So..... I know a lot of people around here are not fans of Mayer.... heck some people hate him (bcb comes to mind )
I'm a fan and I think his signature strat plays great.
But when I saw this limited CS BLACK1 get released it just bugged me to no end
here's a link for those who are unfamiliar
http://www.fender.com/customshop/black1.html

I am all about CS guitars that emulate an artists actual guitar wear and tear because it has been played for years, ala the beautiful relic gilmour strat.

But this John Mayer relic BLACK1 just plains stinks IMO. Its a custom shop guitar of a Custom shop guitar relic'ed to mayer's liking
It just bothers me that its a relic of a relic and not a relic of a real guitar. Mayer has never played a guitar to that condition.

Anyone with me on this?
Am I making any sense?

Uhhhh, not again... Are we not yet beyond this issue and happily strumming our instruments?
Apparently not. Ah well. I'll better go get the fire extinguisher... *trots off*

Peace guys.

I am with you that the fact it is a replica of a fake relic to begin with is a bit silly. But to each his own concerning the decision to play a relic or not.

What I find more ridiculous is the fact that this guy has so many signature guitars when many other more deserving Fender players are overlooked. But then again, we know it isn't about skill or what is deserved but rather what will sell and what is more marketable to pop culture and the kiddies. So goes Fender's relationship with John Mayer and it won't change any time soon until his pop culture status wears off, and it will in time.

but I totally understand your point with the original post.

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

At the end of the day it's about selling product I guess, I just always felt that Custom Shop should be held to a higher standard. SRV, Clapton, Gilmour etc...... then to see a relic of a 6 year old guitar!!! wow


BCB.... BTW you inspired me to get into Joe Bonamassa. I pvr some Bonamassa specials/concerts I found.... man can that guy play!! Awesome

well thanks man, after I found out about him a while ago i wanted to make sure to pass the name along to as many blues, guitar and music lovers as I could. i know Joe is kind of the anti-pop star but he deserves his props and success. if me spreading the word to people can help them find a guitarist and music that they also like, then they will spread the word to their friends.

Check out the "Blues Deluxe" album as well as the 2 disc "Live From Nowhere In Particular". "You and Me" is one of his good albums as well. Both very good listens. The Live At Rockpalast 2005 concert is also really good.

Thanks!

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Man how many times till people get it in their heads? You don't get a signature guitar by being a deserving player. You get one by selling a load of records and appearing on tv a lot.

I don't like Mayer or his music. It's gotta be starringly obvious to even a blind man that he's sold more in the last 5 years than the rest of Fender's endorsees put together. Why do you think Clapton had him at the Crossroads festival? Because their great mates? I doubt it. Because he's such a distinguished player, nah I know 10 better in my locale and one of em builds acoustics for the Clap. Because he'll attract a younger audience, when you could argue that Claptons longtime audience is diminishing through age and EC's thinking about his pension plan? Thats what I'd guess.
(before anyone states the obvious about the Crossroads gigs. You'll never ever meet a poor charity owner)
Same as the relic thing. Fender wouldn't make em unless they sold. No matter how many people whine about em on some internet forum. You got all the right in the world not to like something. But the current level of moaning about relic guitars is beyond childish. All these people who bought a £1500 guitar and think that gives them the right to tell the biggest guitar building company in the world how to run their business.
Thank God they don't pay any attention. If they did the rise of the internet would have done more harm to Fender's name than CBS did.

I wonder exactly how many of those Mayer CS guitars are hanging around on shelves waiting to be sold?

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No no and no

I find this reasoning strange. Fender makes it able to create your own guitar. JM simply wanted one with not much paint, hence the SRV love.. Why would JM not use this feature if it's available? Now people (like the topic starter) say it is a fake relic with now fake replicas. I understand this part. What I don't understand is why there always is an implicit message in their opinions saying it should not be this way..

Like others already mentioned: Fender is a business. If they can sell 83 $10K guitars within one month (maybe a little exaggerated), they'll do it.

to whoever wrote this on the bathroom stall wall, I salute you.

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Not another Mayer thread Yawn............

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Humm....

I've avoided the BLACK1 threads for various reasons, but I have to say I can't see why everyone's making such a fuss.

They only made 83 of 'um, so no biggy, right?

Andy

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Pending Greatness

I have played several relics and Roadworn guitars, and to be honest, I liked the way they felt and played. The broken-in feel of the neck was great. I wasn't too super-keen on the thought of buying a "new" beat up guitar. I prefer to have something that was relic'd organically--through use and actual age as opposed to an artificial process...but those necks felt great.



Small sampling of notable Fender players that have been overlooked:

Doyle Bramhall II
Charlie Sexton
David Lee Holt
Derek O'Brien
Buddy Whittington
Chris Duarte
Kid Ramos
Dusty Hill (prefers early-style Precision and Telecaster basses)
Tab Benoit
Jonny Lang
Otis Rush
Don Rich
Ronnie Wood
Pete Townshend

...and many, many more.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

I would be happy with one great playing/sounding guitar without some some so-called "stars" name on it. Jonny Lange? LOL He does make some good faces like Mayer though.
Frank Zappa doesn't even have or want a grave marker let alone a guitar with his name on it. He was known to play a Strat from time to time. If we stopped buying sig guitars, maybe they could get back to making good ones here in the U.S.
Personally, I don't need 5,000 flavors of the same thing, especially one with someone elses' name on it pre beaten up of course. I don't see where anyone "deserves" a sig guitar mostly for being in the right place at the right time or having better looks than talent or selling more CD's than the guy who is really talented at the local bar. There are plenty of undiscovered musicians who would love to just get a break and are not even worried about getting their name on a guitar. Epiphone's doing it with a Joe Bonamassa Goldtop. I'm Interested just because I got to try one out. Really Nice. I would just take his name off the trussrod cover and put a blank plate on, change the knobs and pickguard and just enjoy the way this thing plays.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Johnny Lang is every bit as good of a player in every aspect as Mayer and a better vocalist as well. That might not be the popular answer but it is the accurate answer. He like mayer has turned more pop in his music and drifted from his blues roots and people give him flack for that, but when speaking of Mayer people call that "progressing" or "playing the music he likes".

If you bought a Bonamassa sig guitar and changed those parts out, it would still be a Bonamassa sig guitar. I have no problem with sig guitars and think it is ok if someone wants to buy a replica guitar or sig model of their favorite artist, I have just accepted the fact that nowadays it is more about who will sell more guitars. That isn't going to change going forward.

+1 to the list of more deserving players, that I do agree with...in the end we know those players are deserving but just not as popular with "pop" culture.

_________________
Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

That's why I bought a CS signature guitar that has the neck/body and the electronics that I wanted on my guitar but does not have the artist name on the guitar at all. It does have the name inside the case though I would just as soon it didn't.

The only thing that make it a Bonamassa guitar IS the cosmetics. Otherwise it's pretty much an Epi Goldtop with Gibson pups in it.
I find neither Lang or Mayer original or creative, but that's just a matter of taste. I'd never fault anyone for liking what they like. BCB don't worry, I still respect you and your love of the deep Blues. I don't like KWS either or any other Hat with a Strat. Texas Blues was defined for me even before SRV was a glimmer in his Dad's eye. Unless someone designs a guitar from the ground up like Leo fender or Les Paul, I can do without the artists name. Modding a current model is not designing anything in my book.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal