Seriously!!!!!

[reluctant-builder]

Not to mention, I just don't know why someone would want a guitar with half of a finished neck, a rusty bridge, etc.  These are the types of things I'd be replacing, not purchasing.

There's a Telecaster at the Manhattan GC that looks like it went through hell. It's one of the most expensive guitars in the store. I think it's $5K or so, I didn't bother to look at the price tag because I wasn't remotely interested in it. The only reason it wound up in my hands is because I mentioned that the American Deluxe models had a compound radius fretboard and I wanted to try one, so the guy said: "Well, this one's expensive, maybe it has one." It didn't, but it did have a big, fat neck ... which was something else I was interested in trying.

The fretboard was blistered all to hell. My Strat has the same effect beginning to happen on the 4th fret and it, and a divot in the same area of the board, made me think about replacing the neck completely. Yet, judging by the beaten-all-to-hell look of that Tele and its board having that same finish wear all over it, that makes it worth more, if the price tag is to be believed. Which I simply don't believe. The back of the neck, too, had its finish totally sanded off.  :doh:

I play hard, but I take pretty good care of my axes. The wear they show has been earned and is not the result of neglect ... but I, like others, like to keep my guitars as close to new as I can. If they wear, they wear ... naturally ... but I take care of my babies. I don't want them to look like extras in a horror movie, and I sure don't want to buy them that way.