50 year old autos with the original paint (Rare by the way) have plenty of patina.

As for guitars, I have a 1999 / 2000 Martin HD28V that I've owned since new (actually opened the shipping box at the store) and have played it hard nearly every day for the past 10 years. Inside, outside, in the house, in a band, just goofing around, but played hard. It is a nitro finish and it has a few finish checks, bumps and bruises from loosing fights with mic stands and music stands, a small chip on the headstock where I was putting it in the stand and not paying attention to what I was doing, and some scratches I can't remember how they got there. The finish is worn in a couple places in the neck (Mainly first position and 3rd position where I spend most of my time playing acoustic. The top side of the lower bout is worn dull from my arm, the spruce top has mellowed to a deep tone. I love that guitar. It is now a road worn guitar for sure.

I have nothing against the road worn series and would consider one if I were in the market for a new strat, assuming it were the best feeling and sounding guitar I could find at the time. Guitars shouldn't be purchased with the eyes, but with the hands and ears. If it doesn't feel right or sound right, you won't play it regardless of how cool it looks.



Jeff

Right, like anyone would turn down SRV's original Strat, or Clapton's Blackie, because they are already worn. Oh, and the copies of the Strats mentioned.....yep, faked wear. So I guess that you all wouldn't want one of those either? The worn look of the vintage guitars with true all-nitro finish (pre '63) will never be achieved naturally on a Strat that has a poly finish. The whole idea of the worn or relic instruments is to come as close as many of us will ever come to having a real worn in guitar. And, the guitars that are pre-worn, gives us the look and feel of a vintage Strat. I think that most people would agree that a well worn-in guitar plays much better than a brand new one. I believe that the idea of the pre-worn guitar originally came from Keith Richards, as he preferred the feel of the worn instrument better than the feel of a brand new one.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

the only reason i wont buy one, is because i dont want people to see it with me and say,
man that guitar looks like hes played it blood sweat and tears and all, then i play.
gulp.

nah, i almost pulled the trigger on one because it was 600.00 plus 10%.
they are nice, this one was set up perfect.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Shimmilou

Spill the beans on pre-63 finishes. I thought all Fender guitars were fullerplast or something similar under the cellulose. Right up to 86, if they've changed today. Be they cellulose or urethane.

I think there was a quote from either John Page or Mark Kendrick saying as much. Can't recall to quote from it though.

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No no and no

Stop worrying about what guitar someone else is playing.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

You are correct nikininja, AFAIK. In '63 the fullerplast (some kind of poly) became a standard base coat for all Strats, including the ones with a nitro finish, and continues today. I can't tell if the RW has some kind of poly under the nitro finish or not, I assume that it does.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

As far as I remember. I saw it written online somewhere that you can't spray cellulose directly onto wood. That's even the case today, even on the thinskins. They have a urethane or similar undercoat.
Whether that is a clear sealer coat on the wood or what, I dunno.

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No no and no

I think that you can use nitro directly on wood, but using an undercoat is to make the finish coat look much smoother, ie fill in the wood grain better, and/or seal the wood. Afterall, nitro cellulose is a wood product. The original bodies, without undercoats, could breathe and age, and is why a lot of people prefer the original bodies as far as tone. The original base coats were only used for the sunburst finishes (some yellow mixture), and around '63, after experimenting with different materials, the fullerplast was found to provide a nice smooth base for the final finish on all of them.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

The Proverbial " Hit the Nail On the Head "
No, I most certainly would not turn down an original Clapton or SRV strat, ( strictly on the value side), but neither am I going to parade around in a Jacket with Carl Fogarty emblazoned on the back

I understand the concept as well as the infinite personal reasons one may or may not want a carbon copy strat, but from a biased supplier to consumer viewpoint, I lose that argument

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I think everyone knows the allure of a road worn or relic'd guitar, even if they ask what the deal is. A relic'd guitar isn't the same as relicing a house, etc. That's apple and oranges. But an old beat up pick-up truck? It works for me. It has character! Just like blue jeans with the knees out and t-shirts thin from wear.

I'm with bluesstrattone though. If you pull out a road worn and want to pretend you did all the work you'd better deliver.

But seriously, I've seen enough threads on "I don't get this relic thing". What's not to get? It's not quantum physics. It's a worn out guitar with faux-mojo. Better than no mojo at all.

The Relics and Road worns are not the greatest looking guitars. If you relic a strat it should be a rockband or guitar hero controler. The vintage strats look great with actual road wear. not someone doing it on purpose. That is the way i look at it.

the roadworns have some undercoat under the finish, but its thin, its worn off above the pickguard on mine

That's exactly what you DO NOT want your guitar to do. If the wood can "breathe" it can dry out and what happens to wood when it dries out?

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

Welcome to the " Pleasure Dome" Nixer
Relicing a house That I have not seen, or maybe instead of renovating a house I should be degrading a house.
I hope this is one facet that does not become fashion, forget than abbout urban renewal

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

That statement is a joke Right
Okay let's clear up a few myths here...

Wood does not breathe..... A live tree absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen thru its leaves, to put it simply.
The trunk and branches don't breathe as we do, since a tree does not have a circulation system like ours (humans) much less lungs and heart.

If a seasoned (kiln dryed) piece of wood should not be allowed to dry out then please kindly tell Brian May that his 200+ year old guitar body is not what he wanted.

When a tree is cut down, then milled, first all the logs are left to dry out in the open air, then when they reach an acceptably reduced moisture content, they are then cut into planks, beams, whatever the need for the various applications.

Try this experiment, immediately after cutting a tree down then immediatelly milling, cut your wood slab into a body, then assemble into a guitar.
You will have a horrifying realization that...
(1) The wood will not allow stain or paint or pick whatever finish you fancy to apply.
(2) It will be next to impossible to have a playable instrument. You will find that the neck as well as the body will move upon contraction ( due to evaporation of the woods moisture content, all pieces will move in dissimilar directions.
(3) This will also mean that your rosewood fretboard will delaminate from your maple neck.

Have I Made My POINT

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "