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Any Cunetto Relic owners?

67blackcherry

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
205
Hi - new poster here - any Cunetto Relic owners here? I've been buying them since '97; I noticed the difference when Fender moved the operation in house and I quit buying the new relics, I was always on the lookout for the ones with the "branded" logo on the headstock.
I was chatting up one of the sales reps at NAMM in '96 when they debuted the line; I thought it was cool they had a vintage 'nocaster and Mary Kay at the booth and upon hearing the rep tell me "no, that's our new line, we age them to look old!" I told him that was the stupidest thing I ever heard and walked away...until I played one a year later and now look what's happened...
'nocaster
Mary Kay
Seafoam Green w/ gold hardware
Sonic Blue w/ nickel hardware
Fiesta Red / gold
Shoreline Gold / gold
50's twotone s/b / nickel
Burgundy Mist / gold
60's threetone s/b / nickel
Lake Placid Blue / gold

imagejpg1_zpse1b7fa4b.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Before Vince quit the Fender project he also restored a black Jazz Bass for me [he was just a few miles from me] .
Many who have seen it assume it is real.
I'll try to get a pic or two.
 

Herc123

New member
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
33
Hi - new poster here - any Cunetto Relic owners here? I've been buying them since '97; I noticed the difference when Fender moved the operation in house and I quit buying the new relics, I was always on the lookout for the ones with the "branded" logo on the headstock.
I was chatting up one of the sales reps at NAMM in '96 when they debuted the line; I thought it was cool they had a vintage 'nocaster and Mary Kay at the booth and upon hearing the rep tell me "no, that's our new line, we age them to look old!" I told him that was the stupidest thing I ever heard and walked away...until I played one a year later and now look what's happened...
'nocaster
Mary Kay
Seafoam Green w/ gold hardware
Sonic Blue w/ nickel hardware
Fiesta Red / gold
Shoreline Gold / gold
50's twotone s/b / nickel
Burgundy Mist / gold
60's threetone s/b / nickel
Lake Placid Blue / gold

imagejpg1_zpse1b7fa4b.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

damn nice candy store!!
 

les strat

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
5,194
A lot of mid 90's Custom Shop guitars had black shielding paint in the cavities. I had the body of one. Great guitar, but it was a '58, yet shot with catalyzed lacquer (wasn't relic'd). I don't know why they used that on some of the reissues back then, but Mike Eldridge said they did, and it was the specs for mine.
 

flameburst

Member
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
313
Lovely set of Cunetto's you have 67blackcherry!

Cunetto relics do ooze the '50's pre-CBS vibe and really did feel like old ones to play. Fender CS (or Vince Cunetto himself) did a great job at selecting necks for certain bodies and getting the feel right for each one they produced.

Not as overdone as the current relics IMO.

I had a very cool Mary Kaye for a while, but sold it to get my first Historic.




Kept a small amount of the proceeds to re-decorate our old back lobby too! :rofl
 

sikoniko

Active member
Joined
Aug 28, 2012
Messages
675
I really like some of the relic'ing that has come out of the fender custom shop. some of it is over the top, and has led me to sell some rather cool guitars though. One question I have for those of you that have had these guitars a while... have you noticed them patina more? has the paint sunk in any into the wood?

I recently bought a 2004 '50th anniversary 1954 strat and it looks as new as the day someone bought it. it obviously was a case queen and left unplayed. I don't see much actual player wear on many of the custom shops. Any ideas why that might be?
 

Rev.WillieVK

Active member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
9,268
I really like some of the relic'ing that has come out of the fender custom shop. some of it is over the top, and has led me to sell some rather cool guitars though.

I thought it was hilarious when Fender did the top of the line Clapton 'Blackie' guitars: all of the wear marks on the body were precisely mapped and executed... revealing the brand-new white wood underneath. :hee

The Cunettos are a huge step far and above the other relicing at the time :dude: and if I could find a really lightweight Cunetto Mary Kay I'd probably snatch it up!
 

sikoniko

Active member
Joined
Aug 28, 2012
Messages
675
I thought it was hilarious when Fender did the top of the line Clapton 'Blackie' guitars: all of the wear marks on the body were precisely mapped and executed... revealing the brand-new white wood underneath. :hee

The Cunettos are a huge step far and above the other relicing at the time :dude: and if I could find a really lightweight Cunetto Mary Kay I'd probably snatch it up!

no doubt the Cunetto's were an inspiration to the 'aged/relic'ing' and some of the coolest and earliest. I hope what I said wasn't anything against them. On the contrary, I think in some cases, Fender has done better at aging than Gibson has - and it is nice that they provide tiers of aging.

I guess what I don't understand is if they are doing them like they used to, why don't we see more worn guitars these days (like were seen in the '60s and 70s from the originals) than we do... most of the ones I see look as new (though relic'd) as they were the day they were bought.

do you think most guitars that get bought these days don't get played or that something is still different enough in the process to keep them from aging unless under extreme wear?
 

Rev.WillieVK

Active member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
9,268
... why don't we see more worn guitars these days (like were seen in the '60s and 70s from the originals) than we do... most of the ones I see look as new (though relic'd) as they were the day they were bought.

do you think most guitars that get bought these days don't get played or that something is still different enough in the process to keep them from aging unless under extreme wear?

I think a big part of it is that back in the '50s/'60s/'70s most musicians only had 1 or 2 guitars: their favorite and possibly a backup. They played their main guitar everywhere because it was likely their only guitar. Nowadays it seems like most players over 25 years old have 5 or 10 or 50 guitars (at least those on the forums :biggrin:) and individual guitars don't get played and worn as much. New, more durable finishes, and the value-at-resale-so-keep-it-nice concept also play into it.
 

capitalbear

Active member
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
1,048
I think a big part of it is that back in the '50s/'60s/'70s most musicians only had 1 or 2 guitars: their favorite and possibly a backup. They played their main guitar everywhere because it was likely their only guitar. Nowadays it seems like most players over 25 years old have 5 or 10 or 50 guitars (at least those on the forums :biggrin:) and individual guitars don't get played and worn as much. New, more durable finishes, and the value-at-resale-so-keep-it-nice concept also play into it.

Exactly, and that's how the business works. Imagine everbody had just one or two guitars...end of the story,. no growth, no turnover anymore.
Since guitars are kinda "indestructable" consumer goods´and far from fast moving, the only way to expand the business is to tell people that they really "need" more guitars.
 

au_rick

Active member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
871
I think a big part of it is that back in the '50s/'60s/'70s most musicians only had 1 or 2 guitars: their favorite and possibly a backup. They played their main guitar everywhere because it was likely their only guitar. Nowadays it seems like most players over 25 years old have 5 or 10 or 50 guitars (at least those on the forums :biggrin:) and individual guitars don't get played and worn as much. New, more durable finishes, and the value-at-resale-so-keep-it-nice concept also play into it.


Probably right.
Personally I don't get the whole artificial ageing thing but it may well work for the baby boomer types who had old guitars years ago that they let go when they got into family life and now want to start playing again get that look and feel back ?

For my money, if you want a well worn guitar, buy an new one and play every day it for 20 years
 

lpnv59

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
10,725
Probably right.
Personally I don't get the whole artificial ageing thing but it may well work for the baby boomer types who had old guitars years ago that they let go when they got into family life and now want to start playing again get that look and feel back ?

For my money, if you want a well worn guitar, buy an new one and play every day it for 20 years

Baby boomers, like myself, don't have 20 years. :laugh2::laugh2:

I had a really early Cunetto Nocaster. I used it for several years until I grew tired of the bender and bought my '56. I posted on the Tele forum some questions about it. Vince chimed in saying the handwritten numbers in the neck pocket and heel meant it was built in the first weeks of production before he got stamps. The bridge pickup was almost 10K and kind of dark.
DSC00434.JPG
 

67blackcherry

Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
205
Baby boomers, like myself, don't have 20 years. :laugh2::laugh2:

I had a really early Cunetto Nocaster. I used it for several years until I grew tired of the bender and bought my '56. I posted on the Tele forum some questions about it. Vince chimed in saying the handwritten numbers in the neck pocket and heel meant it was built in the first weeks of production before he got stamps. The bridge pickup was almost 10K and kind of dark.
DSC00434.JPG

NICE!!!
I've only ever seen one other B-Bender 'nocaster, it sold stupid cheap on eBay and I really kick myself in the ass for letting it get away.
 

MapleFlame

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
I had 2, #1- 54 Namm show ash that had a sticker on trem block stating it was used at Namm show and #2-60 blond relic. I too thought the stamped behind headstock guitars were really well built. The 54 probably would have been smart to keep, but traded it for a 1957 Special. Wonderful collection.
 

Deputy Dog

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
101
Before Vince quit the Fender project he also restored a black Jazz Bass for me [he was just a few miles from me] .
Many who have seen it assume it is real.
I'll try to get a pic or two.
Its been 6 years...you ever find that picture. Reason I'm asking is that I have a black Cunetto era Jazz Bass.
 
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