i'm enjoying wearing my guitars out slowly over the years, watching them earn their battle scars... the ones I got new took at least a couple of years to feel like my guitars - not just one out of the store. But now they are truly part of my life. That's the thing about a guitar showing its age, it's been through all those gigs, recorded all those songs, been played by those one or two legends you got the chance to work with, been on all those flights with you, been in and out of your van countless times....
I love em when they're getting worn, and I can see why people would buy one made like that... but you still can't put years of playing into a guitar with sandpaper.

You make a very good point, I first thought whats the point, I guess it makes the owner of the instrument feel like his equipment is unique, if only to him/her, I'm in the process of ramping up to burn my first stratocaster ala Hendrix style....kinda looking forward to it.

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Regards

bluesdog88

Would you mind posting some pics of your naturally battle worn guitar?

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http://www.youtube.com/user/gmlasam

I don't know how to embed fotos here, but here's a couple up on picasa.
I don't have close-ups of wear marks - too busy playin the things - but the last shot is a serial number shot for insurance purposes and you can see how nicely the nitro laquer and paint has settled into the grain, and cracked and dulled too. It's the headstock of my Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion semi-hollow beauty, which just turned 20. The other shots are side of stage and studio line-ups... one of the Jazzmasters is a '61, sadly not mine but my buddy has let me play it a lot over the years. happy happy

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo ... directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo ... directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo ... directlink

i dont get it either i like shiny things

I really respect ur opinioon on the matter and i think the reason I like them is mainyl those beeefy $@! pickups and also the way it feels like an old guitar I can give or take the look of them.

BTW.. thats a very beautiful collection of guitars, I especially like the jazzmasters.

Personally, The road worns don't appeal to me, but I envy the guy who gets to sling brand new strats across an old parking lot for 8 hours a day.
Can you imagine, showing up for work, with a line a freshly finished guitars to scratch, and your boss saying, "that guitar looks new, Go huck it a few more times."
What a job!

I couldn't work for Fender and do this, however, I could work for ESP and do this. (LOL)

RK

I didn't read to many replies so I'm not sure if this is old news.

I'v never seen the appeal if truth be told. I can't understand how people could feel like its an 'old worn axe' when its actually a brand new worn axe to be 'frank'.
I'd only like it if I had worn it myself - Having said that, I certainly wouldn't say no if someone gave me one (obviously). I would even think of buying one if I had a streak of luck with money. (More out of interest).

Well I guess that I stated enough of times how highly I think of the Wolfgang. My friend came over with his Ernie Ball Music Man that was like the first Wolf. With its flat top and beautiful quilt top similar neck and killer sound after an hour I was hooked to get one. I find a guy on ebay who is selling his gear and has 2 EVH up one Blue one pink both mint but a lil faded . I grabbed the pink since they only made 200 in that color and paid $100 less than the blue that they made over 1500 and it cost me a lot of money. I was like a kid at Christmas when it came and took it to my friends shop for a set up. Well it came with 3 extra springs that were in a lil ziplock bag that was probably as old as the guitar 17 years old. When I got home I stood up the case to put it away and heard a clanking noise. I laid down the case and opened it to find that the case is made to close with the bar on and the springs broke through the bag and scratched and dinged the back of the guitar. I honestly swear I could not sleep for 2 nights thats how sick I felt. Now I am a straight up player not a straight up collector but I was SICK. So that relic nonsense is just that. As this guitar was gigged and broken in as lovely as could be but it was taken care of just like every ax should be and just like mine are. Sure my heavy players have dings but not because I wanted them and everyone hurt. I mean would you buy a Mercedes and go banging into things. Hey to those who like them God bless and go rip it up just dont ask me to lend you an ax.

i'm still interested in seeing threads a few years down the line "Is this original 70's strat or a Road Worn?", opens the door for a lot of counterfeiters. Plus there is nothing better (figuratively) than the feel of a crisp new blemish free strat. But good luck to all that have a road worn! I hope they have a good lasting value and make you happy! Just wont ever see me pick one up.

You can also ask..... what's the appeal of a thousand people having the same brand new looking, crisp and shiny Strat?

How is that any different from a Road Worn?

Ask anyone who plays one and they'll tell you up front that it came this way from the factory. We're not hiding that fact from anyone. We play them because they feel right in our hands. Sure, the look might have drawn us in but if it didn't speak to us in terms of sound and feel, we wouldn't have bought it.

Bottom line...... there's a LOT more to having the right guitar for the right person than just the looks. And it seems that wayyy too many people are hung up on the look.

C'mon people, this isn't a fashion show, it's music.

If folks can get past the look, the relic concept, the fact that it's Mexican etc etc, they'd quickly realise that these are just very fine Strats indeed..