Artificial ageing or "Relicing" your guitar

Werner-Carstens · 2009-01-29T12:43:55+00:00

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 or "Relicing" your guitar

DaFiz

My nephew brought a Tanglewood strat copy from London and left it with me.
It just lay there in it's hard case looking and sounding like it had died in the war.
I eventually hauled it out and restrung it with a new bridge cluster and a tighter spring in the neck and she's ready for more... but she'll never feel, look or sound as beautiful as that Maroon Fender Stratocastor that never became mine.
I wonder where she is now ☹.

Sean

MoJo JoJoe wrote:
I've mentioned this before, but let me re-state it here...I really believe people should empower themselves and not take things at face value. By that I mean that instead of getting all rabid about the fact that there's a new relic'd series from Fender, people should go online and check them out. Take a look at the specs and all other angles before you jump in on a thread and basically "follow the sheep" (I'm really not trying to make enemies - it's just me telling it like I see it).

Not sure who you thought was "getting all rabid", all the posts seem quite low key to me.

I don't have a problem with the specs, and the whole nitro finish "thingie" is very impressive ( technical jargon from a newbie ? ) Was just commenting on the fake look.

Renesongs

I think the real sheep are people that buy signature or road worn guitars that look identical to their guitar hero's one and truly expect to sound like their guitar hero does when they play it. The truth is that Blackie sound good when Eric Clapton is playing her. Put in the hands of a guitar noob, she could very well sound like a beaten up old 2 by 4 with strings on.

MoJo-JoJoe

Werner-Carstens

Ho Mojo Jojoe, very valid comments and I must congratulate you on being the only one thus far defending the viability of artificial ageing. I have to agree with your statements regarding the decent quality of the Road Worn series and that they are not standard MIM instruments. I have not read the review yet in the Guitarist magazine but saw that they received the Guitarist choice award, which usually means a good thing. I own a MIM Strat myself and love it to bits.
The qustion is however whether you prefer artificial ageing or natural ageing? As you mentioned lost of people do like the artificial ageing and I think that is the crucial point here. Fender will not do it if there weren't a huge demand as you rightly pointed out.
So sorry guys, allthough most of us feel that it is fake and sometimes ridiculous we might be in the minority as the demand seems to be growing. It might not make a lot of sense to us, but for some (lots) it does and that is what is driving this market.
I foresee that we will see a lot more models with these type of finishes in the few years to come and we will have to get use to it.
Fortunately we can each decide what we want to spend our money on. As long as we can still choose between a shiny or knackered new guitar when buying there should still be peace in the guitar universe.
Thanks for your opinions - highly appreciated.

clinton

Fashion in regards to guitar finishes will constantly change with the times. (Anyone remember the hideous luminous colors of the guitars in the late 80's)

This is unfortunately due to the fact that we as a people would love to think that if we LOOK like our heroes and have the same gear as our heroes, that this will somehow help us to PLAY like our heroes. The whole market around SIGNATURE instruments revolves and thrives around this fact.

For me, buying a relic'ed guitar is just not worth it.
The price is one thing but here's something else to consider:
It's gonna be real RANDOM when someone wants to know the story of your guitar and how it came to look like that. Instead of tales of hotel windows, drunken fans, police dogs and a fire at a gig. All you gonna say is:"I bought it like that."

On the price issue there is another consideration: Many times we get obsessed with only one aspect of the gear we need to be musicians.
Whats the use of buying an expensive signature guitar and then plugging it in through a LEEM 10 watt practice amp with cruddy cables and a Roktec METAL ULTRA DEATH BASTARD guitar pedal. Your sound is only as strong as your weakest source.

Now if the Hendrix Signature Strat could actually make me play like Hendrix.......well then, bye bye my sons college fund.

MoJo-JoJoe

clinton

Now I gotta admit that the clapton strat I WOULD like....... ?

AlanRatcliffe

MoJo JoJoe wrote: Busted! :-[ Anyone want a Custom Shop Clapton Strat?

No EC's for me, but if you have an EJ lurking around I'll take it off your hands. ?

Speaking EJ... MJJJ - what do you think of the new EJ sig? Obviously we haven't seen them yet, but as a concept? Bound fingerboard 'n all that?

As far as relics go. If someone wants something that looks well played, why not? If you like pretty you can buy that - why shouldn't someone who is attracted to the well-worn look be able to buy one like that?

MoJo-JoJoe

AlanRatcliffe

Been waiting with bated breath for the announcement, but then was disappointed to see the binding. I like binding...just not on a Strat or Tele. Purely my own aesthetical preferences.

You're not alone - I'm the same. I suspect the original series will appreciate very quickly now they have been discontinued...

MoJo-JoJoe

AlanRatcliffe

From what I've heard, apparently not. the new model replaces it. GC were blowing them out for $1,000 apparently _ I know someone who bought one.

MoJo-JoJoe

Sean

MoJo JoJoe wrote: Been waiting with bated breath for the announcement, but then was disappointed to see the binding. I like binding...just not on a Strat or Tele. Purely my own aesthetical preferences.

@ MJJJ and Alan. I just went to the Fender website to have a look at it (2009 release right?) I don't see the binding you're talking about.