I think the disconnect is that the people who buy these guitars buy them because they like the look. That's all it is, a look. To us, it is more than that. As has been said, it's years of playing in smoky bars and clubs and at jams and friends houses with friends and family or wherever it is that you play. It's just two completely different views on it. I think the road worn guitars are a bit silly, but if all you're interested in is the look, then I can see the appeal.
"Road worn"... lame!
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Nightclub Dwight
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I have owned my 1960 Les Paul Jr. since 1988. It incurred more wear and tear between 1960 and 1988 than between 1988 and 2009. It was definitely vintage when I bought it, so I took care of it. I like guitars. I'm sure I've dinged it some, but most of its wear and tear happened during its first 28 years. I've now owned it for 21 years, not an insignificant amount of time. I love the worn look of it, but I would feel bad if anything major happened to it while in my care. But the idea of paying for that wear and tear is absolutely revolting to me.
P.T. Barnum is smiling somewhere right now thinking of all these fools buying relic guitars (and paying extra money for it.)
In my humble opinion, vintage wear and tear is beautiful while relic wear and tear is obscene.
P.T. Barnum is smiling somewhere right now thinking of all these fools buying relic guitars (and paying extra money for it.)
In my humble opinion, vintage wear and tear is beautiful while relic wear and tear is obscene.
I think stuff like this is aimed at those crazy rich people who collect guitars. Like the guy who sells stuff on consignment at this one shop near me. He has over 200 guitars and he doesn't even play. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why Fender sells those exact scratch-by-scratch replicas of celebrity guitars because I couldn't imagine as a musician wanting something that is such a copy cat thing... like the guitar that says SRV on it. I mean, I like the guy, but I have no use for his guitar. I want MY guitar to play music MY way. Then I realized it was kind of like really expensive rock and roll action figure collecting rather than buying an instrument for actual use, which I don't really understand... but whatever floats your boat.
Though I guess if you were in a cover band it might make sense to have a replica.
Though I guess if you were in a cover band it might make sense to have a replica.
Nightclub Dwight
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hannaugh said:
Don't get me wrong, I have a use for SRV's guitar. Just not a production guitar that was made to look like SRV's guitar.
SRV's guitar is authentic, worn out by hard work and playing. I would buy a vintage instrument like that in a heartbeat. But not a new guitar made to look that way.
jackthehack
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"I think stuff like this is aimed at those crazy rich people who collect guitars. "
Nope, Fender Custom Shop has models to $20K or so, these are for less affluent nimrods....
Nope, Fender Custom Shop has models to $20K or so, these are for less affluent nimrods....
jackthehack said:
I dunno, collectors buy Danelectros for their collections too, and I highly doubt that Danelectro makes a $20K guitar.
What is really funny is that you can now buy Airline reproductions, and they're expensive. The originals were not (actually, I think you could probably find an original Airline on ebay for less than buying a new one), but the repros are... it's kind of like remaking a cheesy cult classic movie with a big budget. What is the point?
You have to remember some simple science: the average I.Q. in the (measured) Western world is 100 points, by definition. This means that for everyone with an IQ of 120, there is a corresponding person lounging out on the other side of the bell curve, with an IQ of 80.... I have seen no reliable evidence showing that (solidbody) rock 'n' roll guitarists (and aspiring wannabees) are any smarter than the average putz.... :icon_scratch:
A curiously-related phenomenon is that while dumb people often want to pretend to be smart people (semi-obvious reasons), smart people also want to pretend to be dumb sometimes - hence, we get Ph.D dissertations written on The Beverly Hillbillies, "cheeseburgers" made out of soybeans, "romantically-tragic" drunks, bands like KISS (as opposed to bands like AC/DC, who genuinely are dumb), and - relic'd guitars, distressed jeans, and smelly rotted cheeses. Go figure - or not - it's way too late to help.
The joy of relic'd guitars is that you can sell them both to dumb people who think they're smart (because every smart person knows that "old guitars are better"), and smart people who wanna be dumb
(cause Ah'm a funky ol' bluuues-man, oh yass Ah ahm). :guitaristgif: Yassuh. Cheeses!
A curiously-related phenomenon is that while dumb people often want to pretend to be smart people (semi-obvious reasons), smart people also want to pretend to be dumb sometimes - hence, we get Ph.D dissertations written on The Beverly Hillbillies, "cheeseburgers" made out of soybeans, "romantically-tragic" drunks, bands like KISS (as opposed to bands like AC/DC, who genuinely are dumb), and - relic'd guitars, distressed jeans, and smelly rotted cheeses. Go figure - or not - it's way too late to help.
The joy of relic'd guitars is that you can sell them both to dumb people who think they're smart (because every smart person knows that "old guitars are better"), and smart people who wanna be dumb
(cause Ah'm a funky ol' bluuues-man, oh yass Ah ahm). :guitaristgif: Yassuh. Cheeses!
NonsenseTele
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humm this makes me dumb? hummmmmm :icon_jokercolor:
Ok then! :laughing7:
Ok then! :laughing7:
Livingston
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Honestly, what real-life action would create the missing paint near the top strap button on this tele?
Graffiti62
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One assumption I have in regards to how much money is made on this is because of the baby boomer crowd, at least here in the States. You get these balding, over-the-hill executives who want to have something they can play with year-round (instead of a Corvette, which spends more time in the garage due to fear of depreciation). These guys want something that looks like the sunburst Fender they may have had when they were kids, and sadly parted ways with because they got fed up with learning the thing or hocked it for their first car or a lid of pot and a pair of boots.
Who knows--maybe when I get into mid-life, they'll start to relic Epi Les Pauls and Ibanez JEMs.
Relicing comes from having your trusty warbird going in and out of your guitar case night after night, forgetting a lit cigarette jammed underneath the low e string, having your belt buckle grind away the finish on the back, having excess head from a jostled beer drip onto it and down into the pickups, having sleeve of your shirt slowly polish away the finish and stain on the arm contour to form a smooth patch of bare wood, exposing it to an atmosphere full of sweaty bodies and menthol smoke, etc. etc. etc. It kind of reminds me of that movie "Crossroads" with Ralph Macchio and Steve Vai in it. The lesson through the movie was that the blues weren't learned--they were earned, just like war wounds on an axe.
Who knows--maybe when I get into mid-life, they'll start to relic Epi Les Pauls and Ibanez JEMs.
Relicing comes from having your trusty warbird going in and out of your guitar case night after night, forgetting a lit cigarette jammed underneath the low e string, having your belt buckle grind away the finish on the back, having excess head from a jostled beer drip onto it and down into the pickups, having sleeve of your shirt slowly polish away the finish and stain on the arm contour to form a smooth patch of bare wood, exposing it to an atmosphere full of sweaty bodies and menthol smoke, etc. etc. etc. It kind of reminds me of that movie "Crossroads" with Ralph Macchio and Steve Vai in it. The lesson through the movie was that the blues weren't learned--they were earned, just like war wounds on an axe.
mullyman
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Livingston said:Honestly, what real-life action would create the missing paint near the top strap button on this tele?
Ever see Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at the El Mocambo? He literally stands on his guitar and then grabs the trem bar and starts flopping the thing all over the stage. It's funny to me that he would beat the hell out of it like that but I'd be afraid to touch it if it was in front of me. hehe!
MULLY
Oh, those actions would wear the paint off in odd places :headbang1:
Patrick from Davis
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From Fenders perspective this is brilliant. Any guitar that would normally be sold at a discount for blemishes goes in the road worn pile to get "worn" and then they go from discount to value added. Once again, brilliant. Now the people that buy them on the other hand...
Patrick
Patrick
Superlizard
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"The Road Worn series... designed for the discriminating guitarist who wants instant street cred without actually paying their dues." buahahaha
Hey man, this don't surprise me one bit - what with all the fake-o's out there, the wanna-be's, the Guitar Hero players, etc... .
Hey man, this don't surprise me one bit - what with all the fake-o's out there, the wanna-be's, the Guitar Hero players, etc... .
GoDrex
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hannaugh said:
Sounds like you're talking about Eastwood Guitars.
http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/
I've had my eye on one of their Hy-Flyer basses for a while now. I also considered getting a gold-top GP from them before I decided to go with Warmoth. I think they have some really cool guitars. Not all are my style, but there's more than I few that I'd love to own.
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