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Relics

LeonC

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2002
Messages
799
Yeah, I developed a funny way of thinking about relics several years ago. Probably kinda dumb on some level...but what happened was I was playing regularly in a part of town that I considered rather rough (Venice Beach, in a club right on the strand). I'd been using my '60 335 but was starting to get spooked a bit about getting assaulted/robbed or the guitar getting knocked over (we'd had butt-holes jump the stage more than once) and I decided to look for a guitar with a similar neck that I wouldn't feel as bad about if something happened to it. I stumbled into a guy selling a CC#14, and checked it out. I'd never owned or considered any other relics. I eventually wound up buying it. The pickups in it sounded great, the neck profile was not that far off from my 335 and it played great. And I really dug the feel of it. Moreover, it's already "knocked up" looking, so I felt like I don't have to worry as much about every little scratch or dent. Still...not a cheap guitar...so maybe kinda dumb, I know. I'm sure other people might be deeply concerned about getting a CC knocked around a bit. But that's still how I feel about it; I like playing what I consider a good quality guitar, that feels worn in and that isn't irreplaceable.

I wound up diggin it so much I bought two more CCs...
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2022
Messages
91
Personally, I agree. When I get a new guitar, I look forward to wearing it in. When the first signs of wear begin to show on the body is delightful. In my experience, a new guitar has to learn how to be a guitar. With acoustics, this seems to take years of playing. Not sure if wearing in has any effect or not on the way an electric sounds. Definitely has an effect on how it feels though in my opinion. Maybe it's the feel that connoisseurs of Relic guitars are going for?
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
At 65 patina is not happening, I own several Historics and Gibson aged guitars , years ago like 40 I could afford maybe two les Paul's they would have play wear from me playing . I like guitars looking loved & played .
 

somebodyelseuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
You got me...whoops
:ROFLMAO: Ah... ignore me.

Like the majority of the internet, I say stupid stuff that I don't really mean, sometimes - usually first thing in the morning, and in the middle of these kind of debates.

I really don't care about artificial wear that much, these days. I prefer pristine, but I'm not against relic'd - afterall, the finish options on every Les Paul, these days are technically 'artificial aged' versions of cherry sunburst.
I'd have preferred it if my R9 had been sprayed the same colour that was routine in '59, with the dye in the cherry being as unstable as it was back then, but I don't think Gibson 'has the bottle' to do it - just notice how many people complain about the dye leeching in to the binding.
I've got a Tele on order from Fender's CS, which is an 'off the peg' model, NOS blah, blah, blah, which means, as it would be the day it left the factory in '59, but it is sprayed with this 'flash coat' lacquer (?) which is supposed to age naturally, but we both know it'll be artificially fast. It'll probably look 60 years old, when it's five years old... I dread to think how bad it'll look when it actually is 60 years old - at least I won't be around to find out.
 
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