Relics. The Real Story - Ask Zac 46
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2020
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I love relics when they are done well, but must say that there are few things uglier than when aging is done badly. In today's AZ, I retell the story of seeing Joe Glaser age a pickup cover in a restoration project, long before the beginning of the Fender relics. I also dispel the often-told story that the Relic series happened after Fender sent some guitars to Keith Richards, and he indicated "Go beat them up, they look too new." It never happened according to the former head of the Fender Custom Shop, John Page, Master Builder J. Black, and Vince Cunetto. I end the episode showing an old-school hot lick, that is guaranteed to turn heads.
Gear used in Video:
2019 Danocaster Blackguard (1953 Telecaster Style) with Ron Ellis 52T (Bridge) and Julian Lage (Neck)
danocaster.com/
Strings:
D'Addario NYXL 10,12,16, 24, 34, 44.
Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35 RB
Amp:
1967 Deluxe Reverb amp with Celestion V30 speaker
Effects used:
TC Polytune
Mirage compressor pedal
9v power via Truetone CS6 amzn.to/38S9rZK #askzac #guitartech #telecaster
I always thought UPS was the first to do relics...
You got me there
I love a nice flawless nitro finish. Yes it sucks when it starts to age but getting over that is part of your relationship development with that guitar. Then you slowly start appreciating the natural wear that you created. Buying a relic sort of bypasses that whole bonding period.
When i was a kid in the 80's, if somebody saw you "aging" your guitar, you'd have been called everything under the sun but cool.
I still feel the same way about it.
If it's your thing, go for it.
I gotta confess, that I can't fathom paying someone extra to beat up a guitar, and ruin a beautiful finish.
I agree.
Although I see and appreciate the artistry, I also think aging a guitar interferes with the guitar's natural aging.
Yawn
I am in a predicament.... I have tried a 64 heavy relic custom shop black double bound... it sounds and feels like the tele I have been looking for for 28 years. I hate the heavy relic, but am in love with the sound and feel. I cannot find a nos or closet classic anywhere. 6440 can dollars local buy. Would I be crazy to buy it????
@@waynetoneseekerandersen2213 Nope. If you have the money, get it.
If you want a relic, get one, enjoy it. If you like a shiney new guitar, buy it, play it. Your choice of instrument is all about what you like and how it sounds and feels. Who cares what other people like? We all forget how fortunate we are to have any guitars at all.
I love the look of a worn played vintage guitar
I will never play one enough to make it look that way
I will never have enough money to buy a real vintage guitar
Relic - perfect answer. Not trying to fool anyone love the way the look and Both Fender and Gibson seem to put nice wood on them.
You said it all: fear of "first ding." Also, nothing like heavily rolled edges.
I'm 75 and I grew up with almost nothing. If I got real lucky I could get someone's abused junk. I have no desire to pay someone to turn a new anything into a phony relic. But hey, that's just the way I roll. I love your chanel man! Please keep up the great work.
Sometimes I gotta scratch my head....A good relic job looks like a Fifties Strat or Tele after the first owner had had it a month. Those original thin nitrocellulose finishes went South nearly as fast as fingermarks showed up on maple fretboards. The fingerboard divots especially drove players (like me!) nuts back in the day. It's why Leo went to rosewood circa 1959 and why CBS went to thickSkin about a decade later. It's also why a lot of those early Fenders got rattle-can refins at a young age. IMO the other component of relics' popularity is that the guys who spent years- sometimes decades- grinding it out six nights a week in smoky dives ended up with guitars that looked as road-worn as their owners, who could play like greased lightning on steroids. The smoke is long gone and the six-night-a-week dives have been gone even longer, so having the look of a veteran is about as close to being one as a lot of players will get. Why wouldn't a lawyer or a dentist who quit gigging after undergrad school want that look?
Apparently Leo Fender thought it looked terrible when the maple fretboards would have all those spots and that played a part in him going to rosewood to hide that buildup. Really Fender should just start selling guitars the way they used to with minimal poly and just let players feel like they're actually the ones "aging" it.
Thats the truth tho...nitro relics naturally and depending on where and how you play...it dont take long
The original tweed Bassman I lucked into for a song, back in '92, came with only one of the two panels on the back. I brought it to a guy in town (now sadly passed away) who was well-known for his amp restoration and repair work, to get the 2nd panel made. When I went to pick it up, I swear, it looked like he had locked himself in a closet with the thing and chain-smoked for 2 weeks while subsisting on beer. The discoloration of the tweed looked remarkably original. Of course, he wouldn't reveal his trade secrets. I guess he took them to the grave. That's the thing about black tolex: unless it's torn, it looks like new even decades later. Tweed, on the other hand, shows its age.
Its an art. And yes, sometimes if not passed on it gets lost.
I think the true value in relics are actually the feel of them. I find relic necks really nice. And some of the bodies also have a nice smooth feel.
Great what sandpaper can do😂🤣
LOL "I like what you said about not being to concerned about damaging your guitar"
Thanks, Zak! I used to dislike relics until I tried one. Now I own two.
Dan Trietsch Which two?
@@shawnadams1693 1960 Telecaster heavy relic and a 1959 Stratocaster relic.
Dan Trietsch Nice!! Sounds like a killer pair. I’ll get a relic someday. I’m too invested in shiny new ones for now.
In regards to modern instruments with poly finish: you’ll NEVER get them to wear like a vintage with playing. Over on Anderton’s, Peter Honore shows off his 2003 Strat that he played for 10+ years on major tours around the world. 200 gigs per year, for a decade, and his 2003 has like 3 scratches and 2 chips. That’s it. Just tossing out there that wearing down a poly finish with playing is a myth.
💯 correct
Thanks Zac, always great info presented in a fun way!
This channel and good coffee, nothing better, Zach! I’ve been a 27 year Tele player, but recently sold my only guitar. I went shopping for a new instrument and ended up with a PRS. It’s a completely different animal, but I’ve really enjoyed the change. Good morning and howdy from Batesville, AR! ☕️ 🎸
You changed my perspective here. Nice discussion.
Fenders road worn series captures that relic feel....at least to me
Cunetto Relics are great guitars. Seems like I post this at least once a year...Here's the real relic story from the man himself. Enjoy.
The Real Relic Story and Rumor Clarified...
LONG
Posted by Vince Cunetto on November 05, 1999 at 15:40:39:
Since there seem to be questions out there regarding the who, what when and were of the Relics, I
thought I'd do my best to try to set the story straight in a nutshell. I'd be happy to respond to any
posts that come up regarding anything in here!
The concept of the Relics came out of conversations between my good friend Jay Black (Custom
Shop Master Builder at the time) and myself in late 1994 after I'd sent him a couple of "aged"
blackguards for a friend's old Tele. Jay and I had known each other for years, so he was familiar
with my work making repro Tele bodies and pickguards, as well as the "aged" Fender replicas I'd
built for myself.
Jay and I reasoned that if people bought distressed leather jacket, jeans and reproduction antiques,
why not guitars? I sent one of my personal "relics" to Jay, who showed it to John Page. Being the
bright guy he is, John saw the potential of the project and gave us permission to go ahead with
building some samples to see what we'd get. I started receiving parts and painting the prototypes in
my garage!
By the end of December 1994 or early January '95, I'd finished a couple of prototypes that Page
liked. He took a risk on this "wacky" idea and, without telling anyone, gave Jay and I approval to
show them at '95 NAMM. We finished the final show prototypes in January '95 in just in time for
NAMM.
With a great deal of surprise to many Fender folks, The two Relic prototypes were specially
presented "center stage" under custom-made glass displays. It was a blast for John, Jay and myself.
We smiled more than several times when we'd hear dealers comment on "how cool it was that we
included real old Fender's as a tribute" as their reps toured displays with them and wrote orders. It
was even more fun when we'd see the dealer's jaws drop as the rep would reply "Cool old guitars,
huh? How many would you like?"
Now we had to figure out how to make them, and keep them "real" on a production basis.
After a few failed attempts at Custom Shop and a serious business proposal, I convinced John that
the best thing for the project would be for me to set up a company as an outside vendor to specialize
in doing nothing but the Relics. This wasn't such a stretch for Custom Shop, as they were used to
using vendors for special engraving, aluminum bodies, carvings and a lot of the intricate "artwork"
that went into many of the Custom Shop pieces. We saw the artwork required for the Relics as
being no different'
On a handshake with John Page, in April of '95, I moved my family to my wife's hometown of
Bolivar, Missouri, near Springfield, to set up shop under the banner of Cunetto Creative Resources,
Inc., the consulting company I operated in Colorado. I found a building, set up booths and
equipment and hired and trained employees. We began to receive raw bodies, necks and parts at
the end of May 1995. The first shipment from the new facility, 20 Relic Nocasters, went on the truck
on June 27, 1995.
As a matter of course, we'd receive raw necks and bodies and all parts from Custom Shop. Our
work involved complete prep, finishing and cosmetic distressing of necks and bodies. We also aged
and distressed all hardware, pickguards and metal parts. We got it down to a 20 piece per week
schedule, and every Friday we'd lay out the week's guitars on a large, 24-foot padded table.
Every single part on the guitar was then matched for visual consistency and appearance. We'd match
necks to bodies, wear on guards to wear patterns on necks, hardware to body wear and on and on.
Each part of each guitar was then labeled so that they'd be sure to be assembled as a unit after being
packed and sent to Corona for final assembly.
Relic order numbers continued to grow, as did the number of custom and one-off orders. In May of
‘96, we moved the company to a larger, better-equipped facility and continued production. As
efficiency and employee training improved, so did our shipping numbers. We also upped the number
of customs and one-offs produced.
Production continued in the new facility. Over the course of '97, as orders for the regular Relics
began to stabilize and taper, we began work on a new idea for the Relics, which we dubbed "The
Relic Classic". The concept was simple: a nicely "aged" guitar in good shape. We'd had requests for
pieces like this in custom orders and had done a few prototypes for Custom Shop, which were well
received. In late '97, the "Relic Classic" became the "Closet Classic", but Fender decided that it
was a little late to get it ready for January '98 NAMM. Plans had already been made to re-tool and
change the specs of the "Time Machine" Custom Shop guitars over the course of '98, and the new
Relic model would be put off until later.
By the latter part of '98, Custom Shop had seen a lot of changes. John Page had left to run the
Fender Museum. Because of new Custom Shop management and corporate policies, it was decided
that the Closet Classics would be done in-house at Custom Shop. We continued to do the majority
of the "standard" Relics during '98, although there were a few done "in-house" as Custom Shop
honed their "relicing" chops.
By early '99, things at Custom Shop had changed quite a bit, and I had a pretty strong feeling that
they'd changed enough that using an outside vendor didn't make sense for Custom Shop. In March
of this year, I got a call from Mike Eldred, the new Custom Shop manager, informing me that they
intended to do all Relics in-house after we finished the then-current back order. That was it, and we
shipped the last "Cunetto Relics" in May of 1999.
From June of '95 to May of '99, 860 "line" (not including custom) Nocasters were shipped to
Fender, with a total of 44 Nocasters shipped from us from January to May of this year.
RELIC NOCASTER SPECS: Original Series:
- 9.5 neck radius
- Wider gear spacing
- Slightly inaccurate body shape
- Serial Number stamped on neckplate
- Hot bridge pickup (Broadcaster) around 9.5 to 10 k
- Phillips screws
- Pressed jackcup
RELIC NOCASTER SPECS: New Series
- 7.25 radius
- Correct peghead shape and gear spacing with stepped-off tuner holes
- Accurate body shape with "hump" in cutaway
- Serial number beginning with "R" stamped on BRIDGEPLATE. The new bridgeplate system
started over at "R0001" and YES, these numbers were duplicated with neck plate numbers that had
already been used.
- Slotted screws and milled jackcup (to the best of my knowledge)
RELIC RUMOURS CLARIFIED:
RUMOR: Relic production began in January of 1995: FALSE. The first production batch of Relics
shipped from my facility on June 27, 1995. They probably shipped to dealers from Custom Shop by
mid July.
RUMOR: Until this year, the Relic "aging process" was not done at Custom Shop, but farmed out to
an out of state vendor: TRUE
RUMOR: Those Relics were painted with a true old-fashioned 100% top-to-bottom nitrocellulose
lacquer finish: TRUE and FALSE… The color coats of the metallics and and some plain custom
colors were DuPont LUCITE acrylic lacquer (just like the later, post "DUCO" originals!) over a
nitro basecoat and finished with a nitro clear coat. All blonde and sunburst finishes, as well as Fiesta
Red, Oly White and Daphne Blue are 100% Nitro.
RUMOR: Relic body wood was specially baked to improve dryness and resonance: FALSE
RUMOR: Relics were dragged behind trucks to age them: FALSE
RUMOR: The ultra-thin relic finish has a great deal to do with the tone of the instruments: TRUE
RUMOR: Many famous rock and country stars use Relics regularly: TRUE… but we can't tell you
who they are!
There you have (some) of it folks! Post any other rumors and I'll clarify as many as I can.
Take care! Aug 3, 2004
Great story Zac, thanks!
Thanks for the background Zac. I just bought a 50’s Fender Strat from the Vintera Roadworn series! They have nitro finish with light relic work here and there. The neck is rolled and ‘worn’ to perfection. It really has all the vintage VIBE I prefer in a Strat. A lot of people don’t get it...wabi-sabi, there’s beauty in the broken.
Thanks Zac, very informative and cool lick too!
Great video! I always learn new things on your channel :)
Hey Zac, as a relic myself, (73 and still gigging), I can say that I love them and currently own 6 fender custom shop relic guitars. My best relic is a AVRI '62 Stratocaster that I purchased new in 1983 and is a heavy relic from 37 years of heavy gigging. FYI, check out MJT, Mark Jenny Finishes. He's sold over 13,500 relic bodies on Ebay in the past couple of years.
Thanks for the lick!
From Leo: "done well" is the deciding factor. I am more respectful of normal aging than the beat up look of that some see as trendy. Some of them just appear abused and neglected. Joe Pas, Andres Segovia, Paco de Lucia, Bucky Pizzarelli, Les Paul, and others played their guitars for years without beating them up. I do understand normal aging issues, like trying to match up the color of yellowed binding, discolored hardware, paint worn through, or fret board wear. Men who can make repairs match like that are artists. That was a great lick, thanks for sharing.
Enjoyed the video very much: the story and the lick. Thanks again Zac !
Lighter aging looks better to me; heavy relics look overdone most of the time. Apart from Rory Gallagher’s Strat I haven’t seen that many vintage guitars that look like they’ve been dragged through the parking lot. Re relics at first I was a naysayer until I tried them. They’re so comfortable to play; like a nice worn in pair of jeans or sneakers.
I played a relic Nocaster when they first came out, and was immediately taken with how thin the finish was and how nice the “played in” neck felt. I did (and still do) think the fretboard wear fell into uncanny valley territory…but that didn’t stop me from buying the guitar. Still have it, though now sporting a more recent 7.25” radius rosewood board Tele neck and a white pickguard. It’s a good ‘un!
Great content as always!!! Light relic jobs are also my preference. The rolled fretboard is key. Just feels great. Many of us who grew up in the '60s, spending our own money on guitars, resented famous players who bashed their instruments. Thanks, Zac!
Love your channel, Zac, you are such a cool dude
Man, so interesting! Thanks, Zac!
This is the best argument for relics I've ever heard. wow!
I'm getting better at finger picking but the hybrid stuff trips me up every time. Keep 'em comin', Zac.
I used to think Relics were just a silly fad, then I made the mistake of actually playing one. To this day, the 51 Nocasters I’ve had the pleasure of spending a little time with are the finest sounding and smoothest playing Telecasters I’ve come across.
Novo guitars does a really nice ‘relic’ jobs. I agree that the deeper the level of aging, the harder it is to achieve? I had a ‘66 Tele “players grade” guitar that was really “played in”. It sounded amazing...really great warm tone (for a Tele). I loved the checking, the dirty paint with faded edges, played off finish on the neck, and rusted hardware.
Never worried about getting a new scratch.
Needed cash. Sad to let that one go.
Good job, Zac. The first relic I remember playing was Lee Roy Parnell’s sunburst Custom Shop Strat back in the mid 90’s. I may be speaking out of school, but I believe he had his aged before the term “Relic” was coined.
Thanks Zac, between you and that Buk fellow I spend way too much time watching videos. I wasnt a big fan of the relic stuff at first, but I was fortunate enough to have seen some great vintage pieces over the years, and I am happy that people who dont have that opportunity can still feel and get a taste of a well worn instrument since the market is getting harder and harder for newer, younger players. But I will say the sensory overload of opening up a case of an old instrument and being overwhelmed with the sight , smell and feel for the first time is something I wish I could duplicate , and share as well.
Mark Jenny at MJT does outstanding, realistic work. I have a complete MJT build that is my favorite guitar.
Thanks for the history lesson! I am sometimes embarrassed by my Fender Custom Shop 52 relic, but it plays so well. I have seen Duke Levine’s team 53 and custom shop up close. Almost impossible to tell the difference..
I had two Cunettos, Strat & Tele that I bought new in the ‘97 time frame. Both were among the best Fenders I’ve ever owned. Problem was I only played my vintage Fenders so I sold both to a cat in Atlanta who gave them a good home.
Great rundown of relics, Zac. I have a couple of Fender Road Worn Strats, a 50s and a 60s. They are some of my favorite guitars. I like the feel of them, and I'm not afraid to mark them up a little. My Road Worn 60s Strat is my #1, partly for how it feels. The neck is the most comfortable neck of any guitar I own.
I get why some people don't like them, as marking up something brand new sort of defies logic. Some people try to assume our motivations for liking relic'd guitars, like we're trying to impress other people, or that relics are somehow dishonest. I personally couldn't care less about impressing people with my relic guitars. I can enjoy them without trying to impress anyone but myself.
I've done relic work on a number of my guitars to different degrees. For one, I like knocking down chromed finishes on hardware and giving them brushed finishes, which I prefer. And I like using Scotch Brite pads to give necks a slicker, more matte finish.
When done well, relic work is very useful.
I have one Strat that was built for me that I wanted slightly reliced mainly because I wanted to use it and not worry about bumping it. I love the aged lacquer stripped necks too. It just feels so smooth and broken in.
I would love to own the new reliced Brent Mason signature Fender too but it just costs so much money. I can respect the amount of work though that goes into replicating all the dings, scratches and oxidation to build a guitar that is exactly the same as Brent's or any other legendary artist's axe. Watching one of Brent Mason's demos where he uses the relic version of his guitar it is amazing how it looks like his original.
Good episode Zac. I always love all the great info you provide. Cheers.
I love relics! It is like a guitar that spent more time with the builder and got more love and everything
Thanks Zac. Love your channel. I love everyones passion on this subject. Its fun to read the comments. WE are so lucky.
I appreciate that!
Dude, some days I just watch your channel because you’re calming. Thanks for being.
I appreciate that!
Ask Zac I pretty much want to sit in that room talk about playing guitar and drink wine with your wife - What About Bob style! LOL!
LFA-Music.com
The very lightly relic'd Nash stuff looks great... but the heavy stuff meh. You're totally right Zac, it's very hard to do heavy relic tastefully.
I’ve had my Cruz/Cunetto Nocaster for 4 years now, and I have never even felt the need to adjust the truss rod, let alone anything else. All my other instruments need a a little tweak occasionally. A top notch guitar.
Hi Zac, congrats to you! Relics are fantastic. And I love to play my originals from 1977 to 1979. I prefer these vintages. Your Channel is a must have! Thank you Sir
Thanks, Bob
re: doing “relics” right: Historic Makeovers.
Dan would hate my '82 Fullerton '62RI Strat. When I bought it, brand new in '83, I was given some violin polish & a couple of polishing cloths, and the head of the repair shop drilled into me that I had to polish that Strat with that violin polish after every gig. So, aside from some dings and divots (my cords rubbed the finish right off near the back strap button), the finish is perfect. And seeing as how it was my only guitar for over twenty years, I can tell you, that Start is probably made of 1/4 violin polish!
And that's also why I love my Whitfill blackguard! Easy-peasy to maintain!
In the early 90's a friend of mine had a strat that he had sanded the finish off the back of the neck of, and a lot of the body, it felt really nice to me, I liked the idea of it, he was convinced it opened up the tone and maybe he was right. Years later I tried a roadworn for fun in a Sam Ash store in Pa. just to sample an amp and I really enjoyed the guitar even though I was a little skeptical. A few years later and I now own a Nash T-52 and a Nash JM-63, both I love!. Not until after that did I learn that Danocasters were not some kind of Danelectro/ Fender mod people did, lol! I maybe would've looked into that instead of Nash first! Hey, didn't Bill Monroe strip a lot of the finish off of his Loyd Loar Gibson mandolin back in the day?
Taking a break from playing my relic Telecaster (U.S.2003) through my Deluxe Reverb to watch my favorite channel. I was originally against relics. I felt wear should happen naturally. But now as a carpenter I've aged some high end interiors and I love my relic Telecaster. Lightly aged.like me.And I love Nash's aged T and S models. Thanks again. OmG i learned that lick from Merle Watson ! (True Story for another time)
The funny thing about this is, I love my guitars... All of the many I've owned. I take very good care of the things I value. So, I could have a strat or tele for 20 years and it still wouldn't like those relics. I'll admit that playing a guitar live for 20 years, show after show would add a lot of usage scars but mine would still not look like that!
Hey Zac, my tee-shirt and coffee mug safely arrived all the way up here in Canada. I encourage all the other subscribers to support your show in this way.
Thank you so much, Brent!!!
I love my "it's a sickness" t shirt.
I feel like you do about relics. Some are way overboard and don't look realistic.
Great subject. Thanks
@@BGreat2 Thanks for the support!!!!! Much appreciated!!!
Enjoyed this Ask Zac . I love the relics as well. I used to be well, maybe I am still overly protective over my “SHINY NEW” looking equipment especially my guitars. The relics takes the crazy watch over away .. Lol 😂
I have several of Dan’s guitars. Including a blackguard with Ron Ellis pickups too. The relic’g is really fantastic. Huge fan.
I was at NTSU back in the 80's with Pierre de Beauport.
Thanks for the COOL lick! I'm going to give that a go at my gig tonight when the mood strikes! Although I prefer my guitars to shiney and new as possible, there's no right or wrong here. My '92 Tele came my it (relicing) naturally and does look cool. Whenever someone comments " Oh, that's a roadworn", I proudly announce "No, it's actually road worn". Silly,I know.
Ten years I bought a Kelton Swade 53 (historic?) Tele online and it is definitely my favorite guitar of all , including all the big names in my arsenal.
It would be great to see a video of what to look out for between "good relic-ing" and "bad relic-ing". Most people have no opportunities to be hands on with actual vintage strats and teles.
It may be all in my head but I can strip the thick poly finish off. Apply a thin coat of rattle can paint and the same guitar just opens up. Love the relics!
I have a 1999 Fender 50's Strat. I got it cheap off of E bay. It was is such bad shape I had to de-relic it. Then I replaced the pickups with a 57-62 set and a USA bridge. I aged the pickups by putting the covers in black coffee and the bridge was aged by soaking it in white vinegar.
Thanks for another interesting topic, would love to have an early 50 s blackguard Esquire or Tele in light relic but they're out of my price range.Guess I gotta go get me a couple lotto tickets ! Keep these videos coming Zac I enjoy them.
I have a 62 Fender CS Tele that I got from Wildwood Guitars, it’s a ready relic. I’m waiting for a 61 CS to come in that’s also a ready relic. I keep hearing how comfortable the relic’d ones are but there’s no place where I live that you could try one. But I’ve had the Tele for less than six months and it’s breaking in really fast and I’m really happy with it. Great video and thanks for cool lick!
Thanks!
Saw my first relic job being done in McCormacks Music, Glasgow, Scotland way back in '70. The Strat had come in damaged & rather than return it the guy decided to "improve" it some with the use of light brake fluid & other chemicals like Brasso mixed with stuff he didnt tell me about. So I asked him how he knew when it was right, he said it didnt matter cos someone would buy it as a cool old Strat
guitar. When I went back a couple of days later it was gone, sold on first seeing it !! I now own a real relic Paisley, 3 vintage p'ups, arm chamfer, worn neck, all original hardware, much cracking & scratches.......& it does sound different indeed !!
I picked up an MJT tele body and musickraft neck jusy to try this relic thing and it's my number 1 lol can't put it down. Put 51 nocaster pups in and she sings like a sweet little bird ha !! Thanks for this info Zac cheers
Nice!!
For an amusing contrast, look at the world of classical violins. People have wanted to own, play, and hear genuine Amatis, Guarneris and Stradivaris for 300 years. In the 19th century, makers were already selling artificially-aged instruments. Some of this was a scam, meant to defraud buyers. But, much of it was simply a nod to the reality that many people thought you couldn't possibly be a world-class player if you were stuck using a NEW fiddle! [clutches pearls]
I haunt pawn shops in my neck of the woods looking for bargain guitars. My favorite is a 10 year old MIM Tele that was beat up and the bridge was rusted pretty bad. What was interesting was the frets had no wear at all. Dirty and grungy but it looked like it was never played. Turned out to be a good playing guitar for $100 and a lot of elbow grease.
Great video first and foremost. Tom wheeler few years before he passed away sadly wrote The Definitive book on the custom shop I highly recommend that to anybody and everybody. It is one fine work and starts at the beginning and has a photographic Journey along with it which cannot be beat. I think the Dano casters are the best-looking guitars I've seen from a relic standpoint they seem to be pinpoint accurate like you said he was looking at existing antique models the reference. But my whole thing is if I can close my eyes pick up the guitar it feels right it weighs right and it sounds where I needed to be that's what I'm looking for.
I happen to have a couple of guitars that have Relic jobs that I don't like but the guitar plays and sounds amazing and that's why I got them. I just seem to think that if you wipe away most of the Cosmetic Relic on the guitars people on they wouldn't buy them to begin with and they do cost a whole heck of a lot more just for it.
It was made in 2019, sure, but 2020 was hell on us all.
Been a tough one....
@@AskZac Also, you've inspired me. I'm midish way through a wrapped/topped Tele build. Keep an eye out for it on the Tele forum for sometime within the next 10 years.
I love relics although I don't currently own any. I used to have a relic CS 56 strat. Fender CS are real hit and miss sometimes. I've noticed the Limited Edition CS relics (which mine was) can be very good especially in the checking to the bodies. I find the relic wear on maple necks can be very substandard though. My teles are not relics (an American Standard and a Highway 1) and my strat is a partscaster with nitro body and neck which I have played for ten years so that it is now wearing very nicely. I covet your Crook paisley Tele more and more every time I see it 😍
Relics take some of the stress out of leaving your guitars out to be played. Especially if you have young children running around the house. And hopefully they will want to play & we can pass the torch!
another killer vid. Zac, have you found that having some more time on your hands, as most of us do, now, has given you the time to more deeply consider your output? cuz i've noticed, these last few vids, just some incredible content. you have gifts, man. thanks, again
I try to keep getting better, and try to offer something different than what everyone else is doing. Thanks!
I'm looking forward to the new vintera road worn telecasters. I have a squier classic vibe that I love but I fell for the 50's vintera's huge neck and rounder radius. I'm planning on scamming one of the new necks that are a little broken-in off of stratosphere and starting my frankentele journey.
I like lightly reliced guitars. The Fender Journeyman series is perfect imo.
The same goes for figured maple necks. Something like a 2A flame or quilt is realistic and looks great.
You’d be surprised at how many vintage Fenders have light to medium figured necks. Lots of Birdseye and Flame and a bit of quilt.
I used steel wool on my brand new Vintera Tele... I felt bad at first but just needed that played in feel to bond with the instrument.
Relics are good when they are done right. Great video! I really enjoy Albert Lee's playing on Dave Edmund"s song "Sweet Little Lisa" I have one of your t-shirts on the way:)
Thank you for supporting the channel, Junior!
Very informative! I have been looking for a nitro finished sunburst telecaster (going for the Clarence White tele look.) Other than spending crazy $ for a custom shop, looks like my only option is a Road Worn version. I'm ambiguous on the "relic" aspect. One knock on the Road Worn is that the relic finish is very cookie cutter and not authentic. My take is, with a nitro finish, you will start adding your own wear marks once you start using it (if you don't baby it.)
I love that last "lick".............will try that to see the reaction of the other members faces........I can hear it now, them saying, WTF ? ? ?
Watching/listening to the episode while spraying a little amber clear tint on my tele and managed to get a nice coat on my iPhone screen... on the bright side, it’s more resonant and can breath better..
Ha!
I like relics only if it’s done well. I’ve seen relics that looked very bad but I’ve also seen relics that looks awesome. I agree with you about the feeling. When you wrap your hand around a worn neck… It just feels comfortable.
Agreed with all this. I own a Cunetto Nocaster. Mint and complete with case, certificate and case candy. Lovely guitar but will I am now retiring and selling off lots of my prized gear bit by bit.
Good evening Zak , i really don't like artificial relics , I just love old natural relics guitars ,thanks from Brazil!
Haha! I wrote a paper on guitar relicing this week for a class.
They look like they may have seen some things in their day. Also, like you said about the use is on the money. I have a poly strat that has a chip taken out, I bought it for cheap because that was the only flaw and since I'm just playing it why do I care? But in reality it looks so obvious because the rest of the guitar is perfect. If it were a relic it would fit right in!
Yes.....relics are easier for me to play - less stressful - because I’m not scared to bump it, or worse, have my kids get ahold of it. It’s already banged up ! :)
The current Fender Vintera Road Worn Telecasters are nicely done in my opinion.
I know this is about Guitars but I have a '96 Jazz Relic Cunneto Bass. Great Bass I bought new. Still like it did when I got it after 27 years of playing. HaHa
Dale Wilson over at fender does amazing work too
I was in a guitar store on Lamar in Austin years ago with my son, and he was looking at the relics they had on the wall. I grabbed a Strat and he grabbed a Tele - both sunburst with the exact same relic marks in the same place on the fronts of the bodies. Fender dropped a notch or two in reputation when I saw that.
Probably Road Worn series
It's all about feel, not looks. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking I have a 50s Tele. It just feels like your favorite pair of tennis shoes or jeans.
Have you looked at Nash Tele’s, nice aged look, Lollar pickups and somewhat reasonable in price? Be a good shoot out with your Dano and a Fender CS. I do like the Closet Classic look, aged but not abused. I bought my Nocaster CS used as store new prices were just to much for me. I did have to find pickups I liked. Felt bad taking Fender CS pickups out.
=) comedy in music - that lick made me laugh again
Interesting you mentioned Greg Martin; my CC15 is his collector's choice, and also a relic. Obviously love my Dec 96 relic strat, best guitar ever IMO.
as far as relics go, from FCS I have a recent journeyman 1959 & a fully roasted that's a heavy relic. I love both guitars but the aging jobs are not my favorite. And these are ones that passed my personal paint check & they represent _better_ examples of those class of guitars. I think Xotic does a really, really good job at it for a production company. Fender could take a look at those IMO.
I can't believe all the places Don Was shows up playing bass! Usually with the most famous players, and in a jam or tribute situation. It's hard to miss the fancy jacket, beard, big hat and big smile! LOL. There is an interview with him floating around where he claims to be 'the father of the relic guitar'. He goes on to say that Fender gave him a new bass to play at a high profile gig. He said he was embarrassed (or something like that) to show up with a new, out of the box guitar. He said he told them to go beat it up (or something like that), and they did. He claimed it was so popular and convincing that it started the whole relic guitar "thing". I will look around for that interview, if I find it I'll post it back here. Thanks Zac, good show! 8) --gary
That lines up with what I have heard from the experts.
That lick you showed sounds close to the one in the instrumental break in Green Eyed Lady only reversed. I'll bet that guy 'appropriated' it. He's going down instead of up.
Bravewood guitars in the UK do amazing relics!
I'm an old guy. It was difficult to buy a nice guitar when I was young so most players I knew took care of them. I was older when I finally could buy new guitars. I have 35 year old Fenders that I bought new and when I play out people think they're new guitars because I don't beat them up. I think it's great if you like relics; I just don't get it.
Actually at Fender, for heavy aging you'll have to go Jason Smith or Dale Wilson masterbuilt to have something that looks great.