"Relic" Finishes

[DustyCat]

The problem comparing guitars to other things is that they are not those things.

yeah,,, i realy didnt care anyhow  :dontknow:

 

[Day-mun]

No offense taken, DC. I'm actually on the fence about how to feel in regards to the whole "relic" thing, even though I've obliged when it was requested, and took on the job.

You're right about a less destroyed look appealing to me, though. -Love faded colors, TV finishes, cream binding and the like.  None of my guitars have white anything on them.

-Make them faded? Sure. -Make them tinted? Absolutely. -But, in my opinion, ya can hold the forearm wear-through and the belt-buckle rash... unless it takes ya fifty-some years to do it!

But, (-not to be trite in this sum-up) to each their own... and if a buddy wants to pay me to mess up his ax in a way that looks like it took decades, then I guess I'll help 'em out, -but ya won't catch me doin' it to my own instruments any time soon!

 

[Cagey]

I won't even do it if you pay me. Not that I'm not a guitar building whore, but I just don't see me pulling it off because my heart wouldn't be in it. Plus, I'm probably not good enough to do a bad job on purpose. Haven't practiced for it.

Remember that old tune by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show called "The Cover of the Rolling Stone"? There's a lead break in there where George Cummings manages to play several bars where not a single note matches what they're doing. (It's a parody, and meant to be that wrong) I've always thought that to screw up that badly you'd have to really know what you're doing, otherwise you'd be liable to hit more than a few correct notes just by accident.

 

[Day-mun]

Aw, man you have no idea! I just stared at the thing for a few days before I started, apologizing to it in my head. -Had to listen to SRV the whole time; told myself I was "creating" a tribute to #1.

"I feel so dirty"  :sad:

 

[Cagey]

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against a worn-out guitar. I've worn a couple out, I've known guys who've done it, and seen others do it as well. It happens. Over time. But, I don't care how good you are, a fake relic is like silicone tits or a toupée - no matter how good they are, anyone who wasn't born yesterday can see it from a mile away. It marks you as a poser. Damaged goods. All anybody can do is stare and wonder what other kinds of mental/emotional defects the owner is suffering from.

I work hard at hiding my defects, not putting Klieg lights on them.

 

[Day-mun]

Might judging the mental/emotional stability of pre-worn guitar owners be going a bit too far? Even if it is truly one's strong opinion, and not just a bit of mellow drama for a few laughs, it seems like it may be something to be kept to one's self (along with their defects).

 

[bagman67]

I work hard at hiding my defects, not putting Klieg lights on them.

Cagey, have you read a single thing you've written on this forum alone?

....ducking and running now! 

 

[alterbridgefan]

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against a worn-out guitar. I've worn a couple out, I've known guys who've done it, and seen others do it as well. It happens. Over time. But, I don't care how good you are, a fake relic is like silicone tits or a toupée - no matter how good they are, anyone who wasn't born yesterday can see it from a mile away. It marks you as a poser. Damaged goods. All anybody can do is stare and wonder what other kinds of mental/emotional defects the owner is suffering from.

I work hard at hiding my defects, not putting Klieg lights on them.

This is very general. A good relic job... Well, Tonar's pics made a great point.

I hate new guitars. The first thing I do when I buy a "keeper" is treat it like sh!t. I let the first chip happen naturally, but after that I don't care what happens, as long as it doesn't ruin the instrument. Luckily, I'm at the perfect age(14) and in the perfect place(Austin) to sweat all over my guitar when I'm playing, and when I get new hardware, I literally fall asleep with it in my hands, and it tarnishes that new chrome. I sand my necks down a little, so the finish wears through faster, and I use gig bags almost always.

I love the wear on vintage instruments, but it is extremely difficult to copy. Just make it relicable, not reliced. I remember seeing a refin with almost no clear coat, and after a few months it looked amazing.

That's relic.

 

[Cagey]

I work hard at hiding my defects, not putting Klieg lights on them.

Cagey, have you read a single thing you've written on this forum alone?

Ummm.... No? I mean, I edit the hell out what I write. Otherwise, it would be unintelligible. So, I guess I read it. Should I pay attention to what I write as well? That's a pretty tall order. I don't know if I could stand me.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

"Word shredding" ...

 

[bagman67]

It's a joke, son...


</snark>


But seriously, Cagey -


You are possibly the most thoughtful writer on the forum, and you also have perhaps the most clearly visible personality as a writer - a personality that is simultaneously hugely generous, curmudgeonly and irascible, and pungently humorous, and above all, human.  You rank high among the good reasons to be a participating member of this august crowd.




Now, back to crackin' wise.

 

[Cagey]

Thank you, from the bottom of my soul.

I just want to be helpful and entertaining. That's what we're here for, right? I know I can be abrasive sometimes, but you gotta sand that lacquer before you can make it pretty, right?

 

[Day-mun]

I gotta admit, in the short while that I have been participating in this forum, if I see that a thread's last post was by Cagey today, I just have to check in and see what's going down... even if I don't care about the topic too much.

Thanks from the new-comer, Cagey!  :toothy10:

 

[DustyCat]

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against a worn-out guitar. I've worn a couple out, I've known guys who've done it, and seen others do it as well. It happens. Over time. But, I don't care how good you are, a fake relic is like silicone tits or a toupée - no matter how good they are, anyone who wasn't born yesterday can see it from a mile away. It marks you as a poser. Damaged goods. All anybody can do is stare and wonder what other kinds of mental/emotional defects the owner is suffering from.

I work hard at hiding my defects, not putting Klieg lights on them.

Really hit the nail on the head there, Johnny Cage. Same thing holds true with chicks into a lot of makeup. I remember liking chicks since the days before they started mucking up their faces with that fake shite, as you probably do too. I tell my girlfriend she doesnt need it and i mean it  :toothy10:

My first Warmoth guitar, a strat with strat neck suffered through a summer of 4 30 minute shows 6 days a week basically from June to the end of August (who rides roller coasters in the dead of winter?).
Bluegrass/Country Rock N' Roll,  Family oriented for the kiddies, smile till yer cheeks hurt. Still got to crank out some Doobie Brothers, Skynyrd, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts, and of course my personal bread and butter  :guitarplayer2: "Crazy Train" (well, a blue grass rendition with rock solo).  :laughing7:

Anywhoo, even with taping up the rough side of my bulbous beltbuckle of my cowboy uniform (costume) for scratch protection, the inevitable would ultimately rear its ugly head by the end of the summer. Scratches, many small, some large, but all ugly. Sure I earned those ugly things but still they did not look like yer typical SRV, old bluesman guitar that looks so broken in and all scratches look like natural wear.

Maybe its not scratched enough. My point is that if what battle scars you've "earned" on yer instrument from being in the throes of the music looks like shite, then maybe you just need to practice "earning" prettier battle scars on yer instrument.

:icon_scratch: Maybe try beating up the pieces first before you put the pieces together, so as to not whack yer instrument out of tune more than it already is, and hopefully not forever.