OK BBI guitar players, who is buying these things?
I don't understand appeal here. I remember some years back now when they first started doing this, thinking it was a terrible idea that wouldn't last, but they're still churning them out. I've never seen one in the wild. Only in music shops & online.
They are all over the gear forums I read and post on. I guess the story goes that sometime in the mid nineties Keith Richards wanted to retire one of his old Teles, so he asked one of the builders over at Fender to make a replica of it that looked exactly like his. I guess somebody saw what they were doing and asked if they could do it for their guitars, and then another, and then another. It caught on, so they made it an option.
Personally, I wouldn't seek one out, but if it played great, I wouldn't be against owning one. But they are selling a TON of them.
They are all over the gear forums I read and post on. I guess the story goes that sometime in the mid nineties Keith Richards wanted to retire one of his old Teles, so he asked one of the builders over at Fender to make a replica of it that looked exactly like his. I guess somebody saw what they were doing and asked if they could do it for their guitars, and then another, and then another. It caught on, so they made it an option.
Personally, I wouldn't seek one out, but if it played great, I wouldn't be against owning one. But they are selling a TON of them.
See, I didn't know that! I was just looking at the custom shop & noticed a good number of them are relic'd. So they are selling a ton of them? That's wild. I'm sure they sound fantastic (I'm a Fender guy), but I just see them out or know anybody who buys them. The same ones have been hanging in my local guitar shop forever it seems like.
Quote:
and a ton of Fender's highest, most expensive Custom Shop models are "relic'd".
They are all over the gear forums I read and post on. I guess the story goes that sometime in the mid nineties Keith Richards wanted to retire one of his old Teles, so he asked one of the builders over at Fender to make a replica of it that looked exactly like his. I guess somebody saw what they were doing and asked if they could do it for their guitars, and then another, and then another. It caught on, so they made it an option.
Personally, I wouldn't seek one out, but if it played great, I wouldn't be against owning one. But they are selling a TON of them.
See, I didn't know that! I was just looking at the custom shop & noticed a good number of them are relic'd. So they are selling a ton of them? That's wild. I'm sure they sound fantastic (I'm a Fender guy), but I just see them out or know anybody who buys them. The same ones have been hanging in my local guitar shop forever it seems like.
Yeah, I've seen a couple that don't look too bad, and there are varying degrees of relic, from light to heavy. What you posted was a heavy relic.
That said though, when I buy my guitars, I don't like them to have a scratch on them (unless I'm buying used), and any relic'ing that occurs I want to be by my honest play wear.
I am going to relic her...relic her hard.. lol
I am also building one with a custom neck and body made by musikraft.com
That one will be painted with slate gray chalk paint and then a red chalk paint on top.. then I will sand it back to wood in spots.. ..
It will have a 1984 Floyd Rose.
I am calling her Lucy... short for Lucifer..
Strats are really the only guitars I like relic'd.
Not a nick on her. The owner was a collector, not a player, and she came to me as perfect as she did when she left the factory floor.
Between the two of us, there are about 15 guitars in the house, and the Relic is his favorite. I believe it was just over 2K, expensive, but he feels it was well worth it.
Just for comparative info we have a late 80's Japanese Strat, a newer Tele, newer Les Paul & Les Paul Jr,, 63 Gold Top, and a 69 SG, plus a pair of custom made Hawley Jersey Guitars, beautiful guitars from a local guy here in NJ. (I know it's a Fender thread, but I'll put up a link to HJG)
Hawley Jersey Guitars. - ( New Window )
That's a beautiful guitar -- and what a sound !! What amp are you playing it through ?
I keep an eye out on craigslist, under the mistaken impression that I can swoop in a get a bargain on a Rick before anyone else sees it....yeah right !!
That's a beautiful guitar -- and what a sound !! What amp are you playing it through ?
I keep an eye out on craigslist, under the mistaken impression that I can swoop in a get a bargain on a Rick before anyone else sees it....yeah right !!
Thanks, I'm playing it through a 1969 Fender Vibrolux Reverb.
I put a Janglebox compressor in between them and I get Byrds and Petty jangle and sparkle for days.
Then I have a guitar that competes with their custom shop stuff for about 1/5 the price (well, even less when you factor in selling the original neck and pickups).
You could build your own for minimum 1/5 the price. Like this place over in Jersey, Musikraft.. you pick everything you want in and on the neck and guitar. Then you finish it and assemble it.
My flavor of guitars are the Music Man Axis (I have 2) and a Peavy HP SPecial...(I have 3)..
The Peavey HP Special are by far one of the best guitars on the market that nobody knows about. Too bad they stopped making them..
I don't get it. I have guitars I've owned for 30+ years, and they still look pretty much like the day I bought them.
Why would you want your guitar to look like shit? I don't get it.
Hell, I'm a huge Hendrix fan and I still cringe when I see footage of him burning the guitar on stage....or Townshend smashing one to bits.
I have done 2 relics. 1 mid-80s MiJ Strat that I stripped and refinished to surf green (have since swapped neck from rosewood to maple fretboard).
I also built a tele from with a Bigsby that I relic'd the surf greenish blue body, the hardware, and used antique lacquer to "age" the neck.
I like them relic'd. My main fender is a road worn black tele Keef-style that though is road worn, is really only slightly worn and not relic'd.
Certain builders do an amazing job with Fender relics like Nash guitars. Probably a lot cheaper than Custom Shops.
Link - ( New Window )
SRV - ( New Window )
Personally, I'd love one of the 'Old Black' repro's - bizarre pickup configuration, Bigsby and all...
Old Black Tribute - ( New Window )
That was cool to watch, thanks.
Quote:
relic strat SRV - ( New Window )
That was cool to watch, thanks.
Thanks Britt!
I love this stuff..
I told my wife we are opening a guitar orphanage... :-)
My favorite Fender I have isn't even one that's super high end, but is tough to find - one of the American made Fender Toronados, I believe from 2002 or 2003.
Amazing guitar. My roommates are jealous that I own it, as its they're favorite after playing it as well.
Beats the hell out of my Custom Shop semi-hollow (looks kinda like a semi hollow jaguar) w/ P90s. That guitar is a little too dark sounding for my liking...I like brightness and clarity with hi gain.
I will say that I think it's insane that manufacturers will ask/get 5 figures for a remake of some famous guitar.
I don't get it. I have guitars I've owned for 30+ years, and they still look pretty much like the day I bought them.
Why would you want your guitar to look like shit? I don't get it.