For those of you that own Custom Shop Relics...

I have never really been interested in the Relics for myself, and now that they aren't making the Closet Classics anymore, I am having difficulty finding NOS guitars to the specs that I am looking for. Relics are EVERYWHERE.

Anyway, I am beginning to consider a Relic, and am concerned about the hardware. When the "relic" these guitars, I am guessing that they oxidize the bridge and tuning keys to give them that aged look.

For those of you with Relics, does this process affect the performance of the bridge or tuning keys? Are they still nice and tight, or are the loose like a real, old vintage guitar would actually have?

Thanks for the insight!!

They look old and relic'd. How much so depends on the amount of aging the guitar has.

Of all the relic's I've seen, played or heard of. I've only heard of one problem with hardware. A screwhead stripped before it turned, apparently. Thats one out of God knows how many, I wouldnt let it worry me.

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No no and no

Here I am trying to prevent my guitars from rusting and oxidizing.
Must be where all the money is. To let it go.

Yeah, I'm with you Shock. I just can't find what I want in a NOS. Kinda frustrating!

It's got nothing to do with money, it's got everything to do with how a lot of people want their guitars.

Play em before you judge em.

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No no and no

Play a relic guitar before I judge it on how it looks?

Do you judge a book by the cover?

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No no and no

It happens that for a same model the reliced one sounds better than the NOS one; different finish (lacquer etc...)

Well sometimes, yes...:



- C

or... do you look at the mantle piece while stoking the fire?

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Alright, so it looks like nobody has an answer to my question about hardware in my OP. Instead, this thread has turned in to the same debate over relics vs. NOS that we've all heard a zillion times.

Relics or NOS: to each their own. Ya like what ya like and that's that. Dig whatever you're into and play the HECK out of it!!

Anyone have more info on the hardware's functionality? THANKS!

Hey Ninja...please forgive me here but I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a moment...

While I understand your analogy (and I do in fact certainly get it), I would liken guitars more to women than books. Come on...seriously...if you're walking through some place like a shopping mall or the park or something and you see a "beautiful woman", are you really standing there wondering "how smart she is"? I don't think I can honestly say I've ever wondered about a woman's college degree at "first glance"...or even whether or not she could cook! LOL!!!

Think about this. If your walking around and a woman grabs your eye usually it has something to do with the way she looks...the way she's dressed, something about her "shape/figure" (and/or how she displays it), etc.. Let's say you see a woman wearing baggy clothes in horrible colors, her hair is up in a bun, she's wearing some funky horn-rimmed glasses, etc.. Unless you're really in to the "school teacher/librarian" look, is a woman like that really going to catch your attention over a woman who may be dressed in something "sexy" like spike heels, fishnet stockings and perhaps showing a bit of cleavage? Come on...be honest now!

Call me sad and shallow but guitars are very much the same way for me...and I suspect for a great many people as well. When I walk in to a music store to buy a new guitar, something catches my eye -first-. There has to be something aesthetically appealing about a guitar that catches my attention before I walk over and pick it up and play it...particularly in some place like a Guitar Center where there could be hundreds of guitars hanging on the wall. Obviously if the feel isn't there, then as with a woman, I just walk away (I still don't worry about sound/tone as I can usually change that...with electrics at least) but there has to be something that catches your attention before you walk over and say "Hey Baby! How's it going!".

So yea...the old adage aside, I think that most folks do in fact "judge a book by it's cover"...if for no other reason than that's often the first "experience" you have with something...you see it first and something about it has to catch your attention.

As always, just my $.02 worth...but it's something to think about

Peace,
Jim

To be honest, the hardware functionality should be fine. Its just cosmetical. Put it this way- would you want to buy a guitar with rusted screws and no thread on them or scratchy pots?

Best option, is to go and play one for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised.

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Mr Lomitus-

I would love a woman that has it all- but it's not easy finding a true lass that can play a mean strat...

I figure I must try your "Hey Baby, how's it going?" approach though... I havent tried that one yet

I reckon mate, I could learn a thing or two from you

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I have heard (read) a few complaints about the lack of functionality of the hardware on a Relic. The Custom Shop did too good of a job and the owners weren't able to make adjustments on their new guitars (eg bridge saddle height and intonation adjustments). So it may be a good idea to really check out a heavy Relic before you buy it.

Or else you will have to get creative to make the adjustments and keep the Relic look ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.