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Post by johnreardon on Jan 22, 2022 9:58:38 GMT
Nice video from my 'local' shop. I say local, even though it's actually around 80 miles away, however, it's a fabulous place to buy guitars.
Anyway Sam, in the video tries to explain in a calm manner, what it is with relics.
He's a really nice bloke and great guitarist. Bought some of my LPs from him.
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Post by johnreardon on Jan 22, 2022 10:10:19 GMT
BTW I have owned a couple of relic Strats, a Joe Bonamassa LP & a Robby Krieger SG. Three of those were bought for their rarity more than their play-ability, although they did play well. The other was bought when I was in the market for a Salmon Pink or Fiesta Red Strat. I tried quite a few in the shop and the relic just happened to sound and play best, for me. Unfortunately it was also the dearest in price 
The top one was a Homer Haynes Strat, from 1988. It was a limited run and also one of the first from the Custom Shop. The bottom one was the relic I bought because it sounded great.
The Joe B LP
The Robby Krieger SG
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Post by infant on Jan 22, 2022 15:23:07 GMT
I’m still not a fan of relic’d guitars. I have a ‘75 Tele that has been relic’d on gigs over the past 47 years and doesn’t look anywhere near as beat up as many of the relics I’ve seen. I personally prefer to play a beautiful guitar that has earned its scars from being loved and gigged. It’s got “REAL MOJO”. Again, my 2 cents.
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Post by laristotle on Jan 22, 2022 15:42:07 GMT
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Post by Die Bullen on Jan 22, 2022 16:21:08 GMT
I’m still not a fan of relic’d guitars. I have a ‘75 Tele that has been relic’d on gigs over the past 47 years and doesn’t look anywhere near as beat up as many of the relics I’ve seen. I personally prefer to play a beautiful guitar that has earned its scars from being loved and gigged. It’s got “REAL MOJO”. Again, my 2 cents. I tend to agree. I try really hard to keep my guitars nice- of course years of gigging means that most of them have some battle scars. If others love relics that is fine, but I know I wouldn't pay extra for that ever. You should see my son's trumpets- the sweat from your hands corrode the metal and lacquer. Talk about mojo |
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Post by johnreardon on Jan 22, 2022 18:40:01 GMT
I’m still not a fan of relic’d guitars. I have a ‘75 Tele that has been relic’d on gigs over the past 47 years and doesn’t look anywhere near as beat up as many of the relics I’ve seen. I personally prefer to play a beautiful guitar that has earned its scars from being loved and gigged. It’s got “REAL MOJO”. Again, my 2 cents. I don’t believe in this ‘mojo’ or ‘earning scars’ nonsense. 😄 To me, it’s just another finish option available for those interested in looks of a guitar. I’m more interested in playability and how it sounds, but still each to their own |
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Post by johnreardon on Jan 22, 2022 18:45:56 GMT
I attended a guitar show in Maryland quite a few years ago. Mike Eldred, who used to run the Fender Custom Shop, gave a presentation on how they actually reliced guitars. He also gave a demonstration of one or two of the processes. The demo was about 30 mins long and people began to realise why the relics cost more. It’s not just a case of banging with a hammer or dragging it behind a truck. Some of the ‘carpentry’ and ageing was quite intricate. |
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Post by Die Bullen on Jan 22, 2022 19:24:12 GMT
I attended a guitar show in Maryland quite a few years ago. Mike Eldred, who used to run the Fender Custom Shop, gave a presentation on how they actually reliced guitars. He also gave a demonstration of one or two of the processes. The demo was about 30 mins long and people began to realise why the relics cost more. It’s not just a case of banging with a hammer or dragging it behind a truck. Some of the ‘carpentry’ and ageing was quite intricate. One would hope based on the price premium! |
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Post by Bill h on Jan 22, 2022 20:45:48 GMT
Never was interested in reliced guitars. The reliced guitars I’ve seen don’t look natural to me. The guitars don’t look like they have gotten that way from years of use, they have a more “deliberate” look to them in my opinion. I can’t speak to how they play but at the prices I’ve seen on some of them I’m guessing they play pretty good.
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Post by zontar on Jan 22, 2022 20:50:13 GMT
It just seems weird to pay extra for them to beat up your guitars.
I have bought used & they were beat up & ones I bought new have sustained some natural reliving--and that's okay--it's real & I didn't pay extra for it.
On the other hand if I buy a relic guitar & I put some dings in it--does that detract from the value?
Who would know?
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Post by laristotle on Jan 22, 2022 21:10:20 GMT
Some DIY stuff is  
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Post by Bill h on Jan 22, 2022 22:36:33 GMT
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.
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Post by spellcaster on Jan 23, 2022 18:37:46 GMT
Never was interested in reliced guitars. The reliced guitars I’ve seen don’t look natural to me. The guitars don’t look like they have gotten that way from years of use, they have a more “deliberate” look to them in my opinion. I can’t speak to how they play but at the prices I’ve seen on some of them I’m guessing they play pretty good. I'm with you, Bill. The majority of deliberate relic jobs seem really unnatural. There tends to be a lot of wear inflicted in places that I don't see in naturally-worn instruments. To my way of thinking, a guitar that's seen years of use would be more likely to have battered edges on the body and maybe a few dings on the headstock where it collided with a drummer's cymbals, rather than big patches of missing finish on the front of the body in places that don't get handled a lot.
I've never been tempted to create a relic, but having had a couple of bodies that were poorly packed in shipping, I've had partscasters newly finished with some finish chips. I probably don't obsess about that sort of small damage as much when there are deliberate relic jobs around that look like they've been dragged behind a pickup on a gravel road.
I've never understood the use of belt sanders on relics....It seems like they're predestined to look artificial. If I was going to try for a worn look, I'd use a flapper disc on an electric drill to simulate something more like a guitar would get from years of rubbing against your clothes, and maybe scratches that look like a belt buckle or zipper might cause.
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Post by zontar on Jan 24, 2022 0:33:53 GMT
Never was interested in reliced guitars. The reliced guitars I’ve seen don’t look natural to me. The guitars don’t look like they have gotten that way from years of use, they have a more “deliberate” look to them in my opinion. I can’t speak to how they play but at the prices I’ve seen on some of them I’m guessing they play pretty good. I'm with you, Bill. The majority of deliberate relic jobs seem really unnatural. There tends to be a lot of wear inflicted in places that I don't see in naturally-worn instruments. To my way of thinking, a guitar that's seen years of use would be more likely to have battered edges on the body and maybe a few dings on the headstock where it collided with a drummer's cymbals, rather than big patches of missing finish on the front of the body in places that don't get handled a lot.
I've never been tempted to create a relic, but having had a couple of bodies that were poorly packed in shipping, I've had partscasters newly finished with some finish chips. I probably don't obsess about that sort of small damage as much when there are deliberate relic jobs around that look like they've been dragged behind a pickup on a gravel road.
I've never understood the use of belt sanders on relics....It seems like they're predestined to look artificial. If I was going to try for a worn look, I'd use a flapper disc on an electric drill to simulate something more like a guitar would get from years of rubbing against your clothes, and maybe scratches that look like a belt buckle or zipper might cause.
That's why the guitar I have have natural relic jobs--most light relics--but all off it honest--from playing it over time, etc. My first electric has several dings on the back edge from when I took lessons & we had these seats with hard wood backs on them. You turn in the chair and bit & Whack! another dent. Of course the used ones, as mentioned came with some already & I've added more. |
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Post by allthumbs56 on Jan 24, 2022 21:37:49 GMT
On the other hand if I buy a relic guitar & I put some dings in it--does that detract from the value? Of course it would - because you're an amateur, your actual damage would look fake and on-purpose. Only professional "relicers" know how to make the damage look real and honestly come-by. All of the scratches and dings I've put in my guitars over the years look sooooooooooooooo fake - I wish I could have afforded a professional to knock them around for me  |
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Post by zontar on Jan 25, 2022 7:24:59 GMT
On the other hand if I buy a relic guitar & I put some dings in it--does that detract from the value? Of course it would - because you're an amateur, your actual damage would look fake and on-purpose. Only professional "relicers" know how to make the damage look real and honestly come-by. All of the scratches and dings I've put in my guitars over the years look sooooooooooooooo fake - I wish I could have afforded a professional to knock them around for me Of course!  |
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Post by edwardbloom on Jan 26, 2022 11:40:22 GMT
my LP is almost 8 yrs old, and still looks awesome. i like it like that.
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Post by spellcaster on Jan 26, 2022 13:44:47 GMT
my LP is almost 8 yrs old, and still looks awesome. i like it like that. I agree with that sentiment. Back in the days when cars were really important to me, it was always easy to take pride in a car that looked new, even if it wasn't. I don't ever recall feeling good about a car that had turned into a beater and feeling good because it looked like it had a zillion miles on it. |
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Post by infant on Jan 26, 2022 20:43:27 GMT
my LP is almost 8 yrs old, and still looks awesome. i like it like that. I agree with that sentiment. Back in the days when cars were really important to me, it was always easy to take pride in a car that looked new, even if it wasn't. I don't ever recall feeling good about a car that had turned into a beater and feeling good because it looked like it had a zillion miles on it. Ding ding ding!!!!! We have a winning argument!! I totally agree with Ken. I keep my cars looking as clean and shiny as possible. My 2011 Ford Fusion with 232,000 km on it still looks great except for a few door dings. That being said, I keep my guitars clean and polished and keep my belt buckle away from the body. No buckle rash on my guitars. |
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Post by Die Bullen on Jan 26, 2022 21:52:30 GMT
I agree with that sentiment. Back in the days when cars were really important to me, it was always easy to take pride in a car that looked new, even if it wasn't. I don't ever recall feeling good about a car that had turned into a beater and feeling good because it looked like it had a zillion miles on it. Ding ding ding!!!!! We have a winning argument!! I totally agree with Ken. I keep my cars looking as clean and shiny as possible. My 2011 Ford Fusion with 232,000 km on it still looks great except for a few door dings.
That being said, I keep my guitars clean and polished and keep my belt buckle away from the body. No buckle rash on my guitars. I buckle my belt on my side when playing guitar- no rash! |
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Post by highdeaf on Jan 27, 2022 18:48:03 GMT
What's the deal with relic guitars? Nothing as far as I can tell. They generally aren't cheaper, they generally aren't a better deal. In fact, quite often they are an upcharge. So the opposite of nearly every other commodity out there.
I know I wouldn't pay less for a relic, but I also wouldn't pay more. It's as irrelevant as the color. I so rarely have bought new, that color was never an issue. If I liked the guitar, I learned to like the color. Of course, there may be exception (hello, kitty, I'm looking at you) but in general at least.
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Post by zontar on Jan 29, 2022 20:40:43 GMT
Ding ding ding!!!!! We have a winning argument!! I totally agree with Ken. I keep my cars looking as clean and shiny as possible. My 2011 Ford Fusion with 232,000 km on it still looks great except for a few door dings.
That being said, I keep my guitars clean and polished and keep my belt buckle away from the body. No buckle rash on my guitars. I buckle my belt on my side when playing guitar- no rash! I rarely tuck in my shirt, if it is plugged in, I am likely wearing a suit with a jacket So the back of my guitars have very little buckle rash. |
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