Distressed / Relic'd Acoustic Guitars

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by rwmct

I am one of those who pretty much despise the very concept, and feel that somehow the fact that such things exist says something very troubling about our culture.

Other than that, I don't care . . .

If one was brought up in an era or situation when money was tight and hand-me-downs was the norm, I can understand that they don't understand, since they they could only dream of shiny, new things? Would I be far wrong?

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by stringjunky2

If one was brought up in an era or situation when money was tight and hand-me-downs was the norm, I can understand that they don't understand, since they they could only dream of shiny, new things? Would I be far wrong?

What you say makes a lot of sense except that the MSRP new prices for these guitars were:

Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo Signature guitars

Standard $3,653.00
Aged/distressed $8,598.00
Aged/distressed & personally signed by the artist $17,198.00

Looks like people, nowadays, might be dreaming of the scruffy old hand-me-down look.

[jaybones]

Maybe Martin will release a Willie Nelson signature N-20.

[Orfeas]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Relic'd guitars, distressed furniture, pre-faded jeans, tattoos, body piercings, purple hair, funny socks, dreadlocks, black wheels on cars, etc., etc.,

It's America gol' darn it

Can I be your friend????

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by stringjunky2

If one was brought up in an era or situation when money was tight and hand-me-downs was the norm, I can understand that they don't understand, since they they could only dream of shiny, new things? Would I be far wrong?

Well, far wrong in terms of my own upbringing. My dad was the depression kid. But I don't doubt that there is some influence there.

Mostly if just feels assumed, not earned, not obtained in the usual way. An image of the real thing as a valid substitute for the real thing.

A guitar that is genuinely road worn would have a lot of appeal to me. I would feel like a fraud with one a relicted one.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by guitar george

What you say makes a lot of sense except that the MSRP new prices for these guitars were:

Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo Signature guitars

Standard $3,653.00
Aged/distressed $8,598.00
Aged/distressed & personally signed by the artist $17,198.00

Looks like people, nowadays, might be dreaming of the scruffy old hand-me-down look.

Yes, what many people are aspiring to has kind of gone in reverse. Scruffy/worn is the new cool. I don't know whether that's because they want to feel more inclusive by being familiar or more exclusive by being different. People usually want to feel special and they buy things that supports that ideal... not everyone, of course, but as a general trend.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by rwmct

Well, far wrong in terms of my own upbringing. My dad was the depression kid. But I don't doubt that there is some influence there.

Mostly if just feels assumed, not earned, not obtained in the usual way. An image of the real thing as a valid substitute for the real thing.

A guitar that is genuinely road worn would have a lot of appeal to me. I would feel like a fraud with one a relicted one.

The thing is, the later generations don't know your perspective and they just like that look of the stuff that was around in your day, as it looks now, but the real thing is too expensive. It's a compliment really that people aspire to things from a long gone era and wish to emulate it.

[Jaden]

The Martin StreetMaster 000-15M and D-15M look really cool and are as far from the appearance of a new gloss spruce top as can be imagined, and may appeal to new/young buyers looking for something unique

[ollaimh]

for a small fee i will relick anyones guitar. i will put it in the freezer, put it out in the sun, bury it in the back yard, and scraped the front with a gouged paint scraper. only $500 plus shipping

[Looburst]

I know some acts in the Country market pay big bucks for these guitars because they want the public to think they have been playing it for years and have worn it that way, I call BS on this. Most of them can't even play guitar that well. Maybe they know three chords,,,,maybe! I'm not talking about the real guitar players like Keith Urban, but there are a lot of fakers out there.

[devellis]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Stranger still is the one listing I saw recently where a potential buyer was asking the seller if there was any wear beyond the factory relic finish, as if an extra ding mattered.

In answer to your opening question, I think it is some of both. The condition alleviates any concern over additional wear and it makes the instrument look and feel more like their originals. I know one Loar player was very happy to take his $15k DMM on the road while leaving his $250k Loar at home. The price of Loars is down a bit now, but still 10 times the price of a DMM. Some of the current Pre*War players also own vintage Martins, so I assume the same applies to them.

Their lowest level of distress is pretty mild. You know the work that Wes and Ben do with quality and tone. I think you might be able to talk yourself into a Level 1.

It does seem odd on the surface, but creating the relic look takes time. If it takes more time than creating a "perfect" finish, then the manufacturer has to charge for that. If the market is not willing to pay more, then the manufacturer will never do it.

Vintage instruments are different in that they already exist. No extra time goes into the worn look. However, the very clean examples are more rare and some buyers will dig deeper to get those. Personally, I have no interest in owning the very clean examples, but it is because so much of the value is in that high condition. The first scratch on a near-mint vintage instrument costs thousands of dollars. The next scratch on one of mine is of no financial consequence. I don't aim to damage them further, but I also don't have to worry about the random minor nick. On the other hand, I don't want vintage guitars that have been butchered, but even in some of those cases I'm interested if the tone and price are right.

Good explanations, Todd. Thanks.

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Here is a thread about the Pre*War Guitars Company from just last month. If we keep on pace we can get nine more in before Christmas..

February thread

For the record, everyone I know who owns a Pre*War guitar takes it outside their home, to jams, stage, recording, etc.

And a list of famous "frauds" playing such instruments.

Tommy Emmanuel (2 guitars - J and 000)
Molly Tuttle (D)
Andrew Marlin from Mandolin Orange (000)
Graham Sharp from Steep Canyon Rangers (000)
Woody Platt from Steep Canyon Rangers (HD)
Chris Frank from Red Clay Ramblers (J and NL)
Eli West
Trey Hensley

And for mandolin "frauds" we have those below for a start.

Ricky Skaggs
Herschel Sizemore
Roland White
Danny Roberts
Jeff Rose

I dunno if this is entirely accurate. I’ve been to two TE camps and at both he showed us new, pristine Matons he had gotten and how he would take a screwdriver to the top to scratch the surface up to get the percussive sounds he wanted. He said Maton refused to do it and a bunch of us just winced at the idea.

I’ve seen a couple of interviews with Molly Tuttle and it looked to me like her personal Huss and Daltons were pretty clean and did not look “relic’d”.

I was changing strings on my Taylor 812 and Colling OM1A this week and part of the process was cleaning and polishing the guitars. A shiny and clean guitar not only looks better but seems to sound better to me (like a clean and shiny car seems to just drive better).

And on the contrary, there are plenty of players with guitars with aged/relic’d finishes that seem to look down at players who like their guitars shiny and pristine.

To each his own, play music!

Originally Posted by SprintBob

...I’ve seen a couple of interviews with Molly Tuttle and it looked to me like her personal Huss and Daltons were pretty clean and did not look “relic’d”....

She just got a new Pre*War D last year.

The list of guitars players I noted are all owners of Pre*War guitars, not that they don't own and play other brands as well. The mandolin players all own Gibson Distressed Master Model F-5's.

[JNowlin]

I have a level 2 Pre War Guitar Co. 000-28. Not only does it sound great but it looks and feels great also. If I get a ding here or there it causes me no stress at all. The relic'ing helps relieve pressure in the top so that it can vibrate better. So there is a sonic benefit also.

I don't think that in general anyone is buying relic'd guitars so that they can impress anyone else by pretending they played the guitar for 40 years to get it that way. Same goes for people that buy vintage instruments that they didn't contribute to the play wear. So what does it matter if the end result is the same? I know the word Mojo or false Mojo gets thrown around a lot here. (Mojo def. - a magic charm, talisman, or spell) I'm not superstitious but maybe some people really do believe that some kind of mystical mumbo jumbo is passed on from player to inanimate object. If we are talking vibrations and age over the years then yeah I'll concede that there is something to that. Also, if your new guitar looks relic'd after 2 years of play and you've already had 2 fret jobs then these guitars are not for you. However, at my age with the limited amount of time each day I get to play it makes sense.

To each his own though. The market will decide if it's something people want and more and more companies are getting into the relic market. What is annoying to me is when someone buys a new guitar and then stresses over every little pick swirl and fingerprint on the thing. That's fine i guess if you bought the instrument for an investment but if you bought it to make music then it seems silly.

[BoneDigger]

Unless I'm buying a used guitar, I want every ding, scratch, and worn spot to be my own, with it's own story.