Relic finishes

[oipunkguy]

Sarah Said: I think it's similar to "distressed" furniture. For years people will pay more money for a nice piece of furniture that is distressed to look like an antique. The furniture makers beat the top and sides with chains, nails, screws, cigarette burns, etc. to give it that aged look. You will also see painting schemes on furniture to make it look worn through on the edges, very much like the guitars are today. Perhaps it's just easier to find "distressed" or "relic" than to find an original antique.

since I'm in the antique business this is something I know a lot about. Yes there is these fake antiques made, but where this idea comes in more useful is in a situation where you need to replace a part on a piece of furniture that's 200 years old, and have to use a new replacement. to put a piece of wood on there looking brand new wouldn't look right, so beating it up with chains or whatever adds to the piece.
I dont know how many times a customer has asked me to dull down brass hardware that we shined to original specs on a 1930's piece. of course there's people that want to do the opposite as well, so to each his own.

as for the guitar relics, my feeling on the matter was much like danny's. my thought on it was if you want a relic, buy the guitar brand new and play the h*** out of it for 30 years and you got yourself a relic. But what about those who don't want to wait, and cant shell out 5 grand for a strat? so I do see the appeal. brand new guitars do take time to break in, if it's broken in before hand, it can play better.

a vintage guitar collector friend of mine has four freakin 51 telebasses. and they play amazing, but he's so into the relic look, and that he never cleans his guitars, (the ones he plays) and that drives me up the wall cuz I feel like I have to wear rubber gloves just to play them, so that's the bad side of this relic thing.
then there's the relic guitars that gibson is doing with the VOS series. giving it that look when nitro losing it's high gloss shine over time. that i actually really like. of course if you want to do that just finish your guitar in a semi-gloss instead of a gloss, lol.

I do think it would be cool though to make a relic to johnny ramones white guitar. to me that guitar just looks better beat up.

[Sarah93003]

I think it's also similar to these rat bikes we have all over the place. A lot of guys, my roommate included, just love to ride the ugliest, gnarliest, looking motorcycles. I call them Charlie Brown bikes. My roommate had this motorcycle that had a metal seat with no padding whatsoever on it. How dumb is that? They seem to like these motorcycles that are all stripped down with no chrome or decals, etc. Just plain fugly if you ask me. But, that's their thing so be it.

I have a 1984 Honda V65 Magna and would doubt if there is a nicer one around. I keep it clean and covered so it stays nice. It is 100% original and I like it that way. That's just me though.

Here it is getting new tires.

[oipunkguy]

a seat with no padding? can we say ouch? lol

[Sarah93003]

a seat with no padding? can we say ouch? lol

I know! I couldn't even sit on it. He seems to take some amount of pride on enduring hardships, on purpose. He also thinks the only way to camp is out in the middle of no where with no people, no toilet, etc. I'm not a prom queen but I've got to at least have a pit toilet and running water.

[stl80]

Sarah,
Nice Magna. I have a 1985 Suzuki Madura, 1200 cc that I really like. Those mid 80's V-4's really move.
Jim

[vjf1968]

a seat with no padding? can we say ouch? lol

I know! I couldn't even sit on it. He seems to take some amount of pride on enduring hardships, on purpose. He also thinks the only way to camp is out in the middle of no where with no people, no toilet, etc. I'm not a prom queen but I've got to at least have a pit toilet and running water.

See I am a prom queen. I would be camping with an RV with shower, toilet, fridge loaded with food and bev, wet bar, HDTV with 7.1 surround sound, AC, king sized bed, and a Weber grill.

[saf]

I like a good relic job. I don't like perfectly clean gutiars. Most of my workhorses are old axes and did get their part of beatin' up before they came here and did a lot more beating being here. I have an 1968 fender coronado bass II in wildwood finish it looks beside some playing wear on the neck as new as it was somewhat years ago. I'm to affraid of ruin it taking it on to the stage. Everyone thrilled about it's condition but me myself would have liked a bass that was little more distressed.

My new guttlin has seen just 3 gigs now and has it's share of marks already. I think I'm not build to use sparkling new guitars.

Butthe one big problem with relics i sthat it is most of the times not accurate done, or it is overdone. Almost every relic had a sigarette burn mark on the headstock and stuff like that. De best relic are the one relic zso it matches the playing style of the owner.

I thinking of letting my new bassguitar finished off with a thinner coat op laquar just to make it just a bit more funrable to distress marks and playing wear.

[Veenture]

I don't like perfectly clean gutiars. De best relic are the one relic zso it matches the playing style of the owner.

I think you have an excellent point there!