Is relic'ing a fad, or is it here to stay? (Spoiler: not a fad, yes here to stay, but come chat)

Well if it's "here to stay", then I just added at least one guitar to my GAS treatment list.
 
love the ability to not worry about dings on a high end guitar with a smooth fretboard. Just have to watch out from the approximately 75% of them that look funky.

I have owned at least 6. The best way to do it is not a custom order. Wait until that one is out that looks legit. So nice to not have to worry about your first or 31rst ding.

For those that dislike the heavy relic there are very tastefully done closet relics that are super smooth.
I stay away from the top of the fretboard wear. Which means rosewood board or a light relic body and flawless maple board.

Some distortionface wants to comes over and crank your ME over a 12 pack at a gig level set?
Give him the relic.

Want to jam at a drunken open mic. Grab the bruiser.
 
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The thing is, on the gig when another guitar player comes up to them and says, "Is that a '65, man?" the relic'd guitar player feels obligated to explain that, no, it's a relic'd new guitar.

^^^ this.

If someone wants them to feel worn, that's different.

But, it's your guitar. Do what you want with it.
 
Just found out that my Luthier does custom relic jobs.

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Me too. He even did the case. :mad: Couldn’t tell if he charged me or not for the service.

I don’t use my local techs any more, haven’t for years. Too careless/lack PRS experience. Only the PTC or Jack work on my guitars now.
 
would you go into a car dealers and ask for a car that looks like it had a hard life, sorry l might be to old to understand the idea of such items
regards to all,,, oh yes how many days for Santa
allan
 
Trussart has made a living off of this trend. Gotta confess...it’s pretty darned cool!

For some reason I think of Trussart as a ground-up, conceptual work that’s in its own category. Maybe it’s the metal body that’s so unlike anything else, that has me thinking that way. Then, too, there’s an artistic tradition of putting a patina on metal, as opposed to a painted finish.

I suppose one might look at a destructive process like denting, scraping off paint, and taking razor blades to a finish to artificially craze it as patina. I look at it as, “Hey, it’s your money and your guitar, have at it.”

I always get a chuckle when I see these pretend old ones coming out of a brand new case, instead of a beaten-up old case with a duck taped handle.

Wait, there’s a new career for some enterprising person - relic’d cases!
 
I would love to take an unplayed vacuum-sealed-since-new mint 54 Strat and tie it to the rear of my car, then drag it around the neighborhood a while to give it that mojo look and improve the tone.
 
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