Poll, Would you buy a relic, or distressed looking new guitar

[carloszeke]

I think it's a pretty silly trend to be honest. I know over time my new guitars will show legit signs of wear, but some of these relics look more like they are showing signs of constant and significant abuse. To each his own I guess, but it's definitely not for me.

I agree. I tend to loose respect for musicians who don't treat their guitar as the fine instrument it is. Makes me wonder what the inside of their home looks like…or even how they treat the people around them….

 

[MaxTwang]

If someone enjoys their relic - good for them. If someone enjoys their polished guitar - good for them too.

 

[nicolasrivera]

Ahhhh...

Looks are one thing, eye of the beholder, but relicing improves tone? That's a hard sell for me beyond PIO caps & wiring schemes.

Enlighten us?

It would be idiotic to believe that by making scratches and dents to a guitar would it make it sound better, but a proper re-finish with proper nitro lacquer does and some relic jobs consists of full refinishing.

I have experienced this first hand with many fender guitars, japan made guitars and china made guitars to which i have taken off the heavy thick polyurethane clear coats and refinish in thin lacquer, sound and resonance do get enhanced or as i like to see it, they get freed.

 

[Solarfire]

Well, this just tells me you really don't know what you are talking about man, really.

Well let me see, I’m 55 years old 47 of these I’ve been playing guitar, 40 of these I’ve been doing setup, repairs and customizing, in the last 10-15 I’ve built 6 customs for myself, including the one in my avatar. When I wasn’t doing that I was designing and building custom Tube amps. So yeah.. I guess I REALLY don’t know what I’m talking about.:?

 

[Ron_R]

Well let me see, I’m 55 years old 47 of these I’ve been playing guitar, 40 of these I’ve been doing setup, repairs and customizing, in the last 10-15 I’ve built 6 customs for myself, including the one in my avatar. When I wasn’t doing that I was designing and building custom Tube amps. So yeah.. I guess I REALLY don’t know what I’m talking about.:?

Someone might even think you're an expert or something. Pffft...:mrgreen

 

[Highcastle_of_Tone]

I like weathered guitars, there are so many iconic examples (SRV's #1, for one example), but I want to be the cause on my own guitars.

 

[EJ James (Street)]

Does relicing make them play or sound better, fuck no?

If the relic'd appearance of a guitar invokes more emotion and inspires the player then I'd say "fuck yes, it does".

/perspective

We all have our own motivators and various things that bring us joy, or things that invoke other emotions that color and influence our playing.

 

[toolfanem]

If the relic'd appearance of a guitar invokes more emotion and inspires the player then I'd say "fuck yes, it does".

/perspective

We all have our own motivators and various things that bring us joy, or things that invoke other emotions that color and influence our playing.

This. The look of the guitar can, just like any external stimuli, have a huge effect on what you play and the way you play.

My uncle has a Fender Musicmaster from something like 30 years ago. Its old and beat up looking, but the action is SUPER low and doesnt fret out anywhere so it plays great! When I play that guitar, my playing changes. Maybe its the shape, neck, strings, weight, size, ect, OR maybe its the combination of all of those things and the look of it too. There is no way to really separate those influences.

 

[Solarfire]

If the relic'd appearance of a guitar invokes more emotion and inspires the player then I'd say "fuck yes, it does".

/perspective

We all have our own motivators and various things that bring us joy, or things that invoke other emotions that color and influence our playing.

I was referencing the tonal and playability qualities of the instrument itself, not the self-induced “Now I have a 59 LP” effect resulting out of wishful thinking. But if it really would help to make one a better guitar player by banging up guitars then believe me mine would be saw dust by now and I would be the EVH².

 

[RalphNYC]

Would you buy distressed jeans? Same thing

 

[PacoCasanovasOld]

No

 

[nicolasrivera]

If the relic'd appearance of a guitar invokes more emotion and inspires the player then I'd say "fuck yes, it does".

/perspective

This is what its all about dude!!!... yet people, young and old!, don't seem to understand just how simple the answer is!

 

[nicolasrivera]

Well let me see, I’m 55 years old 47 of these I’ve been playing guitar, 40 of these I’ve been doing setup, repairs and customizing, in the last 10-15 I’ve built 6 customs for myself, including the one in my avatar. When I wasn’t doing that I was designing and building custom Tube amps. So yeah.. I guess I REALLY don’t know what I’m talking about.:?

Yet, you have zero experience in relicing a guitar!

Its not about how many years one has repairing, building and making, its about understanding the feel of a distressed guitar and what that feel and sound evokes in the player!

For example this LP classic didn't had anything wrong yet the owner never bonded with it, he send it to me and told me to pick up any color i wanted for it, just make it feel not so plasticky!
So a complete refinish with a thin layer of lacquer made a huge difference on the guitar, this is my current protect and its at its final stages of hand polishing.

This is how the guitar looked, its not the same guitar as i did not took a photo of it before stripping the finish, but it was the same as this one:



And after the color i choose for it, the deep cherry sides and back color matches as good as i could to some of the original bursts from the 50's.

Hand wet sanding the raw lacquer.

 

[EJ James (Street)]

I was referencing the tonal and playability qualities of the instrument itself, not the self-induced “Now I have a 59 LP” effect resulting out of wishful thinking. But if it really would help to make one a better guitar player by banging up guitars then believe me mine would be saw dust by now and I would be the EVH².

A lot of what you're talking about comes from the player themselves, not the guitar. It's called technique. An accomplished player can make that $150 Squier sound way above its station, but a less accomplished player would have a hard time making a $3500 LP sound any better than the $150 Squier. I'm sure with the time you've invested in music you'd be able to make that Squier sound excellent.

Again, if the feel and look of a guitar can enhance someones attitude toward playing, I say go for it.

If relics aren't for you, no harm, no foul, but not everyone shares your opinion.

I'm saying all this as someone who doesn't even own a relic'd guitar. Every one of my guitars are as pristine as the day they were made with very minor exceptions. That doesn't mean they don't get played, it simply means I take excellent care of my gear. I enjoy playing beautiful guitars, but as the old adage says..."beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and that includes relic'd guitars.

 

[adew]

I dunno, I thought I was reading a post on TGP by mistake, judging by the polarised views, wild sweeping statements, followed by tit for tat comments about how someone must keep their home (or not), or how long they've played, customised, reliced, polished, whatever, etc. Relax, guys! It's just a guitar - with a finish that doesn't appeal to you. So what? Heck, I'm not much a fan of burst finishes - most of them look horrible to me - but who cares! (Oops! If this is TGP I'm gonna get mega-flamed within minutes, :lol )

I've currently 3 relic-y/aged guitars in my small collection: a truly tacky to look at, but great budget player (Vintage V100PGM); a beautiful looking and wonderfully playable ESP Eclipse AHB with a neck and action to die for; and the fave of all my guitars, a Gibson Marc Bolan VOS, which resonates in my hands like nothing I've ever played before or since, exceptionally well setup and finished, and an absolute joy to play with a killer old school sound. I don't give a damn about their ageing being fake and not "earned" after 4000 gigs down at the crossroads - it's just a finish which, in two of the cases I've listed above, really, really appealed to me and helped swayed my purchasing decision at the time.

At the end of the day, many things we purchase involve decisions where our heart (sense of beauty, esthetics) plays just as big a role as our head (specifications, fitness for purpose), be it guitars, cars, that wrist watch, or even the toaster in our kitchens. You shiney-guitar lovers: please, before reaching for your pitchforks and flaming torches, consider that those exact same considerations went into your decisions to buy that shiney, flame/quilt/whatever top - which I may well have considered as being boring, tackily "Las Vegas", and the last thing I'd be seen playing at a gig, thank you very much. :lol

Isn't rather cool that we don't all like like the same things? Me say "yes"! 8)

[/rant]

Going back to my AxeFX now to rock out and maybe write a few riffs. :encouragement:

 

[Rotti]

I haven't found it so polarized. I think most here have a preference, but can at least appreciate the other perspective.

Live and let relic!

 

[Solarfire]

Yet, you have zero experience in relicing a guitar!

Its not about how many years one has repairing, building and making, its about understanding the feel of a distressed guitar and what that feel and sound evokes in the player!

For example this LP classic didn't had anything wrong yet the owner never bonded with it, he send it to me and told me to pick up any color i wanted for it, just make it feel not so plasticky!
So a complete refinish with a thin layer of lacquer made a huge difference on the guitar, this is my current protect and its at its final stages of hand polishing.

This is how the guitar looked, its not the same guitar as i did not took a photo of it before stripping the finish, but it was the same as this one:



And after the color i choose for it, the deep cherry sides and back color matches as good as i could to some of the original bursts from the 50's.

Hand wet sanding the raw lacquer.

This in IMHO doesn’t fall under the term “relic”, changing the finish as in this case will absolutely change the sound and feel.

 

[Bill Piersall]

As to playability, IMHO a relic'd guitar if done right can have a leg up on it's counterpart. For example, Fender's Eric Johnson Strat has the nitro finish on the neck. After years of playing, it will feel great, but is very sticky feeling out of the box. A relic'd neck solves this and more. The worn rounded edges feel more comfortable to most players.
For the neck, the changes go beyond being cosmetic.
I'm all for putting my own wear on the guitar, but if I had a Fender EJ, I'd sand the finish on the neck a bit or at least use a green scrubbie to get rid of that sticky feeling.

I love a pristine, beautifully finished guitar as much as the next guy. But I like the look and feel of some relics too. No matter how it looks, for me playability and tone come first.

Just my opinion


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Solarfire]

I dunno, I thought I was reading a post on TGP by mistake, judging by the polarised views, wild sweeping statements, followed by tit for tat comments about how someone must keep their home (or not), or how long they've played, customised, reliced, polished, whatever, etc. Relax, guys! It's just a guitar - with a finish that doesn't appeal to you. So what? Heck, I'm not much a fan of burst finishes - most of them look horrible to me - but who cares! (Oops! If this is TGP I'm gonna get mega-flamed within minutes, :lol )

I've currently 3 relic-y/aged guitars in my small collection: a truly tacky to look at, but great budget player (Vintage V100PGM); a beautiful looking and wonderfully playable ESP Eclipse AHB with a neck and action to die for; and the fave of all my guitars, a Gibson Marc Bolan VOS, which resonates in my hands like nothing I've ever played before or since, exceptionally well setup and finished, and an absolute joy to play with a killer old school sound. I don't give a damn about their ageing being fake and not "earned" after 4000 gigs down at the crossroads - it's just a finish which, in two of the cases I've listed above, really, really appealed to me and helped swayed my purchasing decision at the time.

At the end of the day, many things we purchase involve decisions where our heart (sense of beauty, esthetics) plays just as big a role as our head (specifications, fitness for purpose), be it guitars, cars, that wrist watch, or even the toaster in our kitchens. You shiney-guitar lovers: please, before reaching for your pitchforks and flaming torches, consider that those exact same considerations went into your decisions to buy that shiney, flame/quilt/whatever top - which I may well have considered as being boring, tackily "Las Vegas", and the last thing I'd be seen playing at a gig, thank you very much. :lol

Isn't rather cool that we don't all like like the same things? Me say "yes"! 8)

[/rant]

Going back to my AxeFX now to rock out and maybe write a few riffs. :encouragement:

I don’t see the polarization here either; just an exchange of views and opinions, there is no right or wrong when it comes to reaching your musical zenith. My comments were limited to the physics of the instrument itself and not in terms of what the player himself may get out of relicing, which is more on the psychological aspect of the instrument, which will be inconsistent from player to player; this will range from negative to positive.

As to nicolasreveras example above, IMHO this falls more in the category upgrade than relicing.

PS. If all opinions were the same there would be no need for discussion/debate or for forums for that matter.

 

[tonaholic]

Absolutely