Hi Guys,

Just wondered how may guys like their guitars to be a little beat up or relic. I have one or two small dents/dings on my strat and it seems to add character rather than take away from it. Do you prefer them played in or pristine.

As we know guitars are there to be played and will get dents/dings, my friend has what he calls his "players" which he uses live and his "collectables" which are all gleaming but never ever get played...

Whats your thoughts? What do you prefer?

I kinda like some natural wear on my guitars,but it has to come from my playing and there's going to be some dings here and there,but nothing artificial.
It seems to me that people tend to associate wear and tear on a guitar with the player's experience,like his guitar shows how much he has put into the instrument..like Rory's or SRV's Strats.
Not totally true,I've played and owned many guitars in the 40+ years I've been doing this....not a single one shows the scars and wounds and unhappiness in my life and soul mixed with the joys of life I've had,that makes me who I am.
A guitar is a guitar.

I treat my guitars just like I treat my firearms -- with respect.

That said, they're both meant to be used and if they sometimes suffer "battle scars" during the course of their assigned "mission" then so be it.

I use them but never deliberately abuse them. They are what they are......tools essential for their intended purpose.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

if i put the wear on myself or bought one used with normal wear is fine but the fender sand paper treatment is laughable there all identicle.

looks rediculous.

that isnt like natural wear at all.

If it's avoidable, I'd rather it be as flawless as possible. If an accident does occur, and the bass gets marked, I'll be upset. I'll get over it, but I'd rather it not get "dinged"in the first place.

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'08 Fender Am. Std. Jazz bass, maple fretboard, charcoal frost metallic finish
'10 Squier VM Jazz bass, maple fretboard, natural finish
Ampeg BA115
'09 MIM standard Strat, maple fretboard, sunburst finish
Fender Super Champ XD

thats true but its almost inevatable to get a ding or a scratch sooner or later. i have a 93 strat just noticed a chip out of the headstock. a few scratches here or there . but you have to play it some time. stuff happens.

Don't care long as said ding or dents do not negatively affect playability or sound.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

as long as it doesnt effect the playability, wasn't done because of carelessness and isnt a structural issue, bring on the dings, scratches, scrapes and mojo.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

I love the wear. Natural wear. My main guitar is worn to the wood in several places, and when I look at it it takes me back to those places and times the made it that way.

I like natural wear and don't mind the guitar getting banged up a little if I know I'm not going to sell it anytime soon.

As far as Road Worn and other factory relics go - a good guitar is a good guitar and if it fits - I'll buy it, but factory relics are a little bit of a turn off to me. Just because it's fake.

I'd no sooner relic my Fender guitars-or any guitar for that matter-than I'd relic the fenders on my car.Both things are absolutely pointless. Keith Richards was the first one who came up with the concept as he wanted his new Custom Shop guitars beat up and dented so they'd look like the others that he took on the road.Just because some famous coke addled eccentric does it to his guitars, like sheep others follow suit.I want my guitars to look factory new 20 years down the road.I got my first electric in 1967 and it has yet to get a scratch or ding despite years of vigorous playing,the same goes for all my guitars.In a few hundred years I want some to hold one of my guitars and say"Gee the people who played this really had respect and love of their instruments."Can you imagine how many Stradivarious,Amati and Guarnerius violins would be left if musicians over the centuries took up this silly fad?I rest my case.

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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.

And here I thought I was the only one left to think this is stupid.

Back in 1981 I picked up a real 1966 Fender Mustang from a pawn shop for the sum of 95.00 buck with case. The poor thing had been bet to hell, yes worn from playing but more dented up for carelessness.

So what was the first thing I did?
Tore it down, steamed out the dents and repainted it with lacquer the correct sonic blue.
Now many today would think this was just short of Blasphemy, but the guitar looked brand new and it still played great because the frets and fret board were not touched.

I traded it years later for a 1971 Tele, but that is another story.

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Marriage is like playing cards...

At first all you want are Hearts and Diamonds.

But in the end, all you really want is a Club and a Spade.

I alway find that the first ding or scratch kind of puts me at ease - makes me feel like I can play it as a guitar should be played - not held like a baby... I don't bang them up intentionally, but stuff that happens in the course of playing or moving it about my house; I'm okay with it.

The more dings you have, the more dings you can get.

Though guitslinger's Stradivarius, et al comment does make perfect sense.

I take very good care of my guitars and try to keep them in the best shape possible.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne