I think a guitar should earn its battle scars, earn its wear and tell the truth about its history. I consider relic jobs as lies about the guitar and its life. Its a completely fabricated story. I think have ding, every scratch or mark etc should have a story about it - even if the story isn't that interesting its still better than a lie. You look at a famous guitar and there is often a story behind a lot of the marks - like where Jimi used to put his cigarettes so you get the burn on the headstock for example and Gilmores Strat told the story of all the different mods and/or alterations that Gilmore had tried. Every one of these has a story to tell about their life.
I doubt anyone here who has bought a 'new' PRS can't tell the story of the first 'ding', scratch or chip - probably know where they were and what caused it to. I appreciate that 'used' guitars may have marks the new owner can't tell us the story, but the owner of the instrument at the time could. Even if you don't know the story yourself, someone does. If your instrument could speak, it would tell us but the best it can do is reflect the life and journey its been on.
Relic guitars is total BS, a fabricated history. If the owner for example sands the neck for example for their own preferred feel, that's still part of the history of the guitar and something different but all the dings, scratches, wear should tell a story of its life. Even guitars with little wear (if noticeable at all) tell a story too. Not necessarily that it lived in a case, but that the owner may have been conscientious and really looked after their guitar.
There are cars that are 10yrs old or more with average mileage that look like new because the owner looked after it, maintained and cleaned it regularly and there are cars of the same age that look like they should be scrapped - both tell a story of their life just like a Guitar does. I don't agree with the Rat-rodding of cars either....
I can't control what y'all do with your money, though. Spend it wisely... or don't. It's your money.
