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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:35 pm
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I agree everyone so far. If you want to buy a reliced guitar, do it because you like playing the guitar. Otherwise, you're going to come away disapointed over time.

It own 2 guitars which are at one stage or the other of relicing. That's because they are old guitars--a '75 and a '76 Strat.

I like them for what they are, not how much they are worth. If you decide to you want to head in the vintage market for under $2.5K, check out my videos on the subject or ask me questions first.

By the way, you can buy a used Highway one Strat and let it become reliced or a Roadworn Strat for much cheaper, and they are both really good guitars.


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:49 am
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Maybe a higher end Am Fender, relic from the factory or relic through years of heavy playing could be desirable and sellable. But, I just finished looking at my local Craigslist and saw a new posting for a MIM "relic" Tele. To me it's just a piece of cheese that most likely has had every part of it beat to death by some kid and everyone he knows. Maybe worth $100 to someone, not the $350 asking price. All in all, relic is not the way to go if resale is in mind. Relic is worth a lot if the professional instrument was owned by a professional musician which makes it collectable. I'm opinionated, I know, but only in the guitar world is "relic" used too often for what is otherwise know as POS.


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:46 am
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I think there is some confusion over "relic" and a truly old guitar.

A legitimate old guitar, with provenance, will have value no matter what condition it is in.

The question is, will a modern guitar which has been deliberately distressed, and fitted with reproduction parts have value.

Well obviously it has value (and above $100 as suggested). Unless fitted with genuine old parts (not so as a factory relic), all the components are new or new when the guitar was built. The "distressing" is purely cosmetic so is no different to a paint finish, nor any more difficult to change than a paint finish. The guitar hasn't been battered around any more than a shiny one has - at least not at the factory. As I noted above it might have had slightly less care taken of it subsequently than a pristine looking guitar or perhaps not if people think it is really old.

So, in summary, a factory relic is no more or less valuable than any non "run of the mill" finish guitar in the first instance.

When selling anything the value is set by desirability. It is almost impossible to consider how desirable a factory relic might be in 10 or 20 years. My hunch is they might have an edge with collectors as they are different from the "run of the mill", in the same way a centenary guitar has slightly more value perhaps.

Personally, if I were looking to buy and there were two identical specification guitars, a reissue and a factory reliced reissue, I would go with the distressed version - What 60 year old guitar is going to look pristine after all? It's a shame that I really don't like the retro, six screw, folded saddle bridge or I could be quite enthusiastic over a relic.

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:06 pm
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Never understood the whole relic concept. Why would you pay more money for someone else to scratch up and sand a new guitar? In the musical instrument business such items with even small scratches and dings used to be called "blemished", and sold for a lot less money than undamaged instruments.I know if I had just spent a substantial chunk of change on a new Fender and walked back into the room to find my bass player getting busy on it with nails, sandpaper, cigarettes, beer and broken glass...let's just say he wouldn't have time to say, "Hey dude, I'm giving it a relic job. You can pay me for it later," before I strangled him.


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:07 pm
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nyquilcoma wrote:
Never understood the whole relic concept...


It isn't about damage, it's about the look and feel of a well used vintage instrument. Many would love to have "Blackie", but can't afford the real thing, so something that looks like it for much less money is appealing to a great many people. This so-called "fad" of relics has been going strong for some 20+ years so far. That has to be a "fad" record of some kind. :lol:

What I don't understand is why these insecure types put down those that like relics, inferring (and outright saying) that they are foolish and/or stupid, or posers. Does it make them feel like big shots to put down someone else? :roll: Doesn't the very definition of ignorance mean "not understanding"? So, I am ignorant of the lack of understanding here. :wink:

Whatever, dudes. 8)

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:10 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
nyquilcoma wrote:
Never understood the whole relic concept...




What I don't understand is why these insecure types put down those that like relics, inferring (and outright saying) that they are foolish and/or stupid, or posers. Does it make them feel like big shots to put down someone else? :roll: Doesn't the very definition of ignorance mean "not understanding"? So, I am ignorant of the lack of understanding here. :wink:

Whatever, dudes. 8)


Good Lord , sir, dig yourself. We are talking about matters of opinion here, not attempting to psychoanalyze any poster based upon his/her preference or reasons for choosing one type of finish (which is all a "relic job" is, anyway) over another. The OP asked for opinions on whether he should buy a relic'ed guitar. We are just expressing opinions, not trying to insult you or anyone else.


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:24 am
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nyquilcoma wrote:
.... to find my bass player getting busy on it with nails, sandpaper, cigarettes, beer and broken glass...let's just say he wouldn't have time to say, "Hey dude, I'm giving it a relic job. You can pay me for it later," before I strangled him.


And quite rightly so as that would just be vandalism not creating a relic.

Randomly damaging a guitar does not make it a relic. The whole point is the guitar is as faithful a reproduction of an old guitar as posible. The original guitar might be famous, and unaffordable, or just old and also possibly unaffordable.

It is a 1:1 scale model of an older guitar. Done well it demonstrates a skill and art which should/can be appreciated.

Done badly it is just wanton vandalism.

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 2:50 am
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nyquilcoma wrote:
shimmilou wrote:
nyquilcoma wrote:
Never understood the whole relic concept...




What I don't understand is why these insecure types put down those that like relics, inferring (and outright saying) that they are foolish and/or stupid, or posers. Does it make them feel like big shots to put down someone else? :roll: Doesn't the very definition of ignorance mean "not understanding"? So, I am ignorant of the lack of understanding here. :wink:

Whatever, dudes. 8)


Good Lord , sir, dig yourself. We are talking about matters of opinion here, not attempting to psychoanalyze any poster based upon his/her preference or reasons for choosing one type of finish (which is all a "relic job" is, anyway) over another. The OP asked for opinions on whether he should buy a relic'ed guitar. We are just expressing opinions, not trying to insult you or anyone else.


Yeah? Read the whole thread, and other threads about relics, they are full of insults, directed at those that like relics. This one is actually relatively tame compared to others, but still...

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 4:08 am
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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 7:28 am
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It looks like the lone insulting comment was edited/removed, and I'm glad that I can't remember who it was. This is a pretty decent thread.

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 5:18 pm
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This topic is one of the reasons I do not frequent this site as much anymore. I have customers requesting I build them relics, and I personally like them myself. Fender sells them from the custom shop for a reason.

That said, I am fine with anyone having an "opinion" about them in a negative way but what happened was implications that anyone who likes, owns or builds relics is an idiot, poseur, ripoff artist etc. And...those are the same people that probably like and own artists or signature series, or reissues. I have not yet heard a single valid argument as to the difference between an artist, signature or reissue vs a relic. Now granted some of these posters believe the only thing to making a relic is throwing a guitar down the stairs and burning it with cigarettes the fact is even if that is all it took should not make a difference in anyone else's life or give them a right to insult anyone else's tastes, intelligence, integrity, character etc regarding how they want their piece of wood to look.

Now even with that said, the last relic I built took me 6 months....and that is because I actually got a reissue body to really look like it was 50+ years old "road worn" naturally.... and I got paid well for it AND the most important the person who bought it is happy and will put it to good use and play it for years and years....maybe hand it down to his kids. It is not about going up or down in value as anything is only worth the most someone is willing to pay for it but the bottom line is if you want a genuine 50 year old Fender you can either spend well into the 5 figures, or substantially less on a relic....or not get what you want because of some "opinions" on a forum by those who simply have different tastes in how they want their piece of wood to look, or they are totally and completely clueless to the whole idea.

Here is what a good heavy relic should look like near the end stages (anyone really think a staircase toss, keys, freon, and a cigarette can do this?) Image

Here it is again when I had it in a later stage...

Image


Early stage...

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 8:45 pm
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I'm sorry (and don't mean to offend) but that guitar doesn't look relic to me. It looks like it was left in the bed of a pickup truck for a year or two. It just doesn't look like normal wear from being played by a musician. For instance, go to the symphony and look at some 200yr old stringed instruments that have had loving care but constant, continuous use. Big difference.


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:09 pm
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tvr1979 wrote:
I'm sorry (and don't mean to offend) but that guitar doesn't look relic to me. It looks like it was left in the bed of a pickup truck for a year or two. It just doesn't look like normal wear from being played by a musician. For instance, go to the symphony and look at some 200yr old stringed instruments that have had loving care but constant, continuous use. Big difference.


"I'm sorry and don't mean to offend.....but I read you put 6 months of work into that body to make the half a century of aging and wear seem natural so I will state it looks like it was thrown into a pickup truck bed for 2 years since I would never want to be offensive...."

You can't offend a piece of wood nor what anyone else prefers their piece of wood to look like. Apparently you do not understand what the term "relic" means in the context of a solid body electric guitar. It has nothing to do with "normal" wear or comparing it to a freaking Stradivarius. As far as "loving care"..... do that with your wife, and kids, and friends, and family..... I would hope your Strat could take a lot more surface abuse and still deliver. You seem to be so clueless that if clue was traveling at the speed of light, it would take 200,000,000 light years to reach your brain.

Or go tell Stevie Ray Vaughn or Eddie Van Halen or John Frusciante, or Rory Gallagher or dozens of other major players of solid body electrics that YOU have a problem with it because they did not give them enough "loving care" like symphony players would have. And then leave your resume so we can evaluate your credentials on the topic.

I would admit if your wife looked like she was left in the bed of a pickup for 2 years she might not play like a Strat under the same circumstance however regardless of what your wife (if you have one), or your guitar (if you have one) looks like, really is subjective as far as eye appeal or as they say in the eye of the beholder.

Or if you can... post a pic of the last "symphony" 200 year old instrument you saw that had a nitro sunburst finish and was subjected to years and years and decades of bar gigs and blues/rock and roll industry luthiers. My forehead has welts from face palming after reading your reply. Not from being offended, but from being confounded via ignorance.

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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:41 am
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For a person who avoids the forum because it contains posts you find offensive, you sure are keen on throwing insults yourself...


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Post subject: Re: Should i buy a relic?help
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:22 am
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Hi ebaysux

I am quite a fan of relics, and have said earlier how a good relic tells a story.

I'm afraid I'm a little confused by the "story" your guitar is telling. There appears to be areas of significant ware, through frequent handling and contact, which I dont think wouldn't consistently get handled.

Using SRVs Strat as an example, the lacquer isn't completely obliterated around all of the jack socket. The area immediately around the bridge is protected by the bridge. I'm not saying you don't touch the body behind or below the bridge, you just wouldn't do it frequently in the way your arm might abrade the top edge.

This being the case, because the guitar confuses me, I wouldn't be happy with it personally, but I have no doubt the owner is delighted and that's all that matters.

I'd rather like to do a relic (if I didn't dislike the retro bridge) but would be inclined to copy an existing guitar to ensure the ware is accurate.

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