Read the original thread and this one, and while I think that Strat 789 was rudely greeted by a few who commented instead of passing on the thread, I think the whole train went off the rails right at the beginning, the moment the derogatory remark is made about someone's IQ.

When you go from rude to insulting, well them's is fightin words.

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"You can never have too many guitars."

G'day Strat 789, Owners of road-worns and relics are a sensitive bunch, so I won't risk offending them. I can however tell you about my own experiences on the subject.
I've been playing since I was about 13 (now 47). When I was about 18, I did a relic job on my old guitar. It was just a no-name Tele shaped thing. I bashed it, stained it, rusted it and even burnt it. The reaction of most of my friends was "What the......".
I was always into the Blues, the older the better, which was unusual for a teenager in the early 80s.
I guess I wanted my guitar to represent history, experience, sorrow and hard times, that sort of thing. I thought my relic was pretty damn cool !

A few years later, when I bought my first real guitar, it was a nice new white Strat, which I absolutely treasured. That guitar saw me through many years of good times. Although I rarely put it in it's case, played it daily and jammed most weekends it remained in good condition. I always placed it back on it's stand (even if I could barely stand up myself ) and any of my friends who picked it up, did so with respect.

I still have it. It's 22 years old and from across the room it still looks good. It has aged with me, it's plastic yellowed, from Australian sunshine and all night, smokey jams, it's urethane paint darkening (it does happen eventually) to a rich cream color, and it's fretboard soaked in the sweat of departed friends ,so many memories.

As for Road-worn guitars, I do get it , but a my age, I would feel silly playing one. I have never played professionally and my Strat may not be road worn but it is "life worn". I now have newer Strats but the ''white one" will always be special.

I can imagine an 18 year old me buying a Road-worn and loving it.

Good morning to you Boxbang....Yes, I accept everything you say and have no real problem with the concept. I don't know (but I will look them up ) what the RW's cost. The question I really wanted answered, which no one has yet. I think, is...Would it not be less expensive to buy a used Guitar and RW it yourself?

My son is just back from two years in Australia mostly Perth even had his own business paid his taxes but had to get out after the two years. You wouldn’t like to adopt him. He is hoping to stay permanently when he gets a sponsor.

I would certainly buy a second hand guitar and relic it ,if I still wanted to achieve that look and save some money. Some folks however are reluctant to do this sort of work on guitars, so it's probably worth their while to pay for a road-worn. I don't think that they are that much more expensive, not sure.
Adopt your son ? Probably not. I've now moved from Sydney down to Tasmania, which is closer to Antarctica than it is to Perth (feels like it too, in winter )

Taking a less expensive guitar and relicing it to make it look like its really been used is really much more than taking some sand paper to the body. If not done correctly, it looks like someone took sandpaper to the body. You can look all day on eBay and see some impressive relics, look at the Custom Shop relics and see some excellent used guitars in all stages of wear. You can also see some very poor representations too.

One thing to consider is that many less expensive guitars are painted with a thick poly finish and they simply don't relic very well. I am sure someone has done some that look nice, but the best ones are Nitro or thin finishes. I believe the RW are Nitro. You won't get that worn look with Poly and I don't believe you will get an inexpensive Strat in Nitro. You can maybe pickup a Highway One that is a non glossy Nitro finish that is reasonably priced.

IMHO, there is no right or wrong in choosing what your guitar should look like. If it's going to be yours, then who cares. It should at the very least play nicely. There are some very nasty looking guitars that have been modified by their owners or worn naturally that have become some of the world's most iconic guitars. Think Eddie's Frankenstrat. The reason everyone loves that guitar is because of the music that was created with it. There's blood,sweat, tears and a lot of beer that went into creating that legend. But for the rest of us, we choose what appeals to us most.

I may believe that one should wear out his guitar by playing the hell out of it so that each mark tells its own story. Your story. I recently purchased a 1960 JazzMaster that was owned by a man since new and its a relic to say it mildly. But I had a wonderful time listening to every story he told me about how each mark or scrape or bare wood spot came to be. He was apologizing because he thought I wouldn't like the guitar because it was in terrible condition. He was nearly 80 years old and and just thought that I would be wanting something in better condition. Needless to say I was perfectly fine with the vintage and patina on that guitar. It wasn't my wear but it was a special story and a special guitar that meant something now to me. So I dig it, intensly.

I also recently took a Fiesta Red body that I had that wasn't a good candidate to make another Monterey Strat out of and decided to try to make a heavy relic myself. It's not easy and once you start removing paint or making marks that just couldn't have appears to have been created by a human being, then there is no reversing unless you start over. The Custom Shop guys have it figured out but it's gonna cost ya. The RW are meant to be the working man's version of what is a very popular finish today. Not for everyone but popular enough to sell a bunch of guitars. Fender is in the profit business. I've played both the Tele and the Strat RW. Like the Tele better even though I'm more of a Strat guy. Would look for one used and probably will someday because they sound good and it felt good to me. And I'm OK hanging it up next to my pristine really shiney and new guitars that I love too.

My recommendation, if you have never reliced a finish, put rust aging on metal parts, messed with a fingerboard so as not to degrade its playability, then go buy yourself a used RW. Bottom line, if you want worn, you won't be dissappointed. On the other hand, no one will be fooled to believe that you have toured the country in every gin joint and blues bar and worn out the guitar yourself.

But if you are cynical about the whole beat up guitar thing, which I sense you may be, then hit the guitar stores and put a guitar into your hands and when you find the correct one, she WILL tell you. You WILL know. Not everyone will like it, but you WILL and that's all that matters. Instead of you worrying about what to do, just let the guitar's you play tell you which one is going home with ya.

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"You can never have too many guitars."

Welcome 789, from sunny Perth WA . Hope your boy enjoyed his stay here, as I hope u will enjoy your stay at the forum.

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

WOW. As a new member am surprised to see so many get upight about a worn or not worn, vintage or new reissue guitar???? Is this a community with fellow guitar owners and music lovers? Were is the love? Lets just jam and have fun.

You ain't seen nothing yet! wait till another debate starts about maple neck vs. rosewood,or nitro vs. poly etc.
Haven't you figured out yet that guitar players can be the most egotistical,opinionated,competetive,cocky,outright smart mouthed bunch of guys on the planet?
But that's where a lot of great music comes from.

Thank you for all the contributions.. Yes, to each his own and I have no problem with that at all.
My view…. Chicagoblue puts it well. Guitar manufactures are in the profit business and I have no difficulty with that either… However, for me sounds like that emperors new close.
Boxbang.. is that RJ on your page?

lil' dave.. Don’t do all this love nonsense. Knowledge is about the exchanging of views some times, and with exchange comes diversity, comes debate, comes opposite point of view. Which in turn. Manifests itself of many forms..

Love and Peace…What $@!&#*% said that recently..???? Is $@!&#*% ok? or am I in trouble again.

If you had done what I suggested you would have found that the relic thing has been discussed many times before and you may have found your answer in one of those threads and even contributed to one.

Honestly I thought you were just a troll when your first response was to insult another member. It came across like you trying to pick a fight.

As far as the relic thing goes, why do you even care what kind of guitar another person plays? If you don't like relic guitars then great, don't buy one.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

Mr Voodoo…Have you heard the saying. When you are in a hole, it’s time to stop digging… I’m beginning to think the 58 thing was aimed at the wrong person.. Mind you with the nom de plume of Voodoo, we should have known.

How could I meet your suggestion, when it was made after the fact.. ( Think about it )

How was I to know you could do a search and why anyway? If I wish to raise a topic old or new that’s my prerogative it is “ NOT “ your place to chastise me for doing so.
We are not in Orwellian territory here my boy.


No, I was not trying to start an argument ( Fights are barbaric physical things very crude and very vulgar and the domain of the uneducated, not me at all ) Please read my response to barbar on this posting. You might just find it enlightening.


I assume that in the context in which you make the reference a Troll ( a mythological Scandinavia creature ) you attach some other meaning? Enlighten us please.

To answer your last paragraph. …. I disliked relics, copies and there kind…Where did I say that ? ( that’s the problem with people like you, you see what you want to see, and when it’s not there you make it up.) I don’t “ care “ a jot what other people play, but it is interesting as are all things Guitar.

As in life, when I don’t understand something I enquire…The enquiring mind is what separates us from animals…seek knowledge and you will be rich indeed young man. ( who said that )

So that’s all it was, an inappropriately worded enquiry.. Give it up and go practice.

Here is the definition forumers associate troll with

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

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"You can never have too many guitars."

When it come to protecting the passion people have for their guitars—well people can get uptight and defensive. It is like insulting a man's wife or car (or truck). Generally though, the regulars on this Forum are like family and we have a great time disagreeing. When people show immature or inappropriate attitudes, others call them on the carpet, and I think that is good. Many times if have seen people who came across very abrasive apologize when people told them how they were coming across. I think that is cool. I also know there are some 16 year old young people on here that act, well, 16 years old! LOL!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com