Brownsound Posted August 22, 2005 Author Posted August 22, 2005 Relic'ing is just a finish, same as any other paint or transparent or satin or sheetmetal or plexiglass finish on a guitar. Sure a lengthy and current trend that may or may not fizzle out, but so was airbrushed graphics....how dare someone even consider painting pickups, that's just wrong! All I can say is anyone who bitches about relic'ing better not own a photo-flame guitar. Although I'm no rock star by any means, I play out regularly, more often than not lately in other cities and States than my own, rehearse and write upward of 5 to 7 nights a week, am finishing work on a great new full-length record, and the majority of that time is spent holding a Bill Nash relic'ed tele. Anybody want to suggest I'm faking anything? Sure, your faking the road wear on your Tele. Has nothing to do with whether or not you can play. I think its more than a finish, its status deal.
eightyfour Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 I think its more than a finish, its status deal. Status?? I play a beat up parts guitar. If I was after status I'd be strokin' a Huber at the nearest wine-bar. Of course the problem with that, is that Poe would be there bogartin' the cheese tray!
jwhitcomb3 Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 The first time I played a relic'd Tele I didn't know anything about them. I was just trying out a pedal in the store and reached for what I thought was a beater Tele. I liked the pedal, but I loved the guitar. I don't really care about vintage status or even the name on the headstock (hell, I play Hamers! ). But I know a good guitar when I play one and that Tele relic was a great guitar. I don't care if the process requires roughing up a guitar with steel wool or running over it with a pickup truck. If the end result is a great guitar, I'm all for it. -Jonathan
mattb Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 I played a reliced strat at a local store here in CT. It was awesome. I wish I could have walked out with it. The only problem was it wasnt blue I don't give a damn what it looks like. If it sounds/feels right its good fer me. To each is own. -MattB
Guest Mike Lee Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 I think the whole relic thing started with Keith Richards. Fender gave him a new guitar but he never played it. When the reps asked why, he told them he gave the guitar to a roadie to play for a year to break it in. So then they made some pre-aged guitars for Keith...Personally I wouldn't buy one. My Grosh Retro Classic has a rolled edge fingerboard and feels broken in, but the finish was done on top of that so it looks new.But then again if I look at all the Ethan Allen furniture we own it's all pre-aged with dings and blemishes. When the kid bangs something into it, just fill the ding with some finish touch-up and it blends with the other dings. It certainly makes it easier to live with. And we didn't buy it because of the name, it's just the best built solid maple stuff I've found, and it's sold by a store with a great staff and industry leading service.
pesocaster Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 I look at this a couple different ways: The pre relic'd guitars sound and play great out of the gate... (not talking looks).. nice broken in feeling.... However, the only "story" or "history" behind the guitar is someone broke it in for you with machines and hand some working.... nothing "personally" special about the guitar... just an off the shelf option... Resulting in a really good guitar... Or You can take a new guitar .. play the hell out of it .... 3 hours a day... gigged regularly (2-3 times a week) for 15 years... 4 refretts, 2 bridges, countless trem bars and trem blocks, reset neck and trem posts... have it almost stolen 2 or 3 times ... embed pesos in the body to make it "too recognizable to steal".... Get Billy Gibbons to sign the headstock and have him play it for a minute, Defend yourself with it a couple times.... get too close to a flash pot... all the blood, sweat, beer, cig smoke, and bar skank that you can fit into 15 years and come out with something like this: a GREAT guitar with a story.... NOT ripping on the relic guys.... If I had to replace the peso I'd consider a relic... for the feel....
Guest galejt Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 I think the whole relic thing started with Keith Richards. You could have stopped right there...
MCChris Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 Love the "mother of scrotum" pickguard on the Pesocaster!
pesocaster Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 Love the "mother of scrotum" pickguard on the Pesocaster! sonofabitch! ..... 1 flat screen , 1 keyboard, and drycleaning for my shirt.... but damnit that was the last of my coffee ruined by nose filtering! Here is it's last pickguard copper.....
Moose Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 Love the "mother of scrotum" pickguard on the Pesocaster!I used to use the term "Mother of toilet seat" all the time when describing pickguards. It was a favorite.It now pales horribly in comparison. I think anything leatherette or naugahyde from now on I will refer to as "MoS" and then I shall giggle like a school girl.Thank you, Chris.
DEMENTED Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 Don't take this the wrong way Rob, but that Pesocaster has a face only a mother could love, (or father in this case). LOL, but it's your baby, not mine so that is cool. I am impressed that you have something with your personal stamp on it, no one will confuse that guitar with their own will they?
pesocaster Posted August 22, 2005 Posted August 22, 2005 Don't take this the wrong way Rob, but that Pesocaster has a face only a mother could love, (or father in this case). LOL, but it's your baby, not mine so that is cool.I am impressed that you have something with your personal stamp on it, no one will confuse that guitar with their own will they? That was the point... it actually was a really nice looking guitar in the early 90's... I played at least 30 different strats before getting this one in 89 ... it started a rootbeer sparkle.... not my cup of tea.. so I had it stripped and oil finished... looked really nice... well ... too nice ... and it was almost snagged from gigs on 2 different occasions ... once from the stage.... This was my main guitar at the time (only owned 2 was broke broke broke) ... after the 3rd attempt I went home after the gig and engraved the bulls skull and burried a couple peso's in it.... figgured if it was too recognizable .. no one would be dumb enough to snag it.... it just went from there... for the next couple years or so... and I could give a shit what anyone thinks...asside of the carving and pesos the rest of the battle scars were earned... it is bout the finest strat I've ever played... and THAT is all that matters... this one goes into the ground with me...
Brownsound Posted August 22, 2005 Author Posted August 22, 2005 The neck looks pristine. Not the usual black areas where the finish have worn off the fretboard...you must have a light touch.Did the pesos alter the tone in any way? Seems it would add considerable mass to the body.
pesocaster Posted August 23, 2005 Posted August 23, 2005 The neck looks pristine. Not the usual black areas where the finish have worn off the fretboard...you must have a light touch. THe pics are lying...... it's also in the sunlight.... there is no finish on the edges of the fretboard... and the neck is actually yellowing quite nicely.. and the top of the headstock has teeth imprints in it... ha ha haBut surprisingly here isn't too much wear on the fetboard surface maybe because I have the biggest frets available on there..
acb Posted August 23, 2005 Posted August 23, 2005 The pesocaster is an original - kudos2u for originality. Off the rack relic'd guitars is the market response to the demand. Just like jeans... some prefer to break'em in, others pay for new "torn and stressed' looking jeans. We used to throw new jeans under the tires of passing busses, leave them out in the rain and snow, rough'em up with whatever we got our hands on. The feeling turned into the look of the feeling... to each their own. Somewhere in the noise creativity lost out. If I wanted a relic'd guitar, I'd grab some shop tools, an antiquing kit, some stripper and a jar of whitewash. Sounds like more fun than an off the rack choice.
DaxT1138 Posted August 23, 2005 Posted August 23, 2005 IMO relic finishes look WAY better than cheesy graphic finishes... i know alot of people here love them... but they make my stomach turn. the black and white specials being the exception, they're kind of cool in a weird way. snakeskin, marble, holoskull are the ones i really don't get
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