Question regarding Relic and Road Worn

nikininja · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:57 pm

Wow my strat really resonates, that wood must really breathe.

I wonder when it's gonna sprout leaves and take root?

(just a joke)

53magnatone · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:23 pm

nikininja wrote:

Wow my strat really resonates, that wood must really breathe.

I wonder when it's gonna sprout leaves and take root?

(just a joke)

I didn't know they made water stands for guitars, water both your geraniums and guitars at the same time...Think Green.... :lol:

bluesguitar65 · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:56 am **Posts:** 1277

woweezowee wrote:

53magnatone wrote:

I don't particularly care for the look either but....it seems that there is great demand for them.
On the other hand, anyone crazy enough to bring out an original 1950's, 60's or 70's out to a gig is either fearless, drowning in disposable income or has great Roadie security on staff.

I have to admit I played a lightly reliced 60's CS a while back and it was nice.

So to each their own I suppose.

The staggering demand is what puzzles me. And what happens when you go to gig the guitar and someone comes up afterwards and inquires as to how long you've had that "beautifully worn guitar" and that it must have seen a lot in its day...

To which you respond, "oh it was actually built last year, it's only seen the inside of my case and two or three gigs" :lol:

Perhaps, the demand is not merely on the aesthetic part of the guitar, but perhaps on how the guitar feels and plays. Many players like the worn feel of a guitar, just like a pre-washed faded Levi Jeans. I don't think faded worn looked jeans are fads anymore, just relic'ed or roadworn instruments.

Voodoo Blues · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:05 am **Posts:** 1333

53magnatone wrote:

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.

And what's the first thing they do once the wood reaches the right mositure content? They seal it.

nikininja · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:54 am

Yeah sealed after a good bit of drying out then baking. To make sure the moisture can't get back in.

I'm sorry but using green wood for anything that requires the slightest amount of rigidity is a no no.
Guitar bodies don't breathe, that is a nonsense idea. I'm a damn sight more resilient than a tree. However should I be felled at the ankle, flayed of my skin, sawn into pieces. Then left completely alone in a dark room, with no sunlight, water or food for even a week. How alive much breathing do you think I'd be doing?
That wood your guitar is made from is long dead. Wood breathing is nothing but some doggerel made up by some ignorant buffoon to convince the unknowing that their guitars are in some way better. Then nonsense has spread and been taken as truth en mass.

Good read on wood harvesting and treatment
http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/5017/Various_Factors_ocr.pdf?sequence=1
1st paragraph of page2 in particular.

Nixer · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2

53magnatone wrote:

Nixer wrote:

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.

Welcome to the " Pleasure Dome" Nixer
Relicing a house :shock:

That I have not seen, or maybe instead of renovating a house I should be degrading a house. :lol:

I hope this is one facet that does not become fashion, forget than abbout urban renewal :wink:

Hey, thanks! I was referring to guitslinger's post on the first page. I certainly hope no one is relicing a house out there. At least not my house.

BlackCatBone · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:36 am

Boxbang wrote:

The younger you are, the sillier it looks (that includes J Mayer. Can I say that on this site? I do hope I haven't blasphemed :lol:

)

HOW DARE YOU!!! John Mayer is a golden god!! How dare you say anything negative about him!

shimmilou · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:36 am

Didn't mean to get anyone's panties in a bunch, but saying that the wood "breathes" is a common term used by many, including Fender, that simply means that the body wood is allowed to further dry out, as in one with a nitro finish will continue to "age" and dry out if allowed to "breathe". In other words, if the wood isn't sealed, and air is allowed to contact the wood, it will continue to dry out, which is desirable for an instrument body. I don't think that anyone actually believes that wood has lungs. :roll:

The term "breathe" is also used to describe how different fabrics allow air to pass through them, as in "cotton breathes better than polyester", knowing that fabric has no lungs either. Maybe we need a separate part of the forum for English lessons, both the King's and American English. :idea:

Breathe: (used as an intransitive verb)
3. b : to become perceptible : be expressed <a personality that breathes and that distinguishes his work — Bennett Schiff>

6. : to feel free of restraint <needs room to breathe>

8. a : to permit passage of air or vapor <a fabric that breathes>

BlackCatBone · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:15 am

I still say the relic on the Road Worn series isn't different enough from guitar to guitar to really say each is unique and the relic on the fretboards looks completely and utterly ridiculous. The maple fretboards on the road worns look nothing like how a vintage or heavily played nitro finished maple fretboard ages. That being said, they do play nicely and i like the back of the neck sanded down the way they are. drop some different pups in them, get the fret edges smoothed out and add a few of your own battle scars and they are great guitars.

joaquin.moreno · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:17 am

Buying a new guitar that is " ROAD WORN " is the most retarded thing ever!!! I love fender anyway, it is people that i hate. If you want a guitar used and kind of "road worn" buy a 59 or a 62 or an 82 i dont know but never a 2011 $@!&*% up guitar.

BlackCatBone · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:38 am

joaquin.moreno wrote:

Buying a new guitar that is " ROAD WORN " is the most retarded thing ever!!! I love fender anyway, it is people that i hate. If you want a guitar used and kind of "road worn" buy a 59 or a 62 or an 82 i dont know but never a 2011 $@!&*% up guitar.

You do realize how expensive a 59 or a 62 is don't you? the vast majority of people cannot even begin to afford half the cost of a 59 or 62.

shimmilou · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:48 am

BlackCatBone wrote:

...The maple fretboards on the road worns look nothing like how a vintage or heavily played nitro finished maple fretboard ages....

I agree, I got the 60s version because of that. In GC recently, I saw one of the 50s with a completely different wear pattern on the fret board that wasn't like the crappy looking wear on the others. The wear was at the top of the neck instead of the bottom, and is the "divot" looking kind of wear. It looked much better, more natural, except that it was only in a small area on just a few frets and looked contrived, as the rest of the neck looks newer, as if only three chords were ever played, over and over. :?:

skysc · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:57 pm **Posts:** 97

road worn are not bad relic , but they lack something , and theyre only rosewood ( i believe , at leas tin hss )) , nothings better than a relic maple neck

http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-Fender-1957-He ... 3361e912a6

thats a beautiful relic .

i love relic and dont like the road worn personnaly .look unnaturally . like "we through sand paper a few place and voila )

cvilleira · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:38 pm

shimmilou wrote:

Didn't mean to get anyone's panties in a bunch, but saying that the wood "breathes" is a common term used by many, including Fender, that simply means that the body wood is allowed to further dry out, as in one with a nitro finish will continue to "age" and dry out if allowed to "breathe". In other words, if the wood isn't sealed, and air is allowed to contact the wood, it will continue to dry out, which is desirable for an instrument body. I don't think that anyone actually believes that wood has lungs. :roll:

The term "breathe" is also used to describe how different fabrics allow air to pass through them, as in "cotton breathes better than polyester", knowing that fabric has no lungs either. Maybe we need a separate part of the forum for English lessons, both the King's and American English. :idea:

Breathe: (used as an intransitive verb)
3. b : to become perceptible : be expressed <a personality that breathes and that distinguishes his work — Bennett Schiff>

6. : to feel free of restraint <needs room to breathe>

8. a : to permit passage of air or vapor <a fabric that breathes>

Fake aged guitars are a joke and just a fad!!! I would not waste My money!!!!

And to say they need need breath like in the above statement would make for one horrible guitar because it would be so inconsistent do to it's adjusting to environmental changes. Humidity up and down you want stability in a guitar. I think most factories dry there wood to 8% moisture content.
Too dry is not a good thing especially on acoustic's because you will get them cracked tops.

BlackCatBone · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:20 pm

shimmilou wrote:

I agree, I got the 60s version because of that. In GC recently, I saw one of the 50s with a completely different wear pattern on the fret board that wasn't like the crappy looking wear on the others. The wear was at the top of the neck instead of the bottom, and is the "divot" looking kind of wear. It looked much better, more natural, except that it was only in a small area on just a few frets and looked contrived, as the rest of the neck looks newer, as if only three chords were ever played, over and over. :?:

real vintage wear looks like so, darkened and dirtied:

fake one looks whitened and stripped like this
Road Worn 2011 from Fender site

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