Anyone else frustrated with the whole relicing thing?

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

A thought occured to me.

Gere in the UK in the '60s a guitar was a very precious thing, they were expensive and difficult to find, so if you got one, esp. an "American" one, you treasured it.

I guess the first truly reliced guitar I saw was made that way by real road warrior work, and that was, I think, a white (or butterscotch) Fender Esquire played by Jeff Beck when he used to play and the Eel Pie Island club on Wednedays with "the Tridents".

Even then it looked so wrecked that I, a drummer, thought it looked weird.
The Stones were still playing Harmonys.

The next wrecked up guitar I remember was when I'd just started playing guitar and made friends with a starving luthier called Chis Eccleshall in west London. He used to work on stuff from a number of pretty famous guys. He phoned me up one day to tell me he had Rory Gallagher's D35 in for a set up. He knew I was looking for a Martin and hadn't seen a d35.

I drove over to see the d35 with a really high action, "that's how he likes it!" he said, same as his electric, and he pointed to a Strat that, as I remember, didn't have enough paint on to say what it ever was, dirty brown wood and grime, and with a very high action. "whose are they? "A guy called Rory Gallagher" I'd heard of him, but hadn't met or seen him. Later, I reailised how hard he worked his guitars.

Plus, Rory's Strat was stolen and dumped in a ditch and apparently stayed there for a couple of weeks. A bit of proto-relicing.

[joebloggs]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

Asked and answered. In reverse order.

Best post in this thread. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[jay7347]

I just bought a used SRV Fender Strat a couple of weeks ago. Some of the ones I saw "reliced", were at "spit out your coffee in shock" prices. It made me think I'm not gonna worry about a few "earned" nicks and dings on a 23 year old guitar. (And I have no intention of artificially furthering the process...) ;-)

-jay

[blews]

I am a traditionalist and a conservative curmudgeon...and am on the fence with it....that being said, I do not like anything shiny at all, even when it comes to electric guitars...I bought my Fano and she shows use and appears rel-Icked, but I love that P90 in the neck more than anything and just enjoy playing that guitar....i live with the looks and it kind of looks cool...

When I commissioned my Underwood, I did ask for Chad to “not make her shiny brand new looking” and he accomplished that very well....it almost has a satin finish on her and a few knocks here and there...looks amazing in addition to sounding amazing and I accomplished having a tele built that didn’t feel like it had a wax job on her....

Some of the Rel-Icked guitars out there look awful...

I wouldn’t pass on a guitar because she had a relic job on her like my Fano.....she sounds and feels amazing.....but I don’t go out into the market to shop for relic guitars.....

[Ray175]

I’ve never really seen the point. After all, why would I put surface damage on a new Porsche or Mercedes Benz just to make it look “used”....?

[T.Lime]

On electrics, I really do like a well done relic job..... this is mine, a 62 strat created in 2009 by the legendary Terry White at Kingswood Custom using original 62 body and neck ( from different guitars) and all Fender licensed parts

[Marley]

It's like buying new golf clubs that have been reliced to look like they're tour played sticks. Silly if you're a plus 3 and super silly if you're a 23. Rather silly to pay for it. If one comes to you without a ridiculous price tag then so be it. But to pay, screams desperation to me. Desperate for what I don't know other than desperate for fakeness. It's an illusion, it's not real.

[FoxHound4690]

Originally Posted by Marley

It's like buying new golf clubs that have been reliced to look like they're tour played sticks. Silly if you're a plus 3 and super silly if you're a 23. Rather silly to pay for it. If one comes to you without a ridiculous price tag then so be it. But to pay, screams desperation to me. Desperate for what I don't know other than desperate for fakeness. It's an illusion, it's not real.

Exactly how I feel.

[Alnicol]

This is my 63 years old telecaster.
Used but not abused.Fender custom shop could take note of this.

[Paleolith54]

What's really funny is that this whole rant is about 5-10 years too late. Old men yelling at clouds that were there last month.

[roylor4]

Nope. No frustration here. I could care less. Just another option for folks. Not my cup of tea though. IMO, there is nothing so foolish looking/sounding as a beginner that can barely play playing a "reliced" instrument. It's like a jet black toupee on a gray haired man.

I take pride in keeping my guitars looking and playing well. I would buy a reliced instrument that sounded and played incredible, but not at full price and never for a premium,

[stephenT]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

What's really funny is that this whole rant is about 5-10 years too late. Old men yelling at clouds that were there last month.

Very poetic, (though) it does seem to be a monthly wine party around these parts.

You get my vote for the best response in this <tiresome> thread.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

What's really funny is that this whole rant is about 5-10 years too late. Old men yelling at clouds that were there last month.

Could be. "I've looked at clouds from both sides now . From near and far and still somehow, it's clouds illusions I recall, I really don't know clouds at all "......... ohhhh wait

[varmonter]

I'll have to say it doesnt
Bother me. I'm not 100%
Sure of the process used.
But I'm pretty certain they start
With a brand new finished guitar.
So if a brand new strat costs 1200
Then a rel licked one would
Cost the labor in doing the rel lick.
Makes sense to me. I know enough
About finishing that if I wanted
A relic I'd do it myself.
But I wouldn't want a copy of Willie's trigger...

[antvas1963]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Relics remind me of enhancement plastic surgery. It discredits the real thing.

Well said.