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

Its a really smart move to buy one, you could forever say it was mint, especially with a refret.

Ha yeah, I mean, I had a relic tele that I had for sale that DID have one nitro finish crack that wasn't there when I bought it. It presented certain complications when trying to describe the cosmetic condition.. haha.
 
I need clarification. You make the distinction between relicing and playing guitars by saying relicing is not the same as hacking on a guitar OR the same as playing it for a long time. Is it then somewhere in between? Does the deliberate aging process improve the sound like natural wear does?
So...no, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. In hindsight, there's actually two distinctions I was trying to make. The first was the art of the relic vs. natural wear; the second was the art of the relic vs. an amateur hack job.

The art of the relic is just that, an art -- I've heard they use anything from bead blasting to weed whackers to a bunch of other creative processes. The art comes in not doing too much damage in any one particular place -- no large gouges, no splinters, nothing broken and reglued. While I don't appreciate this, I just want to acknowledge that those interested should seek professional help (snicker), and not try to do it themselves...

...unless of course, doing it themselves means just playing the guitar and letting time pass, which is what I refer to as natural wear.

And no, it doesn't affect the sound at all, it's purely cosmetic. IMHO, YMMV, YOLO, TGIF, LOLlers...
 
Post edited: This is another one of those "tell me your opinion about" threads that I need to just stay out of in the future. Because, if you ask, I'll tell you and apparently that makes you a grumpy old man if you don't like something that someone else does. DODGEBALL!
 
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"yeah we know, but the relic'd guitars make up the majority of the units we sell"

WTH???? Majority???? NFW...

Edit: I mean, that's cool! I was just totally joking! ;)
 
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WTH???? Majority???? I'd call BS on that if only because even in the state we're in, I doubt there could be that many... oh wait, I wasn't going to say that. :D

Seriously, if I guy wants to customize his guitar, even put stickers on it. Or custom paint jobs like Satch does, more power to him. THAT is rock and roll, baby! But sanding off paint and metal finishes.... :eek::rolleyes: If it's old, IT'S OLD! I freakin earned this gray hair. And I'd trade it in a New York second for the color it used to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But If it's new, it better freakin look new and don't DARE try to charge me more to make it look old! Besides which, most guitars that are 30 years old don't have 1/10 as much wear on them as the fake jobs. Les is right... (Ok time to shut up. LOL)

Bro, I'm with ya and all but after the last two messages you kinda earned this one.:D

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The only "relic'd" guitar I'd love to have is an Andy Summers Signature Telecaster - otherwise I'm with the majority opinion, it's silly. No one has mentioned the elusive "mojo". Do they add mojo to the guitar when they relic it? How? (insert sarcasm emoticon here).

walrus
 
Glen Hansard's Takamine has honest wear...

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Everybody else may be too polite to ask, so I'll do it... Does that guitar actually still sound good? It looks like there's not enough of it left to still guitar!
 
The only "relic'd" guitar I'd love to have is an Andy Summers Signature Telecaster - otherwise I'm with the majority opinion, it's silly. No one has mentioned the elusive "mojo". Do they add mojo to the guitar when they relic it? How? (insert sarcasm emoticon here).

walrus

They're doing the relic job for precisely that reason -- to put (ersatz) mojo into the guitar.
 
I know I started this thread. and I'm not super into relics but I do kind of like when there is a top finish "worn" off and a tobacco burst underneath. That gets my beans boiling a bit.

I won't tell you that your beans aren't boiling, but that particular treatment bakes my noodle -- I don't get it. How many of those ever actually occurred of natural causes? Sure, some substandard bursts probably got painted over back in the day so the factory didn't have to write off the body. But I'll wager a bottle of your favorite beverage that there are more of those "relics" on Willcutt's site right now than went out into the world and genuinely wore that way in the 20th century.
 
I have to admit that I've never heard of Glen Hansard until just now. But all this talk of beans and noodles has me hungry now.
 
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