[Bogdan Radovic]

I like the look and idea of real relic'd guitars. But I really don't get the whole Fender Road Worn Series. They also make roadworn straps. The look on its own of a relic'd guitar is great but to me if it doesn't have the history to back it up - it just feels fake. Same as with some old objects (just in reverse), you don't really want to repaint or fix some stuff that has age on it - you just decrease the value of it. Guitar which was relic'd artificially is still a new guitar and to me the point of all those scratches and marks is to scream "history" behind every damage.

New guitar should look like a new guitar and get worn down with time, sweat and playing, not power tools
I just can't imagine myself putting one of my instruments through such a torture.

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[klasaine]

When you can 'tell' it's been relic'd ... then it's been done wrong.
The best relics just look like normal wear. By the time Fender started doing the road worn series the whole thing had gotten out of hand.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

I agree with Bogdan and Ken If it has a history behind it, it is precious and valuable but if it looks like that just because it was dragged behind a car... well, where's the whole beauty?

Plus, the roadworn straps - how about if it breaks down from the road wear You can get a stage worn instrument that fell out of place

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[Hexabuzz]

We guitar players can be very strange...

We want a 1965 guitar to look like it's been to hell and back, but...

We'd want a 1965 Mustang restored to look like it just drove out of the factory, not with a million miles of driving!

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[Spock]

I look at a relic guitar as just another way of it having a personality that suits the individual. I would love to have one and thought about doing it to my silver PRS. It's just my style.

It's like the clothes I wear, I like camouflage pants, sweat shirts, old faded jeans with holes - I have never been comfortable dressed "nicely", and to me, a guitar looking faded and worn is just another extension of that. However, I like my house, office and car to be clean - and nice clean guitars too - but I guess I just feel more comfortable with something that it doesn't matter all that much if it gets another dent.

Here's a nice one - Zakk Wylde played this guitar on the back of a flatbed truck in a music store parking lot here about 20-25 years ago - and ever since then, I have loved the idea of a beat to hell looking guitar...

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[Cosmin Lupu]

I look at a relic guitar as just another way of it having a personality that suits the individual. I would love to have one and thought about doing it to my silver PRS. It's just my style.

It's like the clothes I wear, I like camouflage pants, sweat shirts, old faded jeans with holes - I have never been comfortable dressed "nicely", and to me, a guitar looking faded and worn is just another extension of that. However, I like my house, office and car to be clean - and nice clean guitars too - but I guess I just feel more comfortable with something that it doesn't matter all that much if it gets another dent.

Here's a nice one - Zakk Wylde played this guitar on the back of a flatbed truck in a music store parking lot here about 20-25 years ago - and ever since then, I have loved the idea of a beat to hell looking guitar...

Hehe! I know this one I have seen it before with Zakk! Somehow, I don't think that a PRS could look good as a relic It's simply beautiful the way it is, so, I would go as far as to say it's not worth killing yours

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[Spock]

True, I decided against it. It's a little worn anyway and it's fine. PRS isn't really that old of a guitar company, so it wouldn't make sense to really relic one. If I did anything to mine, it would be to lightly sand the paint/finish off the back of the neck.

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[Bogdan Radovic]

but I guess I just feel more comfortable with something that it doesn't matter all that much if it gets another dent.

Good point!

We all know how the first dent on a brand new guitar feels bad, but after a few - we just stop worrying about it.
With a reliced guitar, we don't have to worry for further damage in the first place. I can clearly see that "piece of mind" and personal preference towards the look of such guitar being worth the process.

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[Spock]

Well, I have Good news and bad news.


The Good news is, I am relicing a Jackson Dinky!

The Bad News is - it was never my intention to relic it!


I wanted to strip the paint off and refinish it, because I found a Jackson finish that I love the look of and have wanted ever since I first saw it. I searched Google and could only find a couple of models, one in the UK, and another Europe somewhere. I actually called the UK store and the price was equivalent to $600 US. But I would have had to pay shipping and duty taxes. All together bringing the guitar up to $900 (my estimate) which was too much for a guitar which I was going to have to upgrade some hardware on.

So I purchased the cheap used Jackson and watched videos on refinishing a guitar. That's also when I considered Warmoth. Came to find out, that to build the body I wanted alone, would have cost $1,000 (without the EMG pickups - but Floyd Rose included) all together, after the luthier put it together, it would have been a $2,000 guitar.

So I pulled out the sander and heat gun and went to work on the black Jackson...

[attachment=36545:1.jpeg]

[attachment=36546:2.jpeg]

[attachment=36547:3.jpeg]

It didn't take me long to realize this was not going to turn out the way I had dreamed. So my new plan is to make it look intentionally rough as hell. It could actually look pretty awesome - sort of like that Zakk Wylde LP posted earlier in this thread. Before I started sanding it though, I had a couple of people say they thought it looked awesome burned to a crisp, like the 2nd picture above.

ALL IS NOT LOST though.

Because, as I was looking for a Floyd Rose on Ebay located here in the states. I could not believe that I found the EXACT Jackson I had been looking for. I had searched Ebay numerous times, gone through pages and pages of Google searches - and there it was.

So I got it. Brand new - and it cost $450. Which is a lot less expensive than when it was originally being sold a few years ago - Jackson has stopped making this particular guitar - but you can still find it in clear color-coated versions.

So, I am on cloud 9 today - can not wait. I have a Floyd Rose original on delivery and EMG 81/85s.

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This post has been edited by Spock: Apr 5 2014, 09:40 AM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

Well, I have Good news and bad news.


The Good news is, I am relicing a Jackson Dinky!

The Bad News is - it was never my intention to relic it!


I wanted to strip the paint off and refinish it, because I found a Jackson finish that I love the look of and have wanted ever since I first saw it. I searched Google and could only find a couple of models, one in the UK, and another Europe somewhere. I actually called the UK store and the price was equivalent to $600 US. But I would have had to pay shipping and duty taxes. All together bringing the guitar up to $900 (my estimate) which was too much for a guitar which I was going to have to upgrade some hardware on.

So I purchased the cheap used Jackson and watched videos on refinishing a guitar. That's also when I considered Warmoth. Came to find out, that to build the body I wanted alone, would have cost $1,000 (without the EMG pickups - but Floyd Rose included) all together, after the luthier put it together, it would have been a $2,000 guitar.

So I pulled out the sander and heat gun and went to work on the black Jackson...

[attachment=36545:1.jpeg]

[attachment=36546:2.jpeg]

[attachment=36547:3.jpeg]

It didn't take me long to realize this was not going to turn out the way I had dreamed. So my new plan is to make it look intentionally rough as hell. It could actually look pretty awesome - sort of like that Zakk Wylde LP posted earlier in this thread. Before I started sanding it though, I had a couple of people say they thought it looked awesome burned to a crisp, like the 2nd picture above.

ALL IS NOT LOST though.

Because, as I was looking for a Floyd Rose on Ebay located here in the states. I could not believe that I found the EXACT Jackson I had been looking for. I had searched Ebay numerous times, gone through pages and pages of Google searches - and there it was.

So I got it. Brand new - and it cost $450. Which is a lot less expensive than when it was originally being sold a few years ago - Jackson has stopped making this particular guitar - but you can still find it in clear color-coated versions.

So, I am on cloud 9 today - can not wait. I have a Floyd Rose original on delivery and EMG 81/85s.

Is it regular practice to use a heat gun? I remember stripping one of my old guitars of all paint and I just used a sander all the way.

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[PosterBoy]

Heat gun is used quite a lot BUT the trick is to keep it moving and not leaving it in one place for too long!

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