Now that would be a relic I would consider buying!!! Is that yours??
ABS

If you study fender CS relics..you will notice they all look the same. Two styles..relic and "heavy" relic. It is not easy to make a new guitar appear to have 40-50 years of natural wear..it is an art form so to speak whether one condones it or not.

The guitar in the picture could be duplicated by a pro luthier who has the tricks and techniques in relicing to make the wear look natural. Actually the wear on the body is how most older strats with a nitro finish actually wear but for some reason the relics seem to be sanded or "worn" on the top and not where it most naturally occurs..

Fender from what I understand maintains the philosophy that neck wear should occur naturally, so they do not over do the necks. However I know they have the "technology" to make a neck look like that, and I could do that myself if I had the desire. Sandpaper, tools and the proper dye mixes can look very natural, but it takes a bit of "balls" to go that far and not fear rendering the neck unplayable.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

You have to understand..this is supposedly an original finish 54...and seems to have sold for 35 grand. It is not an art..it is natural and nature is not easy to duplicate.

You really can't duplicate time so to speak, but I think the only reason we have not seen any relics that look like this one..is we have not seen many 54's in this kind of condition..nor do we really know for sure if this is natural...I mean how do you prove it other then carbon dating?

Personally I love the look although I am not a big fan of sunburst finishes....it has given me the inspiration to attempt a duplication.

I have a few other projects that are on deck and I must complete, but I think I am going to hunt down the right body and neck..and see if i can come close to replicating this by using techniques and artistry.and do it for under 500 bucks.

When and if i get to this project, I will certainly post a step by step. I thank you for this post, not much inspires me but this guitar has. I can't promise a sound like this one (although we only heard it unplugged) but it is a goal. I would have like to have known the size and brand/type of strings..they appear to possibly be 10's..but I think that has something to do with the brightness...aside from the perfection of the old wood and finish..ah another goal.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

I don't understand the point of relics and I would probably never own one! They all look so fake IMO. If I had the money I would buy an original 50s or 60s Strat that's worn thru years of being played, not something that was done in a shop somewhere...

I actually prefer the looks of a new guitar I guess it's what the CS calls NOS... so if I ever get a CS it would be a NOS not some fake looking relic Strat! YMMV.

Your point is well taken and nothing new. However, some of us strat fanatics appreciate what the vintage instruments represent, and how they sound. It is not our fault that to get an original one these days can cost as much as a house. They say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"...so in a sense this is why some of us like a relic..even if it is "artificial" so to speak.

Sure..what Strat lover would not prefer an original if we could afford it? I would also love an original 69 GTO judge with a rag top and a 4 speed, but my budget only permits a Lemans hardtop clone with a power glide. But hey...if it makes me happy and is is 1/50th of the price...who is it really hurting? As long as no one is trying to profit by selling something that is not actually what it is replicating, it has plenty of value to the owner.

The only reason I defend this, is because I am realistic. I want a guitar like the one in this post...but can not afford a tone knob for it. I can afford new strats and have a few..but I want that one. So why not make my own and try to get it to look and sound as close as possible? The other choice is to rob a bank..or go without..life is too short to go without, or to do jail time..so the relics have a place for many..not for everyone of course, but for many.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

I am in this camp also. There is something that just doesnt look "Right" about them...

see but here's the thing, the ONLY reason a guitar like that one is reliced is because it is 50+ years old and has been played, has aged, has original parts... so if Fender makes a Strat today that looks like the original back then, then to me that should be enough, and they do, the Strat still looks the same AFAIK, yeah a few minor changes maybe. But to try to duplicate what took place over 50+ years is another story.

So IMO when you buy a relic all you're doing is buying looks... it's the same guitar with a few scratches and some rusted metal. You're not buying original parts, you're not buying aged wood... so if it's looks someone is after then by all means get a relic

If I ever buy an original it WON'T be cause it's a relic, and I hope I can find and afford one that's not a relic one of these days

Is this the same 54 that was sold to that French dude? I remember seeing this not long ago...

http://www.eddievegas.com/store/details/Remember-the-1954-Strat-I-sold.-Check-who's-hands-it's-in-now..php

That is because many are "over reliced"...or such as CS does..all the same, or was done by an amateur.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

For example..does this one really seem so "wrong"?

[img][img]http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo133/rongold5/relic.jpg[/img]

or this one...

apparently not right...

[img][img]http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo133/rongold5/relicwrong-1.jpg[/img]

over done...

[/img]

still not quite right...
[img][img]http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo133/rongold5/relicwrong2.jpg[/img]

Custom shop..not too bad but all look the same...
[/img]


I guess if I want to build one that looks close to the one from this post..I have my work cut out..but I believe I can come close. What I have to do is really art..to mimic what time has done without it looking artificial or wrong. And most of all...resist the temptation to over do it. It may take weeks or months...honestly if Fender took a week or month to make a relic..they would have to sell it for as much as an original to make a profit..that won't happen. And most others think the proper technique is to throw keys and rocks at it or drag it by a car bumper and sandpaper it it certain spots.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

Wow.....pricey.

If i'm honest, I've never really seen the appeal of buying a road worn, or custom shop relic. I know it's an aesthetic thing, but to me there is no appeal to buying it already in that condition. I would much rather buy a new one and over a number of years get it into a condition like that, so it has history, so it's more than just the look - it's the feel of the guitar, so it has character and stories to it, as opposed to "it looked really cool in the shop, so I bought it"

That's why I want to make one myself. Fender certainly would not make one as nice as the one in this post if they could not sell it for 30 grand. as well, most of use can not afford an original. And most of us may not live long enough to wear a new strat down to look and feel like a 54..and even if we did..it will never be a 54.

So my approach is get a used reissue body and neck cheap as possible, and wear it out a bit prematurely so I can have something close to that 54 in my lifetime. I also see no point in buying a CS relic or road worn..why pay extra to have Fender beat the guitar up when if i want that look can do it myself for free?

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

That guitar in the first post was the guitar of someones dreams at one point in time. WOW!

I think more people dream of owning it now. I also agree the price it sold for was good, I have seen ones no where nice as that asking closer to 100 grand.

Now many times these are just ebayers either shilling or simply asking such high prices that they are creating in a sense an artificial inflation. Same with some of these vintage guitar shops..they want to pay almost nothing for some poor desperate saps collectors ax...clean it up and then ask 3-4 times what the true market value is..I guess it is just good old capitalism..and hey, if someone is willing to pay the price..then perhaps that is what something is worth.

However, with the economy the way it is, has brought the prices of many things, including real estate to the levels where it should be. Yes, this hurt some investors/ collectors and even home owners who got screwed, but unfortunately wall street had too much control..ran with it..and this is where we are now.

You also have to think about how times were in 54 when this beauty was built. I bet it took longer to make this one guitar, then it takes Fender to bust out a few hundred these days. Not to mention it was all hand made..so it has imperfections. But it paid off in a sense as how many companies have the same product still going strong after all these years?..and a 55 something year old product is actually better then when new..and worth much more. (other then some expensive wines I can't think of much else)...There is something to it and only true strat lovers understand. And this perhaps explains why someone would want to pay more for a CS relic or roadworn...just to even come closer to something so rare, fine and out of reach is often better then nothing. Not to mention the nostalgic side...a new USA standard, highway one or even a mexi standard strat is great, but for some of us is just not close enough to the vintages.

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I'm almost out of stuff to sell.

The other thing is, I like my things in nice condition. My cars, motorcycles, guitars, ETC.

I like taking care of my things. Anal I guess you call it,,,,,,,,,,