Are Relic Guitars Silly? I Was Surprised By Why Fender Started Making Them....

[@robinr.2233]

Back in the day, wearing through a new maple neck or a body finished with nitro was easy to do. No one did it intentionally, it was just a fact of life. Today, reliced guitars are like fake tits, they look and feel great (for the most part) but they’re not real.

[@NickGranville]

I’m not into relic guitars. The idea of trying to fake a guitar to look like it’s been played lots is lame imo. But if done for playing reasons then that’s fine. Each to their own though.

[@csharp57]

Life is short. We have no idea how long we’ll be around or how long we’ll even get playing guitar. While I own a 70’s worn in LP and I don’t foresee me buying some relic, I think people should do whatever makes them happy. If you like relic guitars, don’t let some uptight stranger you’ll never met in person tell you what to do with the money YOU earned. Live your own life and make your own decisions.

[@user-abcxyz-xr2eg]

You are right, life is short. But then again you shouldn't waste your precious time with bullshit relic guitars! hahaha!

[@MrKbeaumont]

I started playing guitar about 1972. When I saw someone playing a worn instrument , I was impressed by all the time bonding with that one guitar until it was an extension of the player, aged like a fine wine. Or maybe if the person was young it was handed down from a parent or grandparent, their cherished guitar. Now when I see it I don't have those ideas, I just see something someone paid to have it look beat up. No time or effort, just marketing.

[@timchalmers1700]

I like dings and things to happen naturally. I'll relic my own guitars.

[@pedroleal7118]

Exactly !

[@jamiebridson7871]

This isn't guitar related, but I sat on a friend's trumpet once. He was f#@king livid, make no mistake. He went off down the road sulking, mumbling about my clumsy ass. Then the next day, two trumpeters were waiting at my door. They wanted me to sit on their trumpets, as soon as I'd finished my porridge. I obliged, reluctantly, recalling my friend's bad reaction. But these two brass bandits were pleased with the results. They even insisted on paying me - twelve pounds each, which I immediately went out with and bought more porridge. The next day there were five trumpeters. The day after that, seventeen! These days I've had to build a multi-storey car park next to my cottage to accommodate the hundreds of trumpeters who visit me daily to wait and have their instrument sat on. I've got so much porridge that I make sculptures out of porridge and sell them as what the kids are calling a side hussle. I guess the moral of my tale, is that musicians are technically insane, and some of them have money to burn. Happy New Year!

[@davidkeller6156]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@metalfatigue]

You run into trouble when they want you to sit on a harmonica.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

John playing a relic-ed Amp tone on his Helix! 😂😉

[@kristopherk5454]

You just made me think what if in 20 or so years people were buying reliced Helixes!

[@johne.1011]

Just not a fan of relic instruments...especially after watching Andertons interview with Gibsons Custom Shop's Tom Murphy...

[@istillsuckatguitar]

Yes. Yes, they are.

[@jshearer94]

I think the only experience with a relic guitar I have is the one I own. It is very mild! I was pretty neutral until I purchased it, but now I’m a big fan. It has nothing to do with aesthetic I feel more comfortable playing that guitar. If I bang it or scratch it, it just doesn’t matter. Theres freedom in it.

[@donmunson4802]

For me, not having to deal with the first scratch is the only up-side of a relic.

[@Roryagreen]

My Strat is the AVII 61. I’ve only had it for two years but it’s pretty much been the only guitar I’ve played in that time and the finish is wearing away very quickly! Granted im playing it every day, it’s been on 3 tours and hundreds of shows. I completely get why people would go for a reliced guitar if you’re nervous about taking a 3k + instrument out on the road. At the end of the day my Strat is just two bits of wood stuck together so I’m not too precious about it!

[@3rdtonefromthesun]

I have burst AVII 61, had mine for two years now. It’s a burst and the clear coat is starting to blister in the forearm area.

[@Roryagreen]

@ that sounds so cool! There are some cracks in the lacquer on the neck from temperature changes on mine which I think look really cool!

[@neal_laugman]

Buying a relic guitar is as silly and rediculous as buying a washed out pair of blue jeans with large gaping holes in them - costing hundreds of dollars - and the guitar costing a thousand or two more. Not my thing.

[@joeurbanowski321]

I equate relics to new ripped jeans… silly. ! I’d rather spend the money on upgrades that actually improve the playability.. unless you’re rich.. And as I always say.. “EAT THE FREAKIN RICH..!!” ✌🏼😁

[@TeleTonemonkey]

You don’t like ripped jeans? Opinions are like a-holes, you are entitled to one.

[@JaffaRoad]

on one hand I think the idea of a pre worn guitar is silly, on the other hand I love how MULE resophonics look. I also picked up a Fender Road Worn Telecaster recently, cause after I played it and compared it to similar speced guitars ( costing 2x as much) I decided it had a better sound, feel, and of course value...

[@charlies3287]

"Silly"? Extremely silly. Paying a premium for a perfect finish to be "damaged" is most definitely silly.

[@ThePlanarchist]

Yes, it's silly.....do not get it at all. My oldest guitar I've had for almost 43 years now and whilst no longer pristine it certainly doesn't look reliced despite being my main guitar for at least half of that time.

[@andrewchristie6483]

I think what folk want more than anything is a well made guitar and a proper nitro finish. Let it relic itself.

[@lassekalhauge4801]

Yes - extremely silly. Paying extra for a guitar that looks old but isn’t is really stupid. Sorry

[@ssolred]

Yes, they are in my opinion and I hate this trend, one of the reasons is I cannot buy a Gibson reissue guitar that is not aged.

[@10sassafras]

They mainly look like acid wash jeans to me.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

I like the feel of them, and as I’m nearly 52, even with my gigging I probably don’t have time to heavy relic a guitar naturally. 😀 But I am genuinely a fan of light wear and “ageing”

[@shanetx81]

I understand this on the neck, a played in neck feels so much better, but I don’t see how some doofus scratching the body with his keys, or a guy tapping all around the input jack until it looks like an overly amorous and inebriated guitar cable couldn’t find his target… how does this make anything feel better? I’m not trying to be combative. I am genuinely curious.

[@GraemeCampbellMusic]

@ if it’s been properly aged, the body finish is usually stripped back a bit which I also like from an aesthetic and feel point of view. It’s personal choice. I like rusty old signs too

[@shanetx81]

@ I can agree with that, re: Rusty old signs! I also have a seventy year old welder I recently gutted (we burned it up at the shop years ago) to turn into an amp head-and/cab chassis if I can figure out how to stabilize it enough it won’t rattle, and I like reclaimed barn wood guitars quite a lot. I just didn’t understand the feel part of the body relicing. My favorites are oil finishes. So smooth and slick. Seems like missing paint would be the opposite but I have only been in close contact with some of the road worn and otherwise mediocre relics.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

@@shanetx81 oh, so you like some relic-ing … but everything else is beyond your understanding ( and therefore … requires explanation to you?) .

[@shanetx81]

@@TeleTonemonkey wow. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I thought a comment section was a place where you could engage others who commented civilly, which is all I did. I’m not demanding anyone explain anything to me at all.

[@GitShiddy]

I remember a story behind the Fender Road Worn series being the result of a failed effort by Fender to create a Keith Richards signature guitar. And the thing that stuck was Keef saying "I just like the ones that are beaten up" now as I personally vividly remember playing a mkI Road Worn Tele and it being revelatory at the time for how a guitar can feel to play. Well I have relics, both Teles, and I'm kinda like Keef "I just like the ones that are beaten up." That said plenty of relics look bad. The ones stripped almost entirely of finish or chunks of paint gone from non playing areas are quite amateurish. But some cracks & dents & checking & fading can not only be aesthetic but improve playing comfort, especially on the neck.

[@kristopherk5454]

If they would just make fenders like they did in the 50’s we wouldn’t need or want reliced guitars. They would relic themselves.

[@fordhammie]

Splurging 2-10k on a guitar that isn't naturally relic'd is 😂😂😂 But having a guitar that's 20-40 years old with natural relicking, is frikin cool and probably sounds better due to the dryer wood... My 38 year old Ibanez RG is naturally relic'd and incredible! I love the orangy maple neck and character marks, niks etc! It just looks right! Purchasing a tooled and purposely relic'd guitar just makes me laugh because the relicking cannot be substantiated to anything, like a guitarists tendancies, having been gigged for decades and or clunked around in the trunk of a car etc etc!

[@edlib02169]

Relic guitars usually don’t do it for me. I can’t imagine ever buying one. I do have some vintage instruments. I try very hard to keep them looking showroom clean. Since they get played, and since I can’t always keep them in ideal temp and humidity ranges, they do show age somewhat. But I do the very best I can to keep the finish polished and as ding and scratch free as I can without being crazy about it. But I guess I’m the opposite of the relic mentality: I want old guitars to look brand new and unplayed instead of a brand new guitar that looks like it’s 60 years old and has been kicked around a lot.

[@stevebarnett5048]

I should add that if your guitar has a genuine cellulose finish a can of electrical freezer spray aerosol held upside down and pointed at the body will check the finish due to the sudden temperature variation.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

"Let me know your thoughts in the comments on relic guitars if you've got any." Funniest sentence you might have ever uttered JC.

[@JediJingleMaker]

Simple, it is the philosophical concept of the perfect imperfection. So funny to see all the anti relic comments. Our aversions reveal our insecurities. The question is what is better, relic or new look? The answer is neither, it’s just a guitar.

[@birdsongman]

Hate them. And they appear to have flooded the market. I’m not going to buy a new Porsche that’s been knocked about - so why buy a custom shop strat that’s been knocked about AND pay a premium for it. Probably only suitable for very clumsy people.

[@russbradley7914]

Have some relics and love them but also have unmarked guitars which I love too. I also have a kind of half way house which is a guitar built by Iconic in CA that is designed to age faster because the paint is mixed to fade and check more easily, however I bought it is because it’s a beautiful guitar with a gorgeous neck and fabulous tone, which is in fact the same reason I bought all my other guitars, reliced or otherwise. I don’t think you have to stand on a point of principle on this topic, if it’s a well made guitar and it feels great and plays sweetly, then buy it and play it!

[@picksalot1]

Brand new instruments like Guitars and Violins can look cheap and plastic if they are too shiny and unplayed. Heavily reliced instruments look abused and trash. I think the wear should be real, and earned by many years of playing.

[@csharp57]

I’m over 50, feeling bouts of arthritis, so I’m going to wait until I’m 90 to see wear on my guitar? Man y’all are so narrow minded and think everyone’s life is just like yours.

[@mickymalibu]

I bought an aged Strat the reason being I wanted a guitar that if it picked up a few dings it didn’t matter. I already have a collectors item guitar and became increasingly wary of using it in a live situation and it getting damaged so this was the answer. As I do 200+ gigs a year in bars etc this seemed a good idea. I actually really like the aged guitar very much to play so it’s irrelevant to me whether people judge them or not.

[@rafaelzengo5534]

I got a Japanese Fender, one of the more vintage accurate replicas, which had a poly finish, and had it refinished in nitro with a light relic job (there are videos in my channel in case anybody is interested). It's the closest I could get from a mid-60s strat, and I think it's very close imho. It has all the same specs, sound and looks. I don't think there's any dishonesty about having a guitar like this. I'm not trying to pass it off like the real deal or something that it isn't. I don't care if the wear was "earned" or not, it's a matter of looks and feeling comfortable with what you have. I've had guitars for more than 30 years with "real wear", but because they're finished in poly they would never get that worn vintage look and vibe. So I see no problem in achieving it artificially and then continuing to put my own marks and history on the guitar. I personally don't like some of the very heavy aged stuff, but a relic job done with taste and good sense can be pretty cool and convincing.

[@fearcry]

Paying so much for a counterfeit guitar... weird...

[@raymondmeers]

Bought a customs shop reissue of a 68 Les Paul. It was reliced BUT only slightly. Pickups with a rust look. some missing screws in the pick guard, yellow tuners and optional yellowed/browned pickup selector switch. Very slightly reliced versus the current trend. For me I was just interested in the Les Paul from that era - basically the construction of that time done today. I didn't care about the reliced but thought it was pretty cool

[@willhaylock3769]

Would a brand new relice'd car be silly? - buy a brand new Audi Quattro and then pay double to have Jimmy from the workshop take a crow bar and belt sander to it?

[@GarrettMaple]

Excellent! I can’t think of a better way to illustrate how dumb the idea is! 👍

[@charlesbolton8471]

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If brand new cars still looked anything like their 70+ year old counterparts there would absolutely be a demand for it especially if the brand new “aged” model was significantly less expensive than the original 70 year old car. I’m sure if Chevy built a brand new car that looked just like a 1957 Bel Air they wouldn’t have any problem selling shiny new ones, lightly aged “garage kept” ones (the equivalent of a Closet Classic Fender Relic), and I bet they could sell some “Barn Find” heavy relic ones, too as long as were less expensive than the real thing.

[@fannyingabout]

We move forward as if looking in a rear view mirror - always attaching ourselves to the things of the past -- this is paraphrasing Mcluhan. This is why relics are popular across loads of products and always will be. Brand new cars are not a good example because the styling has changed dramatically. As another poster said if they re made an old model from the seventies I wouldn't mind betting they would sell them easily. Most relic guitars are old models like strat or if not they are designed to look old (like Novo). I have three relic guitars and I admit visually I adore that look but at some point most people use products that are artificially aged -- using aged filters on digital photos is an example.

[@willdenham]

I was complaining about the weather shock on the finish of my 70's LP to my bandmate and he just stared at me and said, 'Dude, people pay for that sh*t.' This was a few years ago.

[@wizdeas6064]

Yes.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

It should cost significantly less than a flawless finish

[@rickhill6277]

What Capo are you using? Looks like a D'addario due to the length across the Fretboard. It's longer! Does it get in your way? Thanks Man!!

[@mijwil]

I find the whole thing rather ironic. A brand new guitar gets beat up to look used. You sell a used guitar with a slight scratch and its devalued. Personally, I don't want to buy a new guitar that looks broken in but wasn't. It just got some rocks and chains thrown at it.... As you can tell I've never purchased one. I'd probably love them if I did get one lol.......

[@willdenham]

A lot of players hate a finished neck. The guitars feel different with wear in certain areas.

[@JosephCompton66]

I ordered a double esquire from the custom shop with a medium relic, the reason for me is I wanted the neck to have a worn feeling. THey delivered big time. Also, it looks like a vintage instrument. I could never afford a real 50’s esquire, that is why I did it.

[@MarkyBilton]

Is this much different from buying stonewashed or even pre torn Levis. Its a style thing, not just for guitars

[@RolfBeyer-b7t]

all the best for the coming year..relic Looks cool,great flow🎸

[@pohsibkcirrag6312]

Just bought my 1st relic Stratocaster. It came in today. I thought they were stupid until I played 1 of the road worn Telecasters. It’s the look and especially the feel of the neck!

[@lazvt8469]

Love them lightly relic'd (like my TBone and CS Closet Classic)....takes the worry out of handling them on a regular basis. I tend to buy and sell.....value decreases on a marred up guitar that's not of the relic variety. Mint guitars get too much pampering if you're not 10000% gonna keep it....not an issue with relic'd.

[@craigdanj]

That's a good point...if you ding up a relic'd guitar the next buye r won't question too much cause it'll fit in with the original aesthetic.

[@metalfatigue]

Reliced guitars are the flipslide of "10 tops". A way of adding expense without sonic benefit (and who knows; that African Bubbbadinga wood might actually sound bad). That said, it's a fair point that buying a car with the dent already in it saves some anxiety. Given how fragile nitro finishes are, seems to me a relic should cost 30% less since any flaws that occur are in fact, bonuses. There's a joke in this somewhere. "How much to throw it down a flight of stairs?" "If you have to ask, you can't afford it!"

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I have a Les Paul with a light satin finish, a couple of spritzes of Nitro if you will. 20 years ago and it shows some wear but nothing crazy If I were to pay the money for a custom shop I’d do a light relic, like someone took really good care of it but also played it a lot I think the heavy relics are a bit much for me. I also wonder how they’ll age in real time. What will a heavy relic look like after being played for 30 years?

[@CameraLaw]

It’s turning a guitar into a work of art. Many are way cool. Some are freaking ugly. Matter of taste. However, I looked at loads of different Custom Shop finishes for months and months and then bought a new stock G&L for one quarter the price. One man’s story.

[@karlmullinax3621]

Absolutely!

[@maplechill75]

If the relic job is done well, as in it actually looks like the result of wear and tear, it can look cool on the right guitar. However, there are far too many examples out there that just look ridiculous.

[@Andy-i3i]

Not for me but I certainly see the appeal, it’s cosmetic AND for feel so if someone wants it then they can and should get them. Some great looking relics and not so great looking relics just like with new guitars. To each their own to play and enjoy!

[@tequilacaster]

Guitar models that never existed until recently that are reliced to look like they're 50 or 60 years old and are totally worn in all the wrong places are stupid. Having said that, in August, I bought a used a Journeyman Relic '58 Strat RI that is awesome. It's got checking and just a couple of little dings, it might be my favorite guitar that I own. From a distance it looks in great shape, feels great, plays great, sounds great-and it's a guitar model that actually existed back in the day. And speaking of earning wear-being a relic myself, after over 50 years of playing and 45 years of regular gigging (2-6 gigs a week for decades), I figure I've earned the right to play a beat up guitar, even if I didn't necessarily create all the wear-although I've got a couple of naturally reliced ones too, that I've owned for a long, long time.

[@TheWorldAccordingToArf]

I think so, but I think lots of things :) You can by a brand new pair of jeans with holes in them too, if you like. "Can you pre-destroy my new item some, please?"

[@fivefingerfullprice3403]

They look cool, that's usually a good enough reason to do anything.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

John, you played my CS ‘65 Dakota Red Strat … it’s “relic-ing” extended to a removal of lacquer from the neck, a dulling of the body finish, old school pickguard …. Yes, there are visuals, but it’s also about “feel”. I’ve had it 13 years…. and it continues to age and, feel and play beautifully! Anybody that says it’s for frauds and fakes pretending they have “the real thing” is an a self-opinionated grinch.

[@miniguitarjams]

I want my strat looking good but my old Harley Benton took.a big knock and I'm thinking of doing a full relic job on it

[@cameronfrye5514]

Unfortunately I think those of us who dislike manufactured relic guitars have made that point in such a way as to also impugn the people who like them. For my part, my dislike for the guitars in no way applies to those who DO like them or play them. I'm not sure how the disagreement got to the level it has, because there are other polarizing guitar trends or designs that don't start the fights relics do. I'm aware of the historical context, I'm aware of the creativity and work that goes into giving a guitar a 'relic'd' appearance and I'm aware that in some cases they are nicer to play than an equivalent 'new' guitar would be. I'm also on board with the concept that the way you feel about your instrument can in some ways be as important as your technical mastery of it. But if I say I don't like headless guitars, the response is 'that's your choice'. If I say I don't like relic guitars, people who do immediately go defensive.

[@JDStone20]

Interesting, first time I saw relicing was the Joe Strummer Telecaster

[@chrischia4138]

Absolutely stunning intro song

[@MartinZazpe]

My vintage guitar I just acquired is mega relicd due to poor care. I don’t mind, it plays perfectly. Naturally relicd are the best though

[@neilfordan]

very light relic, journeymen, closet classic, roadworn style are alright for me. any more than that is just silly. I get that squeaky new guitar looks cheap and doesn't feel as well. but destroyed relic is just mad.

[@areallyboredguy5825]

There is one relicing everyone seems to agree they like but don't always think of as relicing, ROLLED FRETBOARD EDGES, is 100% a light relic job. As far as relicing on finish, I rather like light relic styles like those you find on Novo guitars.

[@GarrettMaple]

Rolled edges are 100% not anything to do with relicing, at all. In the same way that comfort carves on a body aren’t relicing either, or just radiused body edges for that matter. Dumb comment really.

[@areallyboredguy5825]

@GarrettMaple No need to call my comment dumb and be rude, anything done to advance age a guitar, including simulating the rolling of edges that happens when you play for years, is relicing. The fact you wouldn't even consider it relicing is proof that it is such an accepted form of relicing that people forgot what rolled edges were supposed to simulate. Also Does your guitar just naturally carve out a body shape when you play??? What are you doing wearing a sandpaper suit???? How in the world would you consider body carves relicing it doesn't naturally happen just from playing, but ROLLED EDGES do. Rolled edges are literally considered relicing which is why people they have a “worn in” feel. Over time, naturally, the edges will roll from the friction of you playing which is a form of WEAR and rolling edges simulates that worn in feel. Even Philip McKnight said it is a form of relicing. If you do something to a guitar so it feels "worn in" like it’s been used for a while, aka the whole point of relicing is to make something look AND FEEL worn, then you are relicing it.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

@@areallyboredguy5825 shows what he knows.

[@GarrettMaple]

@ If you don’t want people to be rude to you then don’t be a dumbass. Rolling fretboard edges is not relicing. The end! I am a luthier and it has nothing to do with artificially ‘worn in’ edges, it’s purely a comfort feature in the same way that body contours are made for comfort. My oldest guitar has been played (and gigged) for 32 years and it doesn’t have anywhere near the rolled edges as is manufactured into modern guitars, and even if it did it wouldn’t be anywhere near the consistency all the way up the fretboard (on both edges) that manufactured rolled edges have. Think about it for more than a second and you’ll realise how stupid it is to suggest otherwise.

[@GarrettMaple]

@ Also you’d better tell PRS, who famously DO NOT MAKE relic guitars but DO manufacture some of the most rolled fretboard edges on the market, that they are in fact making relic guitars after all! 😂

[@dash4786]

I like guitars that are relic and I like them not relicd. I have a 2004 highway 1 Stratocaster that has some good relicing that's natural and then I have one with a nice finish that's pristine. My three new k lines, to springfields and one truxton, are reliced obviously and I enjoy that because I always hit the headstock on the sidewall where I record or ding the bottom off something. I don't really care it makes it more unique

[@robinjgill]

I bought a reliceed car. Smashed tail lights and scratched paintwork make it more authentic.

[@edleonard2395]

Some people like classical, some people like punk.

[@David-q3f3d]

I remember getting guitarist magazine in the 90's when it all started with a Jimmy Page les paul replica with the knocks and dings identical to the original. I thought it was silly then and i still think it silly now, in some cases it just looks ridiculous

[@pedroleal7118]

Actually, I like it the other way around, a 40 years old guitar that looks like brand new!

[@Paul-D]

Are you addicted to opening cans of worms lately hahaha.

[@sboy1955]

I am surprised. Good to know. Hope 2025 is a great year for all of us!

[@crazyguitar777]

Perhaps there is also the “SRV” aura to this trend… same as the heavy strings bias. Of note, I am a huge SRV fan, so seeing an aged Strat kicks off the SRV vibe. Same with Phill Sayce… such a powerful player, one cannot avoid thinking of the aged shape of the guitar having something to do. But then again…. Both SRV and Sayce play as monstrous tone in pristine guitars as in aged ones. We n any case…. It’s your moneyif u want a reliced one, do what u will.

[@rickhill6277]

John, I don't like Relic'd Guitars! I want MY wear on it. I want to relic it the way I play and the Bumps I put in it naturally. I like to keep my guitars as Clean as possible. Thank You and please have a Happy New Year. Cheers from Salem, Oh. US.

[@alexdenton6586]

Relic is an abomination

[@TeleTonemonkey]

Your opinion, my Lord!

[@alexdenton6586]

@ a musician’s final thoughts should be of Ohio

[@TeleTonemonkey]

@@alexdenton6586 once again, telling others how to live their lives.

[@alexdenton6586]

@ If we follow your logic, then you’re doing the same thing. I say relic finishes are an abomination, and you say they’re not. I think it’s not a big deal, and I don’t tell people what they should think. But you seem to spend a lot of time judging others. Or maybe you simply can’t handle someone having an opinion different from yours.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

But I haven’t given my opinion on the topic!? You have! My point.

[@stevebarnett5048]

I have a CS Closet Classic Strat and while it doesn’t come with chips it still feels like you’ve got that first scratch out of the way and you can now relax with the guitar and not worry about it.

[@robertritchie2860]

whatever you think is cool: clothing, shoes, amps and guitars. anything that puts you in a good headspace is great - including reliced guitars... nothing is silly apart from the title of this video 😜

[@GarrettMaple]

Relicing (sp?) is absolutely dumb. There is no argument for it that makes any sense to me. People say “I don’t care if I ding the body”. Yeah, if you don’t care then it also doesn’t matter if the body starts out ‘new’ then does it 🤷‍♂️ Paying more for something brand new to look old is ridiculous. And let’s just be honest about it, 100% of the ‘appeal’ about a relic guitar is the implied notion that it’s somehow ‘vintage’ and therefore has some additional value. This is fraud, basically.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

Okay, Master! Going to sand my neck now if that’s okay with you?

[@GarrettMaple]

@@TeleTonemonkey Why do you assume I’d give AF what you do to your neck? 😂

[@TeleTonemonkey]

@GarrettMaple … it’s simulating that it’s been played for years … err, “relic-ing”! 😂

[@charlesbolton8471]

Play an actual 50s or 60s Fender then play a Custom Shop Relic that is a fraction of the price you just might change your mind especially can’t afford the vintage guitar.

[@GarrettMaple]

@@TeleTonemonkey Think about it. As per my reply to you on the other comment. It’s not simulating anything, it’s merely designed to be more comfortable to play 🤷‍♂️. It’d be pretty stupid to make fretboards that were less comfortable, right?

[@zThisPlay]

yes

[@lenwhatever4187]

The only place I can see doing this is to have a backup guitar that looks the same as ones "main" guitar or album cover guitar or to de-sticky a neck.... otherwise it seems like a gimmick. On the other hand, its yours do whatever you want with it. All I care about is what the playing sounds like. It may be possible a young player will look more experienced with something more worn (but not beat up). still not for me personally.

[@dustylense]

I have two relic'd guitars. Reason I love them? I don't have to worry about knocks or dings. In fact, I once showed my buddy my relic while drunk and he had a church key. I took that church key and put some more relic on the guitar. I can't tell you where, because next day I had no idea where I did it.

[@shanetx81]

I see this argument a lot and it seems kinda silly to me. There’s also the option of… just not worrying about knocks and dings in your non relic’s guitars. I don’t mind dinging up my guitars, those are just signs that they are being used and it adds to their story with me. I don’t try for it, but when it happens it doesn’t bother me at all. Now, I’m also not remotely concerned with retail value because I didn’t buy these guitars to sell. They’re all keepers to me.

[@dustylense]

@@shanetx81 Have fun selling it when it comes time to pay your mom back.

[@shanetx81]

@@dustylense Jeeze people are uppity about this subject. Why jump to insults? I don’t understand your point of view, but I engaged with civility. Your response is on tilt, man. I did flat out say that I don’t look at them as investments or consider retail, and mom died in June of 23, so I probably won’t be paying her back anyway (not that she ever bought any of my instruments), but thanks for thinking of her!

[@rhetttanner1598]

If you want a relic guitar, put in the work yourself and MAKE it relic’d. Cant stand it. But hey that’s just me.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

What, sand down the lacquer from the back of the neck, roll the edges etc, ok, thanks for the advice!

[@simoneric8183]

Relic guitars, naturally aged, are not silly. Those which are artificially relicked AND those who do that are even BEYOND cretinism.

[@venom3936]

Idc what ya’ll “think” if it looks cool it is cool. Fight with the wall

[@fartaignelives6889]

Yes

[@tiagoramalhais5493]

I don't mind but i would never pay extra for someone to fake aging on a guitar.

[@elevenAD]

i wont say relics are silly, tons of people dig them but i know i would feel silly buying one for whatever reason, just not for me.

[@thedoodl38ug]

The will never be world peace, when adults argue over which cosmetic choice is right! We're doomed! 😂

[@jjnolan]

Not a fan. However I’ve owned plenty of naturally relic’d cars in my day! 😂

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

I don't get the relic thing at all. I mean would you pay top dollar/pound/euro for a new car that's all dented, scratched and rusty? Didn't think so.

[@fannyingabout]

Relicing is widespread and has been going on for donkeys years -- jeans made to look old; photos with Polaroid filters and the list goes on and on. I have three Kauffman guitars which are relic and my god I love them they are irreplaceable.

[@guitarcd]

I used to be in the "silly" category, but about fifteen or so years ago I was getting lessons from and occasionally gigging with Tim Lerch. I half-kidded half asked about why anyone would buy a new guitar that was already beat up, because I knew his instruments at the time were basically only Custom Shop Teles and Nocasters. He said that the whole point was he could buy a new Tele and spend fifteen years playing it hard, spilling beer on it, beating it up, and finally getting it to the point where "It' slike a pair of comfortable jeans" or... he could have one now already made to that point. The really fun bit for me was that as Tim got more "internet famous" I would see on message boards comments like "listen to this guy, you can tell that HE put the wear on that old guitar" as a dig on people who buy the very type of guitar that was being played. I'm still someone who doesn't care too much about how an instrument looks, I put a much higher rating on feel and sound, and yet my two very favorite Fender style instruments are a pretty heavily relic'd strat and tele Nash guitars. The white S-57 that I own is, in my opinion, the best playing and sounding strat that i've ever held in my hands, including some vintage examples with pricetags of 10x what I paid for mine.

[@atticus9577]

I get it, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a relic.

[@urbanfellavancouver]

sold a 5000$ suhr to buy a 10,000$ fender custom shop super heavy relic its a piece of art that looks too cool on my wall, inspires me to play more, inspires conversations ... you could do surgery with a suhr its so "sterile" and maybe thats good for a studio pro, was not for me.

[@paulmckeown5672]

I have a couple of cheaper guitars that came relic'd but I would never consider buying a guitar costing above £500 that was relic'd. You wouldn't buy a new car that had bashed and rusty panels, I think anyway. I'd buy a genuinely aged guitar but not a relic'd one, it looks false.

[@UelCarter]

Girlfriend doesn't like it, therefore I don't. 😊

[@klausthedog9670]

Everything is silly if you really think about it

[@2Yards]

I just never wanted a relic’d guitar. I’m like…why…it’s a fake…it looks bad in most cases….it costs more. A really naturally worn (not modified) guitar is actually cool. I just don’t get the draw towards a “faked up used “ looking guitar.

[@mk7073]

TLDR: Yes, relic guitars are silly.

[@user-abcxyz-xr2eg]

I don't like fakes. And relic guitars are fakes. Relic people who started playing guitar in their early years have relic guitars anyway if they haven't sold them. Now I'm just waiting young people paying money in order to get a relic face that fit their relic guitars. Good luck, then!

[@JustIce-u9w]

Not only are Relic guitars silly, they appeal to losers who are not cool, but try to be. Relic guitars are perfect for people like John Mayer. The only guitars that have some scars and do look cool are the ones owned by seasoned musicians who have toured with that guitar for many years & every scrape & scratch has a story to tell. If Someone pays a Fender employee to kick a perfectly well made guitar around a warehouse & scratch it purposely with a file and a cheese grater, then you pay an extra $5K for the privilage, you are on a loosing streak.