What's The Deal With Relic Guitars?!
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- Are they cool or are they not? Let's hear your opinions in the comment section!
Today we're looking at reclic guitars and the controversy that surrounds them.
Gear used ⬇️
Fender Custom Shop Poblano Strat: bit.ly/3KzrRT5
Fender Custom Shop Broadcaster: bit.ly/34ZcTFF
Fender Custom Shop 1960/63 Strat: bit.ly/3GRtRDV
Gretsch Custom Shop G6128T Duo Jet: bit.ly/3u2jE4j
Gretsch 1959 G6121: bit.ly/3IqwP2Q
Gibson Melody Maker 3/4: bit.ly/3Kzx3GS
Gibson Murphy Lab '64 SG: bit.ly/3H1xNly
Chapters:
Intro: 0:00
What Are Relic Guitars?: 0:13
Fender Relics: 1:05
Arguments For Relics: 1:20
Arguments Against Relics: 4:33
Gretsch Comparison: 5:29
Gibson Comparison: 8:40
Hey Joe: 10:36
Your Thoughts?: 11:13
Outro: 11:23
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I am a fan of not having to care about how pristine the paint job is.
This is my experience with owning a guitar too! 😂
It’s better to take care on your playing than be concerned about your guitar still being shinny and pristine, when i got a brand new guitar i feel like a robot on stage taking care about not hit something with the guitar
Relic’s are great as you can tell your wife they’re second hand bargains. 🤣🤣
Another great video. This is one my favs! Looking forward to the next video
More to come!
Back of the neck relic-ing on Fenders is great as it improves the feel. The rest is cosmetic, but I'm not against it.
You're right Craig, we love that smooth finish!
I'm old enough to remember these guitars hanging in a shop like Selmer's in pristine condition, so not a fan of relics, though I have to say some look better than others. To pay more to have someone beat it up is a bit of a strange concept to me and 'honest' dings and wear (whether historical or done by the present owner) are much more acceptable. I guess you don't have to worry about that first scratch though!
The first scratch is always the worst so why not just buy it with it! 😂
Not looking good is not an opinion but a fact. If someone beat up up your face, guess what? You would not look so pretty anymore. Again, fact not opinion. Relicing is just plain lame.
@@GuitarVillageFarnham But why pay extra for it? At least that first scratch is authentically yours.
I love guitars that smell of nitrocellulose, that are new and that age over the years with you.
Nitro finishes are the best for that!
I prefer PU lacquer, the guitar ages with my grandson too.
so, when you getting old you can finally enjoy it...?
I have a reliced strat. I love that the wearing has been accelerated and it will now continue to wear to reflect my playing and use. The guitar feels amazing, the finishes are softer and quicker. I also have a strat that has a more traditional finish and it feels completely different. Both are great and have their own character. Definitely try one if you never have.
Might as well have a head start, right?! I always stand by playing a guitar first and going for looks second - the only exception might be my shell pink collection...
What about when your own wear and tear will be mixed with fake ones? Do you prefer that over your guitar telling your own story unadulterated?
@@timetraveler_0 doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
I sold my 1951 Fender Esquire in 1978 (sad). Now a Fender Roadworn Tele. 1996-97 Fender Jazz Bass Relic Custom Shop. Love the look.
Fender are brilliant at recreating authentic looking wear. One thing that they do neglect to do is headstock decal wear. Most vintage Fender guitars with heavy wear, like shown here, will have a great deal of the decal scratched off.
That blue sparkle Gretsch is one of the most beautiful looking guitars I’ve looked at in a while. The look of the aged nickel pickups with the whole relicking is just very attractive. Keep it up man.
Couldn't agree more! Such a beautiful guitar, great to play too!
I went with a journeyman relic which is about as relic as I like. It does, however, have a nicely worn back of the neck, which I think is the only form of relicing which has any purpose and does anything to improve a guitar's playability. I tried a couple of your heavy relics. Not for me.
Journeyman relics are by far the most 'realistic'! Like you say, the worn in, satin like necks feel great to play. The Heavy Relics are definitley an aquired taste, though most of us at the shop tend to love them!
I thought relics were ridiculous.... Until I finally played one. It felt and sounded better to me than the NOS version. Journeyman relic is just the right level for me.
Lucky enough to have a super heavy relic 52 blackguard... the neck is incredible, but the rest of the beaten up look is just a 'finish/vibe' just like any colour choice or 'sparkle' etc.. some will like some not. If I could afford an original that had a hard rock n roll life, I would have one, but I cant so a relic (albeit still not cheap) is a great way of getting that vibe
I'm jealous! Sounds like a great guitar!
@@GuitarVillageFarnham It is 🙂
Great vid again and fab playing Sam. I think the relics look dead cool. I wonder though with electric guitars, does the relicing process have a purely aesthetic result or are there methods that improve the sound? For example torrefaction with acoustic guitars has an undoubted enhancing effect on tone so does that translate to electric guitars? I'm aware of roasted necks on electric guitars so I assume that's supposed to make a difference?
I would think it's mostly aesthetic although, some people reallly love the feel of the worn in neck, which comes with the relicing process!
My first car was a reliced Renault 4 -I could zip round Hyde Park Corner knowing none of those Lambo's or Rollers would want to get near.
Guitars? My strat and Les Paul Deluxe were stolen so the relic effect didn't last that long. First power chord with my new (in'81) Les Paul Custom tobacco sunburst, I put a great gouge in the bridge pick up as I used a stainless steel pick. So mixed feelings here! If anyone thinksthey can relic my Sterling MM JP100 they may wish to think again it's pristine and staying that way. Love the vids by the way.
Glad you're enjoying the videos! Don't worry, we're staying far away from your JP100! 😂
Another good video Sam.
Thank you!
So, you looking to buy a used (or sell) a specific Aged/Relic'd model at a £$ premium - how can you be sure it is 'Pristine' ex Factory spec and not brandishing some serious additional (damage) wear?
Buying used gear is always a bit of a risk but we'd reccomened checking out some common faults of each of the guitars, then when you go to check it out, look for those faults.
If you're buying a reliced guitar (or any guitar) from us then everything is checked over by Sam before it gets sent out, so if there are any issues we'll know before it gets to you.
in the earlier days of relics, i bought a JM from another well known guitar store, and there was a customer in there at the time asking a similar question (related to a new guitar) - how could he know that all the 'damage' to the guitar was as it came from the custom shop, and not been caused while on display in the shop. obviously you can't tell, unless it's something pretty significant
It's the risk you take buying a used guitar!
I think that's the gag, damage doesn't matter anymore. Who's to say a vintage guitar doesn't have damage from life in the pawnshop, as well as gigs?
One good thing is, if you're worried about wrecking your pristine guitar, once you do chip the paint, you just naturally reliced it... and increased value? Thanks to relics!
great vid. I was a sceptic, but not now
Glad you enjoyed!
I've purchased 5 guitars from you over the last 15 years and every one has been awesome! 2 Strats both relics, Gibson Sheryl Crow Jumbo Acoustic, A Gibson 345 and a 61 Gibson SG.. I was extremely impressed when i visited your store and I now have my eye on yet another lil beauty! Keep up the fab work and Thank you for making this guitar player's dreams come true! Ps.. From a marketing point of view.. Your on-line photos of each guitar are simply the best out there
Thank you so much for this amazing comment!! It’s so nice to hear your appreciation of our hard work. :) Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about that other guitar you’ve got your eye on!! -GV
Yes.. Who do i ask for ?@@GuitarVillageFarnham
@@boatingforbeginners7949you can just ask to speak to a member of the sales team, namely either Richard or Adam :) thanks!
Thanks for putting this together Sam, a very interesting topic! Personally I just don't like the look of relic guitars but I accept that some people do and thanks to your video I understand more about why they do! My guitars are mostly 'spotless' and I try to keep them that way - maybe if I made time to play them more they might take on a more 'used' appearance I suppose ;)
That's understandable, like we said they're not for everyone! I (Jack) don't think any of my guitars could ever be spotless, because I'm too clumsy with them, so I'm envious of you in that sense!
I have a 2005 relic 51 Nocaster that I bought around 2011. It was a very light relic at the time, but looking at photos I took of it when I bought it and compare it to what it is like today, it is totally different. I hadn't particularly noticed the collection of dings and wear, but even the blonde colour has darkened, and the checking has collected grime so it seems to have aged quite a lot in 12 years. And it looks better for it. The nitro finish is obviously soft and isn't resistant to wear. I suppose that now it looks like a heavy relic, ironically, it isn't. What began as a relic has become real. I honestly didn't see it happening, either. It's not unlike when I look at a photo of myself from 10 years ago and compare it to what I see in the mirror, except that the Nocaster looks better and I really don't. Damn. I'm depressed now.
What a great story! Great guitars those are!
They can look great. Those in the video do. I have no issue with relics, though I'm unlikely to buy one personally. BTW I thought they all sounded really good.
We love them too! They did sound wicked, didn't they?!
My most played guitars are Road Worn Fenders -poor man's custom shop.
Bloody relics! 😄
Ahhh yes….Posercaster guitars. A hipsters favorite conversation piece.
Yawn, cue the stolen valor guys in 3...2..1.
Hipsters are really good at making old, outdated technology, really expensive for a few years, overpriced and then fall to the waste side once more. Records were cheap for decades but then hipsters joined the party.
It’s odd that people don’t like relic guitars but wouldn’t turn down a vintage guitar that’s got a wrecked finish.
We don't really get it either, at the end of the day it's just another finish option! But then again, we're all different and can like different things!
Because vintage is real wear and tear. It tells a story, albit someone else's.
While relic is just fakery. Those dings don't mean anything.
Reliced Guitars are work of art. I'm cool with it. Forget the naysayers. I got a 10 yr. Old guitar with a poly finish looks like bought few months ago even tho i play it everyday
Really don't see this as any different then any other paint option.. How do you want yer guitar finished.... Rare Med. or well done... I got a pristine Obi Wan Kenobi Episode 4 and a super weathered one thay are both super sweet... Lightsabers I mean...
I don’t care either way, I take care of all my guitars & equipment but accidents do happen. Except it’s a gimmick. What people don’t consider is the difference between relic & vintage. Back in the day nobody except Hendrix & The Who intentionally mistreated their guitars. 99% of guitars were sold to budding musicians or bedroom players who took care & hardly had the cash to risk. That first ding was a disaster. The other 1% were used on the road at gigs. Even now a genuine 50’s or 60’s Fender would not look as bad as some of the new relics I’ve seen. I have a 1982 Strat AVRI I bought in 2008, gigged extensively by 2 previous owners & used as my main guitar since. Not a bit like the CS Strat on the video but well worn. I also have a Mex Road Worn Strat. Both play very well. Whatever it is, just play it 😁
I can't see the point in relicing an instrument or buying one that has been customised in such a way that it looks old. Just play it regularly and over time it will assume a natural reliced finish, even if you wipe it down regularly and look after it. I was reading about bands like 'The Who' that damaged their instruments so badly on stage that they had to replace them so often, and actually made very little money from their gigs. Doesn't seem to make any sense to me. An old vintage guitar is worth much more than the same model and year but beaten up badly!
i originally hated the idea of relics, but then in my search for the perfect Jazzmaster, i found a 62 light relic and loved it. initially i wasn't sure about the finish, but it was so much nicer to play than previous new and second hand JMs i'd had. had it about 12 years now and have no intention to part with it. i've grown to like the look of light relics, but heavy relics i don't like (but looking and playing are very different things).
by contrast, i bought a Johnny Marr Jag and within few weeks it had two big chips which i was really annoyed about, but the Jazzmaster i feel i can not worry about, despite the fact i don't think it has any more 'damage' than when i bought it
That's understandable, the heavy relics are quite an aquired taste! Shame about your JM Jag but so long as you're getting some good use out of it, the dents just add character!
If i ever get a guitar, whether it looks new or not is irrelevant, as my first electric is going to be modded to hell and back, so whether it looks nice will not matter as long as it plays good.
That blue Gretsch would be cooler if blue all the way around.
I'd buy a NOS version, haul it in the original style case, play it regularly without being so concerned about blemishes... voila natural "relic".
Guitars should become relics along with their guitar playing owners it's like getting an Oscar and never acting in the movie. Tacky it's bad enough they pay stupid prices for normal fenders and Gibson's and martins I like my squires although I could be wrong a couple scratches and paint missing from a guitar could totally change the sound right????😢😢😢😢 We live in a fake world as it is let's leave the guitars out of it it's the only precious thing we have left to give respect to
I hate them! Why on earth would anyone want to spend sometimes thousands over the top for a guitar to be battered as if its from the 60s or some famous guitarist! Not for me im afraid but each to their own lol
Someone else mentioned, that it's just the same as buying a guitar in a different colour, which I hadn't thought about before. But like you say, each to their own!
Relics are better. If for no other reason, they're finished with nitro lacquer, a plant based finish that breathes and will age.
That said, Danocaster & Nash are as good or better than Fender Custom shop for a fraction of the cost.
Polyurethane relic will fool you. It probably already has.
Relic'd is definitely not for me, but to each their own.
Just waitin for the day customers want their brand new cars or ladies to get relicked too.... Not my thing, just an unnecessary add-on to a price and makes you look goofy too. What's da hurry? I have a 2001 Jlv -strat, refretted 3 times, not being babied, couple of dings here and there but otherwise it still looks like a new.
New guitar=1000$
Used guitar=750$
Fake used guitar=1500$
Yes they are absolutely for posers.
Why? Because you're thinking someone's going to try to pass a new guitar off as an old guitar? You stolen valor guys will never get it.
Relics are like fake art and comes off as pretentious. Relic it naturally with your own story, not copy someone else's.
You are aware that only works on certain finishes, right? All the internet experts out there make me vomit 🤢
I thrivee on it.. ua-cam.com/video/ypXYL-nuPNw/v-deo.htmlsi=EHSh--5hIudZpETZ
Brand new fenders won’t relic like this… even one with a nitrocellulose finish won’t because they spray polyurethane sealer under the nitro finish. Vintage fenders had a very thin lacquer finish which wore out easy. You didn’t even have to play them that hard, hence why antiques almost always have finish checking and bare wood showing even if they were kept in a closet for 30 years
Relics are cool looking, but you spend 3k more on a guitar that looks older.. how does it make sence.. it should just be an option from the factory, not an additional credit card
I dont like the natural relic of my wife😂
scratching up the deck and trucks of a skateboard so people think you do rail slides and grinds all day is the equivalent of relic guitars ....its poser
But you don't ride a Telecaster....🤷♂️
@@mattrogers1946 people with relics play gigs 6 days a week on world tours for 40 years as much as people ride telecaster ( ...but telecasters are pretty much planks..you could probably easily put trucks and wheels on one and hit a ramp!....if it hasn't already been done?...)
If I'm selling old car that had tattered sits, bettered fenders, peeling finish and leaks oil , wouuld you consider it " relic " , and part happily with £4000 ( old Toyota) or, £40.000 ( old and misused Jaguar) ? After all, you don't have to worrie if you had a prank ! No ?! Why not ?
If the damage is purely aesthetic then it wouldn't matter! However, if the damage starts to affect a car drives (on in our case, how a guitar plays!) then that's probably not a great investment!
@@GuitarVillageFarnham Among other guitars and things connected to guitars in my possecion, I own a Les Paul custom, white, made in late 1979 which I bought in december 1980, and apart of using it for recording , I've last played it in a band situation back in 1997/8. It was new when I bought it and I did my best to keep it that way . As a consequence, I've never tried to "improve it" in any way, except that trough the years, it's white colour turned soft yellow . It does not have " buckle--rash" or any serious scratches , frets are in good shape and original and all hard wear is untouched , and the only thing betraying its age is the worn gold plating on the tail peace (where my hand rested) , or worn plating partly on bridge pick-- up and mainly on the neck pick up...no rust or dirt on it because that was baby, my dream guitar ! The reason I'm writing all of this is that , if I was to sell it, I'm sure it would've been scrutinized and picked on for every single swirl that happens in normal use, or considered less worthy because it was made in '70-- ties. It would be valued on the state of gold plating and whatever swirls it can be found on its paint job...yes, it is heavy ( that never bothered me ) and I personally think that the bad reputation of those guitars ('70s) concerns mainly Fender comp... (I did own Stratocaster of the same year and I couldn't sell it fast enough...it was awful!) It is just....plain annoying listening to people gushing about how " wonderful it is playing worn--off " brand new guitars that cost a fortune ! Really ??? Lying to yourself (and others) is the highest form of stupidity . Saying all of that , new guitars made these days are very good and providing no one tries to "improve" them, they will be well worth it in the future .
@@GuitarVillageFarnham A good part of my message is missing....sorry, not my doing.
You don't drive a Telecaster. Try another analogy...
@@mattrogers1946 There is a thing called "esthetic". It may mean different thing to different people, but generally, beauty prevails. If analogy is not understood, there is no point in arguing...so, count me out.
Why pad out your video with some inane blues riffing every minute? Christ, I couldn't make it 3 minutes.
ZZ Top's inane blues riffing?
I don't get it. I think it's ridiculous.