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  • Artificial ageing or "Relicing" your guitar

Hi all, I just received the January Guitarist magazine in the post and could not believe it when I saw another "relic" range from Fender, this time MIM.
The artificial ageing of guitars or relic'ing seems to be big business nowadays and the demand for these finishes is growing by the day.
I make the assuption that the allure of this type of finish is purely based on looks because a relic'd guitar cannot compete with the real thing from the 60's or 70's that aged naturally. The addition to the price for these guitars is substantial from the normal finished models which really makes it difficult to validate the rise in cost merely for asthetics.
I was wondering what your opinions were on this. Is artificial ageing really worth it or is it just a gimick? Does my relic'd guitar really make me feel as if I am holding a real 60's Strat that I discovered under my grandfather's bed?
    I see no point what-so-ever in buying a new guitar that has been artificially "relic'd" :? . Maybe it would appeal to some guys, but for me, I would know the guitar has no character, it would be completely fake.
      if i buy a brandnew guitar i want it to look brand new . if i buy a secndhand guitar from the 70's i want it to look like it's from the 70's
      but i am not buying a 2009 guitar that looks like it's from the 70's , seems almost cheap to me
        @ Tailon

        I see your picture has changed. You've got a music stand!!
          I'm not against it or for it. I like the look but it does defy what's actually correct.

          My 8 year old Squier looks as good as new - my guitars age like wine, not like milk.
            @squonk , yes i have music stand , some of us old farts need a reminder every now and again , on how to play a song ......... or it might have been there to hold my smokes , i can't really remember
              @ Tailon

              Dont worry, I also have one, for me it's the words, I just cant remember them. I dont know how Bob Dylan could sing those songs with about 500 verses and get all the words right? ?

              To not hijack the thread, I actually dig the relic series, not the extreme ones but with the aged scratch plate etc.
                now that looks like F***en crap
                  I go to quite a few shops to look at guitars and if I do see something I want I will buy it. But when they show me a guitar and it looks like someone has thrown it onto the back of a bakkie without a case very day for the past 3 years and then they tell me they want R?????-00 for it, I get a bit excited and they look at me funny. I sure as hell must be missing something here. For my hard earned money I'd prefer to trash the thing myself thanks. See, now I'm all worked up again.
                    Shouldn't the point be that if my guitar has dents and discolouration etc. that it has to be my own sweat and years of loving abuse that caused it? If somebody else does it and charges me thousands of Rands for it(take the SRV in the link provided by Squonk) it it really possible to have a decent relationship with the guitar?
                      Werner Carstens wrote: ...that it has to be my own sweat and years of loving abuse that caused it...
                      +1 Now that I can respect. Why? Because it's genuine.
                        I never could understand relicing.....I thought the whole point was to love,care and protect for your musical instrument...not put out ciggies on the thing and chuck it around...

                        Yes instruments get damaged afters YEARS of use and gigging but why oh why intentionally make them look like crap??

                        I would much rather open my guitar case and pull out a beautiful,clean scratch free instrument than something like that... ?

                        oh and the fact that someone will pay for that .....gimme three days and the guitar and I'll show them what I d do for that kind a money ?
                          Here you go. 10K brand new ?

                          (Edit) Fender Road Worn '50s Telecaster Electric Guitar 2 Tone Sunburst

                            W.....T.....F!!!!!

                            I can do that in ten minutes on the pavement outside!!!!!!
                              Lawrence wrote: W.....T.....F!!!!!

                              I can do that in ten minutes on the pavement outside!!!!!!
                              LOL @ Lawrence ?
                                Hold on! Havent we missed it. It's humor man! Imagine everyone pitching for a jam and everyone knows that Sean has bought himself a new guitar and everyone wants to check it out and get all backslappy and stuff. and he pulls out his "new" tele. They'll think he bought it on gumpole.
                                  Yngwie's latest sig. strat also looks like it has been dragged behind a bakkie on a gravel road, but according to Total Guitar, it will cost 7999 GBP Sterling.....insane
                                    LOL, I am really enjoying your opinions. But seriously, have you ever considered walking into a BMW garage to buy a new car and having the option to buy a shiny new one or one that has been aged and relic'd. The relic'd one will be much more expensive - obviously - and according to the salesman the engine "sounds" a lot better and smoother than the shiny one and the front loader will only play music from the 50's and 60's with new technology that mimicks the sound of scratches on LP's or COSM technology that reproduces a His Master's Voice.
                                    Where is the respect for one's own toil and sweat?
                                      HA!HA!HA!HA!.... imagine... " No thanks, I'd rather have the BMW with the yellowing headlamps and stonechips and please also the chipped and cracked windscreen"