Relics-I don't get it.

[Johnny Dark]

Been checking out other manufacturer websites, & quite frankly, I don't see the attraction of a $2,000 to $4,000 brand new instrument that looks like 20 miles of bad dirt road. Joe Strummer might have had his Tele since he started playing, & dinged, dented, DIY paint job etc etc, but I sure don't want an instrument that looks like Sh** out of the box. Then there are the people who buy a brand new beautiful instrument, & proceed to thrash it to make it look 30 years old. Just play the crap out of it & age it yourself naturally.

Thanks BP for not doing anything dumb like this.

 

[jaylegroove]

I completely share this opinion. A ding, scratch or dent is worth when there's a story behind. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Aussie Mark]

Congratulations! You're the 10,000th person to start a thread like this on a web-based forum. This is a milestone that is only matched in the online music communicty by the "How can people enjoy playing in cover bands, rather than playing original music?" debate.

On the subject of relics, I remember when brand new stonewashed jeans and distressed leather jackets were popular and cost the same as their crisp, unblemished counterparts. They sold pretty well, from memory.

The waiting on an incoming Bill Nash.

 

[sabb0]

Good on ya Mark

Hear Hear

 

[jaylegroove]

I'd be curious to know how many people would buy a brand new dented car for 15-20% more than the price of an immaculate one...

 

[silverburst]

I was at a local guitar shop, and they were excited that they got some new ESP relics in. I took the two strat-like ones down to compare them. They had the exact same relic-ing to them. Three small scratches on the upper horn, and nick by the bridge, the same-sized crescent worn away at the heel, etc.

It was like they came up with the formula of what the perfect relic should look like and came up with a checklist to follow.

Anyhow, if you could get past how they looked, they did play very well, but I agree with the initial post here -- why bother?

 

[Alz®]

mmm Interesting. Maybe BP can release the Sterling 20th as a relic of his choice. Now that would be something to be talked about!

 

[Surly]

At least if you bought one, you wouldn't have to worry about scratching it up and getting upset.

 

[Fred E.]

Congratulations! You're the 10,000th person to start a thread like this on a web-based forum. This is a milestone that is only matched in the online music communicty by the "How can people enjoy playing in cover bands, rather than playing original music?" debate.

On the subject of relics, I remember when brand new stonewashed jeans and distressed leather jackets were popular and cost the same as their crisp, unblemished counterparts. They sold pretty well, from memory.

The waiting on an incoming Bill Nash.

You'll love the Nash, Mark--very cool one that you're getting. I just said this yesterday on another forum in response to the 9.999th thread, but I'll say it here again--relic/aged or whatever you want to call them is just another finish option. If you like the look, go for it. Me, if I were to shell out extra $$s to get a special finish, I would rather have something in metal flake pink. with a matching headstock. Some instruments have come to be associated with a cool relic vibe & I do like the look sometimes, but ultimately to each his own.

 

[midopa]

What guitar company can relic like this?

 

[oddjob]

I love the whole concept of marketing. To me the idea of getting someone to buy something they don't want or need is interesting. I, myself, like the look of a well worn bass... when I do it (it is even kind of cool when my friends have done it). The marketing idea and hype that goes into it is interesting to watch. Look at Fndr's EVH. $25000 for a copy of someone else's mojo. It is sad and cool at the same time.

From an EBMM standpoint, I think the basses have gotten better sounding as the newer ones have come out not the other way around. BP and Dudley have been doing the right things to move forward while keeping an eye towards the past.

 

[oddjob]

What guitar company can relic like this?

What on earth did you do there???

 

[midopa]

I was doing a double somersault and tried to end it iwth a butterfly kick while playing but lost balance and the Bongo broke the fall. No, I just kinda tripped or something.

 

[mynan]

What guitar company can relic like this?

I would never pay for a new "relic" guitar, but if I did something like that accidentally to my guitar, I might (but probably wouldn't) be tempted to finish it off and make it look like years of road time and not just a Homer mistake.

 

[bassmonkeee]

What people fail to realize is that "marketing and hype" have nothing to do with why some people like Relics.

Personally, I like the way beat up Fenders look. A Relic finish to me is no different than blue, red, or sunburst--it's an aesthetic that some people find appealing.

I also like the way the relic necks feel. I've played a lot of old Fenders and I've played a lot of Custom Shop Relics--the CS Relics are invariably better than the old Fenders at about 1/4 the price.


Not everyone wants to wait 30 years for wear to show up. What's the big ****ing deal?

 

[oddjob]

What people fail to realize is that "marketing and hype" have nothing to do with why some people like Relics.

Personally, I like the way beat up Fenders look. A Relic finish to me is no different than blue, red, or sunburst--it's an aesthetic that some people find appealing.

I also like the way the relic necks feel. I've played a lot of old Fenders and I've played a lot of Custom Shop Relics--the CS Relics are invariably better than the old Fenders at about 1/4 the price.


Not everyone wants to wait 30 years for wear to show up. What's the big ****ing deal?

No deal, and you are right (I too like the look of a beatup Fndr)... but marketing and hype is part of the equation too. I wasn't stating it was bad - just not for me (and the EVH is the extreeme version of this).

 

[newtley]

some of these "relics" actually make me laugh out loud.
They look beat-up, for sure; like they've been dropped in a 55-gallon drum full of 3-year-olds on amphetamine-soaked gummy-bears swinging belt sanders around by the cord.

But NO wear where you'd expect to see it; IE where most folks rest their thumb by a pickup, arm-wear in wrong place, NO belt buckle carnage, etc.

An astute entrepreneur could market a DIY faux-finish "kit" for instruments..like they did for furniture in the 70's. Sheesh..

 

[jaylegroove]

I'd probably pay much for a great playing and completely beaten pre-EB StingRay, but I wouldn't even put my eyes on a fake relicd new one. That's just me, hey.

Though, I agree having a few dings or dents on an instrument helps feeling more "comfy" with it, since you don't fear beating it up any more and you don't really baby it.

To make it short and end up my contrib here, if you wanna see me with a relicd bass, sell me a completely beat up '66 J with tons of dings. Then I'll try to manage with the budget issue

 

[Surly]

Did this all start from Jaco? Dragging his bass around and treating it like dirt.

 

[jaylegroove]

I'm afraid Rory Gallagher had started the thing a few years before Jaco...