The "Relic" thread
- Thread starter jerryjg
- Start date
Sprinter
New member
Re: The "Relic" thread
I like the look of well done relic guitars. However, I still prefer the real deal. Guitars that have been played for years and are naturally worn always look and feel better! Here's my '82 G&L, S-500. It was strung and played left handed for years so it has the wear reversed.
Sprinter
I like the look of well done relic guitars. However, I still prefer the real deal. Guitars that have been played for years and are naturally worn always look and feel better! Here's my '82 G&L, S-500. It was strung and played left handed for years so it has the wear reversed.
Sprinter
Pink Unicorn Horsey
Megä Pöny Rÿdr
phil_104
Cheesesteakologist
Re: The "Relic" thread
I use to really, really dig the look of a relic guitar. I was actually planning on trying out a relic strat as my next home made project.
I have realized over the last few months, that relics are only cool if they serve as a visual reminder of their story. What I mean by this, is that they are suppose to show what the piece and the musician have done together. If not, it's posing pure and simple.
I use to really, really dig the look of a relic guitar. I was actually planning on trying out a relic strat as my next home made project.
I have realized over the last few months, that relics are only cool if they serve as a visual reminder of their story. What I mean by this, is that they are suppose to show what the piece and the musician have done together. If not, it's posing pure and simple.
Gunny47
New member
Re: The "Relic" thread
I'm with you on that whole thing. When I was shoppin for strats, I really wanted a relic'ed one. I wound up getting a NOS one that really spoke to me. I don't like the way the checking looks on the closet classic models, looks too extreme and not very natural. I turned my strat into a closet classic after I dropped int he antiquities and gigged with it for a year and a half straight. The relics are always way overpriced from fender, they hardly have any wear on them and don't look too cool.
Relic'ing just looks crappy on all the cool colors that I like. Lake Placid Blue, Teal Green Metallic, Sherwood Green, Candy Apple Red and Burgundy Mist Metallic. Relic'ing only looks good on like bursts, black, white or some very light colors like sonic blue IMO. I just like the newer look better and I'll eventually play them in.
I'm with you on that whole thing. When I was shoppin for strats, I really wanted a relic'ed one. I wound up getting a NOS one that really spoke to me. I don't like the way the checking looks on the closet classic models, looks too extreme and not very natural. I turned my strat into a closet classic after I dropped int he antiquities and gigged with it for a year and a half straight. The relics are always way overpriced from fender, they hardly have any wear on them and don't look too cool.
Relic'ing just looks crappy on all the cool colors that I like. Lake Placid Blue, Teal Green Metallic, Sherwood Green, Candy Apple Red and Burgundy Mist Metallic. Relic'ing only looks good on like bursts, black, white or some very light colors like sonic blue IMO. I just like the newer look better and I'll eventually play them in.
Re: The "Relic" thread
Wanting a relic'd guitar for its look and "vibe", even if its a artifically created vibe is no different though than a metal player wanting his Jackson or ESP but to totally black now is it ? Black hardware, black active pups, black finish etc. Its about a look that appeals to you as a player.
If that means some crazy pointed angles and screaming purple tiger stripe to best go with your teased up hair and spandex tights, so be it.
Or if it means an ESP in a "hardcore" finish such as snow camo, so be it
Or if you think a finish that matches a sports car in the showroow, 24k gold hardware and your name inlaid into the neck, because it completes your outfit of leather pants and ponytail on your aging 40+ year old rocker look, more power to you.
Or if it means wearing the finish off the back of a neck and aging the hardware either to make the guitar look old, or maybe even actually buying or being lucky enough to have a real 62 sunburst Fender etc, so be it as well.
Just all comes down to what look appeals to you
Theres guys who like a candy apple red 32 ford roadster with $10,000 paint job, $5000 billet aluminum rim and towing it around on a custom trailer just to show it off for magazines
Theres also guys who like the same 32 ford painted flat black from a spray can and having it look like a true "hot rod" like a kid in a 50's auto shop probably would of built, and thats made to be taken out and driven whenever possible.
Two totally different looks and styles of the same thing, whos to say that one is better than the other really ?
I'm sure the corporate CEO who bought the Boyd roadster is very happy with it, and I'm sure the rockabilly guy who likes driving his 32 around with his girl on the weekend to some festivals also loves his car.
I obviously would prefer the "rat rod" which I'm sure is obvious, but try to just worry about making myself happy and not worrying so much about the other guy.
So if I want to rock a fake relic'd pink/daphene blue strat and my buddy wants to polish his quilted maple teal top PRS to a mirror like finish, as long as we enjoy playing music together, it really doesnt matter what we play, but just that we are playing
Wanting a relic'd guitar for its look and "vibe", even if its a artifically created vibe is no different though than a metal player wanting his Jackson or ESP but to totally black now is it ? Black hardware, black active pups, black finish etc. Its about a look that appeals to you as a player.
If that means some crazy pointed angles and screaming purple tiger stripe to best go with your teased up hair and spandex tights, so be it.
Or if it means an ESP in a "hardcore" finish such as snow camo, so be it
Or if you think a finish that matches a sports car in the showroow, 24k gold hardware and your name inlaid into the neck, because it completes your outfit of leather pants and ponytail on your aging 40+ year old rocker look, more power to you.
Or if it means wearing the finish off the back of a neck and aging the hardware either to make the guitar look old, or maybe even actually buying or being lucky enough to have a real 62 sunburst Fender etc, so be it as well.
Just all comes down to what look appeals to you
Theres guys who like a candy apple red 32 ford roadster with $10,000 paint job, $5000 billet aluminum rim and towing it around on a custom trailer just to show it off for magazines
Theres also guys who like the same 32 ford painted flat black from a spray can and having it look like a true "hot rod" like a kid in a 50's auto shop probably would of built, and thats made to be taken out and driven whenever possible.
Two totally different looks and styles of the same thing, whos to say that one is better than the other really ?
I'm sure the corporate CEO who bought the Boyd roadster is very happy with it, and I'm sure the rockabilly guy who likes driving his 32 around with his girl on the weekend to some festivals also loves his car.
I obviously would prefer the "rat rod" which I'm sure is obvious, but try to just worry about making myself happy and not worrying so much about the other guy.
So if I want to rock a fake relic'd pink/daphene blue strat and my buddy wants to polish his quilted maple teal top PRS to a mirror like finish, as long as we enjoy playing music together, it really doesnt matter what we play, but just that we are playing
jimijames
New member
Re: The "Relic" thread
Bingo. We need to remember that guitars are built for creating music. Everything else comes in a distant second.
Bingo. We need to remember that guitars are built for creating music. Everything else comes in a distant second.
Re: The "Relic" thread
Know what else relics are like ? Tennis shoes (or trainers for those in the UK)
Some people love a nice new white pair of tennis shoes
Other people, myself included, hate how bright white new shoes look, we like a nice old dirty pair that draws no attention.
I remember being in school when was little and how you'd always get people wanting to step on new shoes to be the first to get them dirty etc.
Or not wanting to walk in the mud because your shoes were new
A nice old pair no one could care less about, and nor would you, you'd just wear them.
Thats sort of whats nice about a less than perfect guitar, be it a relic or otherwise.
So you bump a mic stand and put a little ding in there, who cares, its dinged up anyways, but man, if its a perfect guitar, you can hardly play the rest of the show, your busy looking at the dent and wondering how bad its going to look in the light etc
Or same goes for a new car. Who hasn't parked far away at a the shopping market so avoid door dings, getting hit my carts etc ?
After a few years you've got some and your car is just a car, you park where you can find a spot and stop worrying
My Gretsch Im very careful with, no belt buckles or anything, its expensive, beautiful and perfect. Which is both a good and bad thing
Some of my other guitars I just pick up and play, which is sort of nice
Know what else relics are like ? Tennis shoes (or trainers for those in the UK)
Some people love a nice new white pair of tennis shoes
Other people, myself included, hate how bright white new shoes look, we like a nice old dirty pair that draws no attention.
I remember being in school when was little and how you'd always get people wanting to step on new shoes to be the first to get them dirty etc.
Or not wanting to walk in the mud because your shoes were new
A nice old pair no one could care less about, and nor would you, you'd just wear them.
Thats sort of whats nice about a less than perfect guitar, be it a relic or otherwise.
So you bump a mic stand and put a little ding in there, who cares, its dinged up anyways, but man, if its a perfect guitar, you can hardly play the rest of the show, your busy looking at the dent and wondering how bad its going to look in the light etc
Or same goes for a new car. Who hasn't parked far away at a the shopping market so avoid door dings, getting hit my carts etc ?
After a few years you've got some and your car is just a car, you park where you can find a spot and stop worrying
My Gretsch Im very careful with, no belt buckles or anything, its expensive, beautiful and perfect. Which is both a good and bad thing
Some of my other guitars I just pick up and play, which is sort of nice
Re: The "Relic" thread
i used to be able to buy beat up used guitars for cheap... ever since this relic and aging phase started the more beat up a used guitar is the more it's worth!?!?!?!?! it pisses me off...
My new Closet Classic CS strat was not exactly what i was looking for in a strat... buying a new guitar to me is more or less about buying a new guitar!!! But when i was offered a real expensive Custom Shop piece for the same price as a 57/62 American Reissue i thought i'd be crazy not to take the CS piece... In fact the strat i had in mind to buy was either going to be the green 62 Rod Rod the store had or a common Cola Red American Standard... The American Standard is my kind of strat.... I like modern Strats... but as i said why not buy a Custom Shop piece for not much more... i'm glad i did! It is pretty cool!
i used to be able to buy beat up used guitars for cheap... ever since this relic and aging phase started the more beat up a used guitar is the more it's worth!?!?!?!?! it pisses me off...
My new Closet Classic CS strat was not exactly what i was looking for in a strat... buying a new guitar to me is more or less about buying a new guitar!!! But when i was offered a real expensive Custom Shop piece for the same price as a 57/62 American Reissue i thought i'd be crazy not to take the CS piece... In fact the strat i had in mind to buy was either going to be the green 62 Rod Rod the store had or a common Cola Red American Standard... The American Standard is my kind of strat.... I like modern Strats... but as i said why not buy a Custom Shop piece for not much more... i'm glad i did! It is pretty cool!