Relics

fretfinder

AngryGoldfish said: Many modern relic guitars are quite definable. They're mediocre instruments made to look special. 

I don't know if you've played many Fender CS Relics but I've owned several and played a few more and mediocre is not a word I'd use to describe them - they've pretty much all been exceptionally good guitars.

Philly_Q

A relic finish, an aged finish, whatever you want to call it, is just that... a finish.  Other finishes are available.  I don't see why people get so worked up about it.

tone1

Love my 50's roadworn strat and it doesn't matter if my 4yr old dinks it with his lego

frankus

The whole disbelief in relics thing is as fatuous as Christians called Atheism a religion.

it's a lack of surplus belief and relics?

it's a fucking finish.

when was the last time you heard someone saying "Sunburst, it's a fake, the guitar isn't an archtop - so why would it have a sunburst? Buy an archtop if you want a real sunburst "

(the paint used to run down on archtops making the sunburst effect. It won't do that on flat-tops)

richardhomer

frankus;358614" said:

(the paint used to run down on archtops making the sunburst effect. It won't do that on flat-tops)

It would if you stood one on its end-pin - though it probably wouldn't look very attractive... And it would probably dribble into the sound hole....

fretmeister

I have seen 1 relic I thought looked authentic and I liked.

So I bought it.

IMHO there are 2 places doing very good relics: Sandberg and Limelight.

Although Limelight will no doubt get sued to oblivion as they actually put Fender decals on their instruments.

GuitarMonkey

frankus said:

(the paint used to run down on archtops making the sunburst effect. It won't do that on flat-tops)

I don't think so. A sunburst is designed to emulate the rubbed finish of classical string instruments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunburst_(finish)

GuitarMonkey

fretmeister said:

IMHO there are 2 places doing very good relics: Sandberg and Limelight..

Like this? 

http://www.classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/guitar/limelight00123s.htm

Very convincing.

fretmeister

GuitarMonkey said:

fretmeister said:

IMHO there are 2 places doing very good relics: Sandberg and Limelight..

Like this? 

http://www.classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/guitar/limelight00123s.htm

Very convincing.

Not seen that before! ha ha.

That's not very good.

I've seen some of his basses and they've been done well.

JayGee

At this point I'd like to take the discussion into the realm of the surreal (or at least the hopelessly meta and self referential) by suggesting that (in the case of Fender CS at least who are after all the main perpetrators) relics  aren't what they used to be....

No, really...

I remember seeing the first few batches of these things in Peach, being utterly spellbound by them and finding them completely convincing. Oh yes, and they were utterly bloody fabulous to just *hold*. let alone play.

The stuff I'm seeing now is all hopelessly overcooked, lacking artistry, and lacking subtlety by comparison -  it's almost like they've been ratcheting up the levels of distressing year-on-year and have finally reached a level which is a kind of Spinal tap "This one goes up to 11" style parody

And finally...

If you really must do this (and can live without the F-Word on the headstock) then Peach have got some lovely pieces from http://www.revelatorguitars.com in stock at the moment - http://www.peachguitars.com/revelator-guitars - In spite of them being somewhat more heavily distressed than I would normally prefer they are superb pieces of work at very reasonable (for this sort of thing) prices and I can personally vouch for both the Sonic Blue '61 Tel and the Tele-Gib, for heavens sake someone buy them before I do something which would make my wife *really* cross...

ThePrettyDamned

GuitarMonkey;358653" said:

fretmeister said:

IMHO there are 2 places doing very good relics: Sandberg and Limelight..





Like this? http://www.classicandcoolguitars.co.uk/guitar/limelight00123s.htm



Very convincing.

It looks like it has been dragged through a field.

With cows.

And cow pat.

Lol it's actually quite a cool looking guitar, if it didn't quite look like someone had smeared poo on it.

jellyroll

JayGee said:

it's almost like they've been ratcheting up the levels of distressing year-on-year and have finally reached a level which is a kind of Spinal tap "This one goes up to 11" style parody

Reminds of the Gibson approach to historic reissues.....getting closer and closer every year to producing the guitar they produced 50 years ago.

Philly_Q

Those Revelators look great!  I wish the Peach website gave a bit more detail on the specs.

That Limelight, on the other hand.... Limeshite.  (Cheap though)

frankus

GuitarMonkey;358652" said:

frankus said:

(the paint used to run down on archtops making the sunburst effect. It won't do that on flat-tops)










I don't think so. A sunburst is designed to emulate the rubbed finish of classical string instruments.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunburst_(finish)

Fair enough, I got told by someone, probably not as reliable as wiki...

Still, the sunburst finish is emulating something it isn't and people don't decry it as being fake.