I think that as part of wanting a "custom" guitar, I (and maybe some other people) like the vibe of older/vintage guitars, as opposed to super fresh, clean and shiny new ones. I love seeing people that have relic finishes on their guitars. like I have a fender road worn tele, and I love the look of the neck as well as the raw finish but I don't think I could get a warmoth neck with the same style without paying a third party to do it for me.
"Relic" Finishes
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Cagey
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The thing most "relic" owners don't seem to realize is that they don't own a "relic". They own a "super fresh, clean and shiny new" guitar that's been ruined, and everybody can see that from a 100 miles away. It's like wearing a toupee or having fake boobs installed. The perpetrator thinks they're fooling everybody, while in reality everybody's laughing at them. It's sad really, especially when you consider that the perps are paying extra money to look silly.
The only way to get an authentic "relic" is to buy a guitar and wear it out. That takes a long time and a great deal of play. Anything less is a cruel joke on yourself.
The only way to get an authentic "relic" is to buy a guitar and wear it out. That takes a long time and a great deal of play. Anything less is a cruel joke on yourself.
line6man
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No one asked for an opinion on reliced instruments, but I fully agree with Cagey on this one. (And I normally love disagreeing. :icon_jokercolor
It's never going to happen anyway, though, because Warmoth doesn't do very many Nitro finishes, and it would be nothing but trouble trying to keep everyone happy. It goes without saying that all consistency is out the window when you try to mass produce reliced parts, unless you make every one look exactly the same. If that is the case, people are going to complain. If you do each order differently, then people are going to complain that they didn't get what they ordered. How much is too much? How much is too little? Is one scratch or ding or burn or peel unrealistic? Is it worn in the right places? Who can argue if a customer orders something and says "It looks like this body was thrown down some stairs! I want my money back!" :dontknow:
It's never going to happen anyway, though, because Warmoth doesn't do very many Nitro finishes, and it would be nothing but trouble trying to keep everyone happy. It goes without saying that all consistency is out the window when you try to mass produce reliced parts, unless you make every one look exactly the same. If that is the case, people are going to complain. If you do each order differently, then people are going to complain that they didn't get what they ordered. How much is too much? How much is too little? Is one scratch or ding or burn or peel unrealistic? Is it worn in the right places? Who can argue if a customer orders something and says "It looks like this body was thrown down some stairs! I want my money back!" :dontknow:
alterbridgefan
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If you want a relic, apply a very thin finish with no clear on top, dip your hands in salty water before you play, live in a polarizing environment, leave it in a window, and play A LOT.
ihavenothingprofoundtosay
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Cederick
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I think you should put your guitar in a strap behind your car and go for some rally with it. :doh:
One of my favorite quotes I read on the internet is "Jesus hates relic'd guitars, because they're lies" :laughing11:
But seriously, my personal opinion is that you can get that worn feel with a nice polished oil finish or something like that and still have the guitar look new. If it's a worn look you're after and you want to intentionally scratch the finish, it's a free country, but don't hand your axe over to the first person who says they can charge you money to "relic" it for you
But seriously, my personal opinion is that you can get that worn feel with a nice polished oil finish or something like that and still have the guitar look new. If it's a worn look you're after and you want to intentionally scratch the finish, it's a free country, but don't hand your axe over to the first person who says they can charge you money to "relic" it for you
TonyFlyingSquirrel
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Then you'l have the nitpicking corksniffers that say, "no, this wear mark is in the wrong place, remove it and put it over hear..."
On the other hand, you can do what a local guy I know did. He screwed an old strat body to the fence post, along with a whole bunch of other junky ones he has in front of his music store in Sumner, Wa. One day, after 6 years including 2 hellacious winters, he decided to give it a go, re-assembled the body & added a strat neck he's had hanging in his shop, and it plays and sounds wonderful.
Would I try it? Nooooo dadgum way, but it might work for you.
On the other hand, you can do what a local guy I know did. He screwed an old strat body to the fence post, along with a whole bunch of other junky ones he has in front of his music store in Sumner, Wa. One day, after 6 years including 2 hellacious winters, he decided to give it a go, re-assembled the body & added a strat neck he's had hanging in his shop, and it plays and sounds wonderful.
Would I try it? Nooooo dadgum way, but it might work for you.
Day-mun
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Hi guys, I'm new to the forum, but this thread caught my eye, so I thought I'd jump in.
I recently did a relic job for a friend. He brought me his Fender vintage hot rod '62 strat (which was mint condition) and asked me to make it feel and play like his road-worn tele... only with a much more believable look. Because I've known this guy and played with him for 15 years, I knew how his guitar would wear out, but even still, I had to do a few home visits and really watch him play to know where to go with it. If it was anyone else, I'd never had attempted it. In the end, he was elated, but I was torn; I knew it had not seen fifty years of smokey bars and thousands of miles of highway... plus, I just liked the way it looked before, -even in spite of the sort of believable broke-in "favorite pair of jeans" feel.
I'm with the guys at the beginning of the thread; no way is Warmoth gonna be able to replicate each individual's wear and tear, and to their satisfaction at that. There are those out there who specialize in making beautifully ugly guitars, -I say send your guitar to them if the relic is your thing, but leave making beautifully beautiful guitar parts to Warmoth!
I recently did a relic job for a friend. He brought me his Fender vintage hot rod '62 strat (which was mint condition) and asked me to make it feel and play like his road-worn tele... only with a much more believable look. Because I've known this guy and played with him for 15 years, I knew how his guitar would wear out, but even still, I had to do a few home visits and really watch him play to know where to go with it. If it was anyone else, I'd never had attempted it. In the end, he was elated, but I was torn; I knew it had not seen fifty years of smokey bars and thousands of miles of highway... plus, I just liked the way it looked before, -even in spite of the sort of believable broke-in "favorite pair of jeans" feel.
I'm with the guys at the beginning of the thread; no way is Warmoth gonna be able to replicate each individual's wear and tear, and to their satisfaction at that. There are those out there who specialize in making beautifully ugly guitars, -I say send your guitar to them if the relic is your thing, but leave making beautifully beautiful guitar parts to Warmoth!
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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It's a myth that the Fender Custom Shop relics guitars. They just use UPS.
Cagey
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Hehe! Yeah, that could be.
But... of the hundreds of packages I've shipped or had shipped to me over the years, only twice have I suffered any damage, and they were both within the last two years, and both went through the USPS, not UPS.
I do know some folks seem to get a lot of damaged goods via UPS, though. Buddy of mine down in Florida who also gets a lot of packages was beginning to think there was some sort of contest going on where he was the playing field.
But... of the hundreds of packages I've shipped or had shipped to me over the years, only twice have I suffered any damage, and they were both within the last two years, and both went through the USPS, not UPS.
I do know some folks seem to get a lot of damaged goods via UPS, though. Buddy of mine down in Florida who also gets a lot of packages was beginning to think there was some sort of contest going on where he was the playing field.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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I don't mind relic finishes looking like what they're not. Of course it may because I build instruments out of parts that they are not.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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When finish is added to the definition it changes somewhat. Makes me wonder if Fender has copyrighted it as well because others offer a distressed finish. Maybe not as controversial, extreme amber tint and cream binding implies aging, as well as colors like a 2 tone burst (red has faded away) and TV Yellow (aged TV White).
Day-mun
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I'm all for that sort of stuff, -a total sucker for the things you just mentioned, actually (-I can't remember the last time I ordered a white-white anything lol!). I guess what I meant was intentional wear and tear, dents, dings and scratches. For example, on the piece I mentioned earlier, I put in about 4.5 hours on replicating fifty years of belt-buckle rash alone with a variety of pointed tools and tweezers, per my friend's request.
I guess to get back to the point and the original intent of this thread, I say all this to say that requesting "relic'd" finish pieces from Warmoth is a bit unrealistic. -It is too involved, too subjective, and too time consuming to do well. The best resulting product line one could hope for would be about as believable looking as fender's road-worn series cookie-cutter pieces; anything "more" would have to be unbelievably expensive to make it a worth-while venture.
I guess to get back to the point and the original intent of this thread, I say all this to say that requesting "relic'd" finish pieces from Warmoth is a bit unrealistic. -It is too involved, too subjective, and too time consuming to do well. The best resulting product line one could hope for would be about as believable looking as fender's road-worn series cookie-cutter pieces; anything "more" would have to be unbelievably expensive to make it a worth-while venture.
DustyCat
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Day-mun said:
You might be interested in pursuing some kind of "faded" finish. There was a post here on this forum awhile back with a picture of 2 different kinds of moths with different patterns on their wings. The OP was indecisive as to which moths wing patterns to model a future guitar finish after. The faded one looked badass.
Day-mun said:
Now this is interesting...
Intentional wear and tear? What is that?
Does anybody intentionally drive over potholes, push the pedal to the metal over speedbumps, or powerslide into guard rails just to get that "intentionally worn" look? :laughing7:
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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The problem comparing guitars to other things is that they are not those things.
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