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personally, when I buy a new guitar, i want it to look new.

If I want a beat up guitar that looks used, I'll buy it used. Sure, a modern poly finished guitar might take a long time to wear down, but there are lots of decent guitars between 20 and 40 years old that have natural wear you can buy for around $1000.

That's my point. It's just too fake for me. I guess sales and used sales will dictate if the trend continues.

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TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

to me the only plus is not having to worry about scratching it or banging it up.

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1986 Kramer Baretta
1989 Samick "The Samick" Les Paul
2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
Marshall JCM 2000 DLS 50 watt / Marshall 1960a 4x12

https://soundcloud.com/jim-slimjim-cassi

AMEN! The first scratch or blemish always makes me wanna cry!

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

Yeah, the first ding in the guitar is always upsetting. But in the long run as long as the damage is strictly cosmetic it adds character.

Plus there is usually a story behind it like: This scrape is where the stupid drummer knocked the cymbal stand into me. or This ding is from the bass player who had one too many beers and was showing off. To me that's what it's about.

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

I love the look of a used guitar. They look like they have lived a hard life and have a character and story that you just won't find with a road worn or relic'd guitar.

Why is it ok for you to wear and weather your models but it's not ok to wear and weather a guitar?

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

It's apples and oranges but, weathering on a scale model is about simulating the damage or use of the subject. You don't want it to look like a toy. But, if I were building a scale model of a guitar it would be glossy and look like new. If I owned a tank, road worn is just fine

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

See, you were able to answer your own question...

"Road Worn... Why?"

"...is about simulating the damage or use of the subject."

Fender is just producing guitars that simulate the damage or use of a guitar. When you model a tank, you give it wear and weathering to make it look like a real tank. A relic guitar is just a guitar that has been made to look like an real vintage guitar.

Why someone would buy a reliced guitar is a personal thing. Maybe they can't afford the $20,000 to buy a real vintage guitar, maybe they think it's cool, who knows.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

It's silly/petty to make a distinction of how the wear on a guitar occurred. It makes no difference whether a player causes the wear, or sandpaper caused it, or however it happens. If you like the look of a well-worn guitar, cool. If you don't, also cool. But to be bothered by how the wear occurs is puzzling to me. Having a "story" to go along with the wear doesn't affect the wear or the look of it at all. Proof of how silly this is: "...my drummer knock the guitar over, causing the scars that you see..." OK, so the player didn't cause the wear, so that somehow changes the way a player feels about the guitar, as opposed to knocking it off the stand for yourself? And buying a used guitar on which the previous owner caused the wear, that would still be wear that was not caused by the new owner, yet this is acceptable and a factory job is not?

As Spock would say; "Fascinating".

"Sorry, I can't buy your '57 Strat because it already has wear and I can't be sure that you didn't use sandpaper to fake the wear." Please!

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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.

Wow! Really? Oh boy you sure got me there. Having me answer my own question. Wait, no you didn't Plastic models cost $30 on average. How much are those road worn US strats? Big difference. I guess I was under the mistaken impression we could at least agree to disagree and have a civil discussion.

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

I thought we were having a civil discussion. I was just trying to point out that the reasons for making a reliced guitar is not that much different than why you relic your models. Sorry, didn't mean to offend you.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

Than maybe I misunderstood. My Bad! Ultimately I am a firm believer in "to each their own." As far as the stories that go with each scar, I think of a picture of one of Clapton's guitars that he auctioned off. It had tons of wear including a cigarette burn on the head. I could imagine all the gigs and practices he had letting a cigarette burn down as he played.
An Honest question! If someone crawled through grandma's attic and found a factory fresh 50s strat in its case would it have a higher or lower value than the same model that has all its wear?

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ