The Relic Guitar Debate: Why So Much Hate?

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🎸 Why Do So Many People Hate Relic Guitars? | The Great Debate 🎸
In today's video, we're diving into the heated debate surrounding relic guitars. Why do they spark such strong opinions? Why do some guitarists love them while others can't stand them?
I’ll be sharing my personal experience with my 2009 Fender Roadworn Telecaster, a relic guitar that has served me well over the years. We'll explore the pros and cons of relic guitars, discuss why some musicians appreciate their vintage charm and worn-in feel, and why others see them as overpriced and artificially aged.
🎶 Topics Covered:
What are relic guitars?
The appeal of relic guitars
Common criticisms and controversies
My personal experience with my Fender Roadworn Telecaster
Finding a balanced perspective in the relic guitar debate
Whether you love them or hate them, relic guitars are a fascinating topic in the guitar community. Let's keep the discussion balanced and respectful in the comments - I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
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#RelicGuitars #FenderRoadworn #GuitarDebate #Telecaster #GuitarCommunity
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[@robertstan2349]

personally i believe that the guitar has to earn its blemishes.

[@lylecaine4833]

No hate, I just prefer to bang up my guitar myself.

[@wangobadankas4038]

I don't mind that they exist and that people like them but I don't care to see an obvious relic. Too many are. I appreciate good special effects in movies but I don't want to be distracted by overboard phoniness. When we were kids in the 60s and 70s it was all we could do to afford a guitar. Most of us didn't have cases, stands or hangers. We had to walk five miles in the snow to buy strings.🙄 Guitars got nicks and dings from being stuffed under the bed or propped up in the closet or loaded into the car. We avoided wearing belts. Too many relic jobs just aren't realistic.

[@powbobs]

How is it any of your business?

[@frankhughes5702]

This topic really ruffles feathers 😂😂😂

[@powbobs]

@@thelostcause278 Yes. But then you went on as if anyone cares what you think people should like.

[@CliffRoling]

It’s like the kid scratching up his skateboard to look like it’s been through more than it actually has, implying that the he is more accomplished than he actually is.that kid was rightfully called a poser.Most players aren’t doing so many shows and practicing so much that it’s wearing out their guitar finish,and taking the finish off the neck and fretboard. if you didn’t earn every scratch and dent from being accomplished, then you are rightfully posing as a serious gigging musician,same as that kid posing as an accomplished skater,so you can rightfully be called a poser. If that image and reputation is fine with you, then buy a reliced guitar. If you want that look and want to be taken seriously,practice and gig till it has honest wear that actually show’s accomplishment. It’s simply the look of a phony bologni

[@TwangThang57]

"Antiquing" and "Distressing" has been a common practice in the furniture industry for decades, if not centuries. Play what you like and don't fret about what others think of your guitar!

[@lazvt8469]

I prefer a lightly relic'd guitar....bought USED. I won't worry a lick about adding some character of my own. Liberating!! My CS is a Closet Classic....bought it used....PERFECT. I play it without any fear or apprehension of dinging it and losing value as a result in the event I ever want to sell it. Never seen a 50 year old guitar look as ABUSED as many heavily relic'd guitars on the market....too much!

[@MyScooter57]

I don’t hate them. I just won’t buy one.

[@powbobs]

Nobody said you had to.

[@gringogreen4719]

I feel you. Usually I just find a neglected guitar to get that "road worn" look and fix that up because I find them for cheap.

[@davideatwell6577]

It never occurred to me that they're more worked and sometimes more playable

[@shanehen]

And here I am freaking out when my Strat gets a new ding. I'm the direct opposite of the relic crowd.

[@BeeRumblin13]

My nitro blonde broadcaster 70th Anni is gettin a little brown on the armrest. It will be self relicing in a few years i'm guessin from my sweaty arm.

[@giabgr]

Actually, Journeymans are the least relic'd out of the relic'd Custom Shops. Goes from NOS, Closet Classic, Journeyman all the way to Heavy Relic. That Roadworn looks great!

[@j.p.7708]

2:49 love your playing and tone👌🏻please explain your settings and setup, it’s world class 🎸

[@jamieholroydguitar]

Thank you very much! All the sounds are using the free amp sims in GarageBand just plugging straight into my focusrite 2i2. I can never get recorded amps to sound as good as just going direct personally.

[@mannoplanet]

A friend (who was a skeptic) bought a Fender Relic that he liked a lot. He said it seems like the factory spent more time on it and did a better job of finishing the frets etc... he really liked it.

[@user-ht9fr6eh9u]

I like them, I don't really like new shiny things, I prefer patina and character, cars houses etc

[@Greenjagsurf]

I don't get it. I like that new car, but if it only had some door dings?

[@startrekmike]

People who hate specific guitar types and styles enough to openly complain online about them will always come off as a bit unhinged to me. People like what they like and this topic isn't high-stakes enough to matter in the slightest. If someone likes relic guitars, it has absolutely no impact on anyone else.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

Not unless all guitars become relic ‼️😁

[@blufordbirdsong1834]

Interesting video. I have no problem with reliced guitars. Frankly I tend to stalk the used market anyway, so most guitars I buy or am even drawn to are worn in or played in. Like most things relic can be overdone. As long as it plays well and sounds good I will check it out.

[@rodrich1644]

Personally I believe in personal preference. It's just a finish choice like shape or color. I like not having to worry about the first bumps and bruses. Do what you want.

[@Lincoln12933]

I have 2 Roadworns, 2013 and 2021. All I can say is they feel so smooth against the skin which creates less friction and therefore less of a barrier to playing. They both have a very thin and natural nitro finish and aesthetically they remind me of an old painted wooden toy that’s been discovered in the attic. However I have seen some pretty horrible relic jobs that look like peeling fences.

[@Winterfell1066]

I like the vibe of relic'd guitars. I don't have to worry about additional scratches, etc. I just like the look and feel.

[@Lomoholga2]

PROS: 1. They are already ‘damaged’ so you don’t have to be worried about taking care of them excessively and avoiding dings etc. This can be a bit of a mental relief of sorts. I have an IbanezAS 103 that I baby because it is gorgeous and I need to keep it that way 2. The neck can be ideal- worn in and satin finish. So much better than many brand new mint necks 3. They look cool CONS: 1. Can be thought of as ‘stolen valour’ (lol)- implying the wear was ‘earned’ though years of use So to me the only ‘real’ things are the not worrying about getting dings and the nice neck. The other stuff is in people’s heads and primary a function of people wondering what *other* people think of them. I’m too old now to care that much about what other people think of my guitar, and with the amount I play out it is close to irrelevant anyway Take the stoic’s approach!

[@joelhines7449]

I think guitars are tools for making music and shouldnt be idolized. It's a shame that old guitars are viewed as more valuable than new ones. They get so over priced that the average dude cant afford them so they hang in bone yards with monster sized price tags out of the reach of the next generation.

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

I've never heard anyone say it before but me, that big necks while they may be comfortable, are tiring over an extended play. Another observation of mine relevant to this video is that the new Gibson USA nitro feels ok, the new Fender USA nitro is like trying to play a neck made of tar. Anyway I bought four of my 5 main guitars new, one used. The new ones were each over $2k, and the used was under $1k. The new ones need the necks deglossed occasionally with scouring pad, and while the fenders came with rolled fingerboard edges the gibsons did not. Meanwhile the used SG weighs half what the others do, has a naturally rolled fingerboard and 20 years of mojo from play wear, and the neck literally feels like a custom shop, someone put boutique pickups in it . . . meanwhile the other guitars may just get their necks all sanded down soon. I don't care about the finish or dings or whatnot, but the FEEL of a relic job is why I want them. Still can't help but wonder if the 20 years of daily wear on my '04 sg special faded will still feel better than any relic job just because it's genuine.

[@stevebrowne8421]

Thanks Jamie, like a lot of guitarist, I have quite a few !!! New and vintage. My go to is almost always a Nash T 63. Wonderful guitar for all genres and just feels like going home when I pick it up. Medium Relic.

[@frankhughes5702]

Buy a guitar with a nitro finish and it's going to relic on its own. Just use it a lot and it's gonna happen😊

[@keithbedggood1936]

Jamie, people have differing tastes. I like my instruments to look just as they did on the day that I purchased them. One that I sold recently, which I had owned for 62 years, looked just as it had come out of the Maton factory. I see some on the market that seemed to have been run over by a truck, but that is not for me!

[@aussiecue]

Will never buy one. The word "Fake" is all that comes to mind. I make my own road worn in actual use or buy someone else's actual use. Another word just came to mind. Replace the word Relic with "Wank"

[@stoatlord1976]

I honestly do not care. I own genuine relics - the guitar my father bought in the mid-60s that he learned on, then I learned on, is a genuine relic. I own other second hand and several bought new, and on all these, the only thing I care about is... how well does it play?

[@John-ic6zo]

I've had the same Tele since 1957...it's had 3 new necks and 4 new pickups. Plays like new. As Trigger would say...

[@Mtn603]

Never cared either way about relic. My #1 just happens to be, but that’s because I played it on a whim, and fell in love instantly. What does get me, though, is the super thick polyester on Mexican standard Fenders. It feels terribly cheap/boat anchory, to me, even compared to the similarly built USA standards made with polyurethane. Never understood why Fender has to use Polyester south of the border….

[@canaan_perry]

I'm mainly interested in the music not so much the aesthetics of the guitar.

[@dustinglass]

The guitar in the thumbnail image looks like a different guitar than the one featured in the video. Is it?

[@jamieholroydguitar]

It’s definitely the same telecaster!

[@BobHolland1949]

My 2010 Roadworn Tele doesn't look like that guitar at all.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

When I buy a new guitar, that is exactly what I want, not something that is " worn " unless the price is dropped drastically ‼️ What coils are in the telecaster ❓ I have a 2018 fender player telecaster and I don't think that I got that much twang. I just bought my telecaster a month ago from the store and it is in excellent condition and I really feel the same way too about the neck ( don't tell my 🇺🇸 strat 🤣😂,) and it is 7.5 lbs.... I traded a budget guitar and $350 . No chips , some nicks but paint is good, I had to clean it up... I want to polish the frets next I feel at home with Fender guitar ‼️

[@iamanovercomer3253]

Thank you, you are the first person I heard that recognized Roy Buchanan and telecaster.....he is definitely a much better player than Springsteen ‼️ And I wish I knew that a pre CBS Fender worth today; I would have bought a few of them and kept them in the case

[@jeffhildreth9244]

"HATE" is a misused, over used, word to describe dislike. I dislike reliced guitars because it is a pretentious affectation. To add: the worst relicing I have seen is EASTMAN with their so called vintage violin finish. It looks like a junior high school woodworking project gone bad, therefore a deterrent to purchase.

[@powbobs]

Why do you care?

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@powbobs More importantly, why do you care.? I abhor fakery, especially clumsy, patently amateurish fakery. How about you. ?

[@powbobs]

@@jeffhildreth9244 I think you’re way too invested in something that isn’t any of your business.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@powbobs Laughable, you brought this up, not I. And this is your business? Infantile. You seem to need attention so you can have the last word. FYI, I "relic" as a professional artist of 50 plus years, and a violin collector/hustler but do not butcher guitar or violins. The author of this video used the word "hate".. strike one. Strike 2.. Telecaster....no need for strike three PS I own a 2003 Fender Telecaster that is in near mint condition though played long and hard. No phony pretentious affectations to elevate my status.

[@powbobs]

@@jeffhildreth9244 You certainly highly value your own opinion. Has no one ever reminded you that your opinion is only important to you?

[@What_If_We_Tried]

A reliced guitar would not be my first choice, unless it played and sounded better than a non-reliced model at the same / similar price point. However, if I was a gigging Blues, or Jazz guitarist this reliced Tele would make me feel more comfortable just in case I bumped it into something, or someone caused some superficial damage.

[@chrisb8193]

Some people just see it as disingenuous I suppose. To each their own.

[@2000SkyView]

wall decoration

[@GordonZoot]

Relic'd guitars nearly always look fake. I have three 1970s guitars and no 'relic' that I've seen looks anything like them. Modern 'relics' all seem to have the obligatory wear-down-to-the-wood area on the top which I dont have on my guitars and look just so wrong. My guitars have dulled varnish in that area and a couple of small knocks but no huge area of bare wood. I've looked at some new relics and they have this wear-to-the-wood and a few fake chips alongside ridiculously bright shiny varnish on the rest of it, laughable really. They dont seem to have proper worn fretboards either - my old acoustic looks like it has been scalloped at some of the lower frets, not just a sanded wood look. If you want a worn guitar, there's plenty of used guitars for sale and luthiers that can correct any playing issues and make them a great instrument for music. A final point - what is a modern relic going to be like in 10 - 20 years time? even more battered and worthless compared to a nicely aged new guitar from the same year.

[@powbobs]

🤡

[@FrankyTempels]

My dads guitar a framus strato 6 of the 1976 its look like it gone to wore, ,a guitar that you use mutch relic himself , souvenirs of the past

[@ksharpe10]

Yours is ok, but I have seen some that are just ridiculous looking, wierd wear marks. Prefer nice guitars with realistic wear patterns. Nice fingerpickin.

[@christoguichard4311]

Are you okay Jamie? You look a bit ill? 😢

[@jamieholroydguitar]

I’m fine thanks but I had hayfever allergies when I recorded this!

[@wrtoomes600]

Hey, your guitar sounds like a relic.😮

[@chippsterstephens6800]

A relic is a guitar for a poser. Probably has a fake Rolex as well. No hate , just the truth about people types. Every ding in any of my guitars hurts. Especially the first. But they are tools. And tools I use. It’s the real relic, stuff that happens in life, my life story in a guitar. Faking this , is just well….fake. They are not the same.

[@steveb9325]

Because it's ridiculous to pay more to look like you play more!! I understand the nostalgic look etc

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

Would you buy a reliced auto? "They scratched up the paint and put some dents in it for me so that I wouldn't have to worry about doing it myself!"

[@djizzah]

I'm weird I love playing new instruments

[@powbobs]

Relics are new.

[@djizzah]

@@powbobs new instruments that look new

[@powbobs]

@@djizzah New has nothing to do with aesthetics. Learn how words work.

[@gringogreen4719]

I'll take a worn guitar over a relic any day but I am not going to yuck someone's yum. Basically ANY AESTHETICS do not really add anything tone wise but if the "look" puts you into a certain state of mind, more power to you. Don't worry what other people say, buy the gear you find sexy and you just do you!😎👍✨💚

[@toi8610]

relic yourself by playing it