Good question. Generally speaking, I would think that the one in better shape would be worth more.....although depending on who owned which. If Hank Marvin had owned the worn one, it would be worth much more than a pristine example owned by Joe Blow.

However, no pristine example would touch the price that Blackie went for. In that case, the old worn Strat is worth much more than any other example. Just because it was owned by EC. And IIRC, Blackie was so worn that it couldn't stand another refret.

I believe that John Mayer did his own relic job also, not natural wear, but looked like it was natural. I am sure that the value of that guitar is worth much more than a pristine example of the same guitar owned by anyone else. Even the replicas of his worn guitar fetch a handsome price.

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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.

Oh I'd bet a fan based road wear would grab a bunch of attention. That mentioned, EVH frankenstein replicas that came out are more than road worn, but they are replicating a famous guitar. I will give you that a road worn like that would be a real prize. too bad EVH's guitar wasn't a fender to start with.

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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

Yeah his guitar (I think he calls it Black1) was relic'd by Fender's custom shop. Not all that surprising considering how much a fan he is of SRV. Fender made 83 replicas of "Black1" that I think originally sold for $10k. You see them on Ebay once in a while, generally at a markup of course.

to reply to the topic on a 50's original,
mint or road worn.?
well if it belonged to your average joe.
the mint will bring way more money.
same as a old car, you really want a banged up 57 chevy, or showroom mint.?
which do you think would bring in top dollar.?

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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

IMHO the mint condition would bring the most. at least in a collectors market. That may be why I don't care for the road worn at the factory. I tend to have that collectors mind frame. Guess I should have made a poll to go with this thread. Tons of folks are looking at it but not many chiming in.

_________________
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 will bite...LOL I used to be all about brand new sparkling guitars and no clue why anyone would want a Road Worn guitar. Then one day when my wife and I were out guitar shopping she handed me a RW 50s Tele. The way that guitar sounded, and felt and played....I had to have it. It is my number one Tele. The great thing about it is when I play out with it I am not afraid of it getting any more dings or scratches. My favorite Strat...I am petrified to take it out when I gig because it is pristine and i don't want anything to happen to it. It is all a matter of perspective. Plus....whenever I gig no one gives my beaut up RW Tele a second glance...now my Strat forget about it.
ABS

Must say, I prefer a newly built guitar to look like it's just been built
I tried a relic tele out and although it didn't play too bad, it still looked scruffy, as though the previous owner had never cleaned it (even though it was brand new)
Also, the bridge saddle screws were too tall and dug into my hand
I would have thought that for the money being asked, a little more attention to things like that would have been a must
On the other hand, I've played a black custom shop tele relic that was superb to play, but the relicing looked like it had been done by Stevie Wonder (there was even a set pattern to the artificial body "checking")

Ted

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Ted

"All right, guys, uh, listen. This is a blues riff in "B", watch me for the changes, and try and keep up, okay?"

So which is better, MIA or MIM?

It’s all about combining targeted demographic marketing and mojo. Think about it. It’s about fantasizing. Who doesn’t want to find that mint ’55 Sunburst Strat or ’58 LP in someone’s closet or under some old dudes bed that his widow sells you for $200? Or that magical beat up Strat filled with mojo that some long ago forgotten blues man or rocker took on the road and used in any number of smoky clubs stinking of beer and sweat. Playing under the hot lights, pulled amazing notes and solo’s out of their fingers that only a deal with the devil could help produce. Mesmerizing performances that leave euphoric audiences spent and exhausted.

We all want to find one. But the chances are so beyond remote that Fender came up with the an affordable idea for the young guns who want to live that fantasy without actually living it, or for the older dudes who want to fantasize about being young again, and what could have been. It’s targeted demographic marketing at it’s best.

I thought of getting one because I wanted a Strat that I could play. I mean really beat the crap out of. A guitar that didn’t mind getting dirty and sweaty, a guitar that I could really take out my playing on. The guitar to create on. To bond with.

I picked up a white Road Worn at my local Sam Ash. It was seriously the worst playing guitar neck and action I’ve run across. Kind of like a playing a beginner guitar from Kmart. This was not mojo.

I played a mint '96 Anniversary Strat. No mojo.

I played a '55 Sunburst recently as well. It may have had mojo, but for 28K, ahhh, no thanks.

I bought the 2011 American Standard Strat you see on the left. From the moment I picked it up last November until now, it has all the mojo I could want.

It's just marketing....

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2011 American Standard Strat 3TSB / Rosewood
1986 MIJ Strat Contemporary "22" Oly White / Maple

If I had a nickel for everytime I saw these keywords in a relic hate thread:

"i just don't get it?" "paying money to buy a guitar that's been beaten to death?"

I'd be soooooooooo rich!

They're a fad, on top of that, they feel nice, on top of that, not everyone buys the road worns for the beat up finish. I bought one for its specs and smooth feeling worn neck.

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fender - fender forum

Yeh, but you could beat the crap out of it yourself and use wire wool on the fingerboard and back of the neck yourself and get what you wanted instead of paying big bucks for some other dude to do it

Ted

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Ted

"All right, guys, uh, listen. This is a blues riff in "B", watch me for the changes, and try and keep up, okay?"

I look at features, feel and sound above looks... but I still want my brand new guitars to look brand new.

I'm just extremely fussy about the feel and tone. I figure out what model I want, then try out tons of them until I find the one that speaks to me. My Am Dlx has all the Mojo I need to make sweet music.

1st thing i do when i buy a new guitar is take steel wool to the back of the neck,
if it has a high gloss finish, i hate that feel.

_________________
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

I think we are all fussy about our guitars. Collectively I'd say some of us are more fussy about choosing a guitar than we were about choosing our wives.
I can see that comfort and feel is a big factor in what makes these guitars appealing to some. I guess that is ultimately the name of the game. diverse tastes.

_________________
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 understand that there are many new people popping in the forums, but you really should use the search function. This is not a tool used exclusively in this forum, and if you are on the web you should understand what it is and how to use it. There has not been an original thought in this thread or one that was not posted when the first road worn guitars came out more than three years ago.
It is selfish to assume that every product Fender puts out needs your seal of approval. Cruise the catalog and look at all of the guitars that are not reliced. Fender makes these instruments because people buy them. If you don't like them, buy one of the 500 models that are not road worn and move on.