I'm not a huge fan of relic strats. But there are two I would absolutely love to have. The SRV relic and that Rory Gallagher relic guitar. Those two strats look awesome to me. Not because of the artists who played 'em, just because they do look like works of art to me. They just look really cool in my opinion.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

I'm not mad because I don't have a relic guitar,quite the opposite,I figure I'd have to be mad to waste my money on one.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

That's the thing everyone is going to have their opinion and it's cool to be able to express it here and share.
Rode worn and relic pieces just aren't for me but they are for others and that's cool.
Play what you like and collect what you like.
Life is far too short to get all knotted up over little things, do what makes you happy and find joy in the things you do.

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He who dies with the most Strats wins.

I really like my 58 telecaster custom shop because I know that even though its not an original, it looks really cool and plays, sounds,and feels incredible to me. The best part is I know everything is new and will last me many years of enjoyment. Even if I decide to sell it in the future I might get more than what I paid for it, but I will never sell it because i've gone mad for this awesome fender custom shop designed by the best in the business. Oh, I guess that makes me mad for spending the moola on this sweet guitar LOL!

You my friend need sectioned!

May I drop some coins on this...

even though it's nearly taken me 12months to comment There is a '56 relic strat in white blonde at the local. Personally, when I saw it I thought it was the most grottiest thing ever. However, I reckon with that combination it should have been a closet classic or NOS. But I have seen other relics done very nicely. I dont like seeing relics in white. I dont mind sunbursts, but they still have to shine up nicely when cleaned. So like paintings or other forms of art, some I'll like- others I wont. I'd like a guitar that would look as old as an old fart, but been well looked after all those years. When I see a heavy relic, I just wonder what that guitar will look like when I give it to my grandchildren in another 50years..

However I like the idea of reliced urethane finished guitars. They ultimately will stand the test of time a lot better than thin nitro

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Not to worry. For someone to genuinely get pissed off over something like that, well, we'd ALL in trouble!

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You dig?

I haven't got to plow through all 4 pages of this thread yet but I did basically the same thing. I bought a Road Worn '50's Strat. I absolutely love the feel of the neck. I swapped the Tex-mex pickups out for Seymour Duncan Antiquity I's but I loved the feel of the neck. I'm not crazy about the relic job or even the relic concept but I totally love the neck. But in the end I don't really mind whether or not it's reliced. I'd actually rather it not be reliced, but the appearance of the body is secondary to the feel of the neck to me. I bought mine because it's a '50's style Strat with a great neck, not because of the relic job, but more in spite of the relic job.

what astounds me is the fact that the majority of all Customshop work, are a Relic of some sort- gone are the days when the sparkle, lite ash series, Bajo Sexto etc... its all relic relic relic...

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I totally agree with you there. My local guitar shops custom shop fenders are all relics. I would love to walk n and see a 60's strat replica that isn't reliced

I wonder if its because FMIC realizes there's a lot of factory beat up bodies which when given a 'pedigree', can be flipped for super big bucks.

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You dig?

Each to their own is what I say, I see merit in all the arguments.

I ain't keen on the idea of a relicd guitar personally, I like it to look its age but when you see the relic jobs they are amazing.
I used to get annoyed at how friends' guitars always stayed in better looking condition than mine but have come to realise I play harder, sweat more, gig smellier/greasier/darker/dirtier clubs, probably clean the thing less and treat the thing like a tool rather then my child........that's my choice.
I have tried to relic a couple of clangers of guitars to give them a bit more 'cred' and there is certainly more to it than just scraping, sanding and throwing a quality finished body about the workshop. These guys are artists.

I have always said to be able to do it wrong convincingly you have to be able to do it perfectly first.

I do still question though how the original guitars that the relics and especially heavy relics are based on got like that. I don't think they were all naturally aged instruments. I mean, it's a great guitar and does look cool but how the hell did Rory Gallagher let that happen to his Strat?????? Wear and tear is one thing but that's just careless!!!!

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

I've had that same thought. Some of the guitars the relics are based upon almost look like there was some original defect in the finish from day 1. For example,the Rory guitar looks like the wood may have been oily or not cleaned before the finish was applied or there was some flaw in the finish that caused it to peel off.

I'm sure a lot of it is normal wear and tear over a 40 year hard life, but some of it just looks like questionable finish jobs to start with. Then there are some that just look rode hard and put up wet.

Jeff

.. and that poses another question. Apart from the ageing done by hand tools, which can be done by machine as we all know with roadworn for example, what amount of craftsmanship goes into these instruments say between a AVRI vs a NOS guitar? Are the necks or bodies carved by hand- or are they done by the same machines? is the craftsmanship done purely on assembling the guitar..

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someone posted a video a while ago about John Mayer talking about his custom shop relic. and it showed you him walking around the place and the body was cut out on a CNC machine. i think its just assebled. personally i wouldnt pay the price for a custom shop.