I see this a lot. Could we be any more judgmental?

If someone buys an old guitar with battle scars that aren't of their own doing, are they also "lying" in your mind? I don't think anyone who buys relic guitars is going around trying to convince people of their merits as a guitarist or that they caused every mark on the guitar. Most like the way they look. Many like the way they feel already broken in, and that they sound like old guitars that would be otherwise unobtainable due to the cost. At the end of the day we're just talking about guitars, it's not that serious.

This question is not directed at anyone, but instead the thread raises the question to me...

Are torrified tops a form of "relicing" a guitar? If so, then I am guilty as charged because I have a 2019 Taylor K14ce BE, which has one. :)

Tony

It could probably be considered so, but some guitars look beautiful in both new and "reliced" condition. Neither applies to a PRS.

PRS guitars start at $499 in America. SE Standard.

That's my contention with this whole topic - which never gets addressed: why is there merit in scars?

If you are the best musician in the world and your instrument is well cared for and pristine why are you less admired than someone who beats the heck out of their instrument?

You aren’t. I don’t think there’s anything to the notion that one is more admired if their guitar has scars. As mentioned, some just like the way they look and/or play. An original 1952 blackguard Telecaster is unobtainable for most people because it’s crazy expensive to buy one. But you can get a reproduction from a number of builders that sounds, plays and looks pretty darn close to one for a fraction of the cost.

Personally I don't care for the look, but personally I also don't care if others do.
And one claim often floated, is that it is simply another cosmetic finnish choice. Like say SunBurst, and maybe it is, I suppose. Perhaps more like when while working on a residential home renovation project in Jackson Hole. Honestly I was horrified, after painstakingly having assembled and set 4 big brand new clear fir, exposed timber trusses, all with mortise & tenon joints , all pegged with wood dowels (no steel bolts) Then the owner came in with three sets of tire chains and wanted us to beat the snot out of them :eek:

With all due respect I think several of you are taking someone’s style choices too personally.

Weren’t ripped jeans in style once? Or more than once? No need to get all into the “what does it say about me if I DON’T rip my jeans??? other than you have different style choices. If someone buys brand new jeans and rips them purposefully, who cares? If there is a rack of clothes somewhere with a $5000 pair of brand new ripped jeans does it effect you in any way if you keep your jeans rip free?

Yeah, why get bent out of shape about it. It's just a stylistic choice. I've never bought one, but some people just like the look of old guitars, and more importantly, some people like the FEEL of older guitars. Some of these relics have some nice rounding over of their fingerboards that I've liked the feel of. Some other people won't take their minty guitars out because they are afraid of a little ding or two, well relic'ing takes care of that worry:) To each his own.

This video would help those that receive a guitar via a shipper then complain about that 1/4: hairline scratch on the back of a guitar.

For my personal taste...If a guitar doesn’t come by a relic’d finish naturally it suggests that one wants to look the part, without the effort and joy of actually earning it. Why miss out on the fun of playing it into a relic’d state? That’s what’s cool.

Just my 2 cents. Ymmv, and all of that.

Have to admit, I’m a big relic fan and plan to copy this for a fraction of the price. I’ll post pics when it’s done. Right now I’m a better builder than player but this will change over time.

https://reverb.com/item/2391862-fend...paisley-r70760

Many here, like me, would never buy a guitar that had been taken care of (abused) like that. I suppose, those who would purchase a beat up guitar would think this is fine. The only "beat up" guitar I would ever buy would be one from Neil Young, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Woody Guthrie, or similar, that had the documented pedigree that comes from decades of hard use. Having taken meticulous care of my road guitars for decades, I prefer a cleaner look. BUT I couldn't care less what you (universal you) do with your guitars.

I would state that my opinion is quite the opposite from yours. I believe a high percentage of people buying "road weary" artificially aged, faux-aged instruments are indeed doing so to look like they've put in their 10,000 hours - without doing so.