OK lets say your Aunt or Uncle call you up to say they were cleaning out the basement and found a family members guitar who played years ago and since they know you play they want you to have it. So they bring you the guitar and when you open up the case it is a 1954 Stratocaster. How would you want the guitar to look clean or relicd.

Gem mint. Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

super clean.

Wouldn't care. I would want it to be playable, and that's all that matters. If it was in mint condition, great, I'd still play it. If it the finish was worn and it was still playable, even better.

+1 on that one!

_________________
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Gandhi

Owner of:
-2008 American Standard Strat in Candy Cola Red
-Vibro-Champ XD
-Fender CD-60 Acoustic (Sunburst)

As many have said already, playability is the most important factor. However, having a '54 in cherry condition would be most acceptable.

_________________
I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

The mintier the better! I definitely wouldn't play a strat of that age.





...well, maybe for a little. But I would most certainly do my best to keep it in as immaculate-a-condition as possible.

Without hesitation, like it was brand, spanking new. This poses a serious problem for those who have a thing for defacing, er, I mean, relicing guitars.

_________________
You dig?

WHO CARES?! YOU GOT A '54 FOR FREE!?!?

some people have all the luck. me? not so much

_________________
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!

I surely wouldn't turn down either. My preference would to be a guitar that looks like it has some history to it. Like you'd look at it and know it's played so many gigs, see so much, and has so much vibe that it would almost play itself. Unless I wanted to sell it and make money (which I don't care about), I'd rather have a players guitar that a collector's piece any day.

Hello Straycat113,

Make mine mint.
The better condition the higher the value.

Cheers

Mint please.

I'm with dgonz - I'd love the history to show. I disagree with fake relic'ing, but when a guitar shows wear actually earned through a lifetime of playing, that's more like a fine aged wine - something you can only get with time and the correct conditions, no faking possible.

My guitar teacher has a blond Tele that is showing wear from many years of being played hard, and when I tag along to gigs he lets me put it back in the case for him. Makes me go weak in the knees, absolutely.

_________________
2008 MIM Strat w 3-tone sunburst
2002 LP Special Ebony Faded
2008 G-Dec
'59 Reissue Bassman 4x10 combo
TS 808
DS 1
Gretsch 6120DS (on loan)

I'd rather it be totally beat up, but playable. That way I wouldn't have to worry about decreasing the value by $2000 or more just because I knocked it off it's stand. And I wouldn't be scared to play it.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird

+1. I would probably sell it, share the profits with my extremely kind aunt or uncle and use my share to get a whole bunch of new gear that I wouldn't be afraid to play for fear of damaging it...