Lets talk about guitar wear, and why do we like it so much?

xmrchi

@bluechargeboy I take offence at you derailing my thread especially when you show unique music with Djembes/double bass and funky grooves, do not antagonise my jealousy again.

axisus

I just don't like shiny new guitars. I think that my Feline will eventually go for that very reason, all my shiny guitars go in the end, however amazing they are. 

I prefer the worn look, but also I am much more comfortable with not worrying about dings, scratches etc. I don't like treating a guitar with great care, I like to think of them as a tool to serve a purpose rather than a precious ornament. That's not to say that I think they should necessarily be 'abused'. I do still appreciate the look of a beautiful pristine guitar, just less keen on ownership.

bluechargeboy

mrchi said:

@bluechargeboy I take offence at you derailing my thread especially when you show unique music with Djembes/double bass and funky grooves, do not antagonise my jealousy again.

@mrchi The double bass is 120 years old so it had some age-related dings when purchased, i.e. on topic! >:D<

WezV

BenSirAmos said:

WezV said:

Purposely rusty cars have been around for a while now and if you go to any car show there will be a few of them

I've seen rat bikes but not rat cars. I shall watch out for them - I don't really like purposely reliced guitars but I'm interested in the car version now. In Cuba, some of the cars are so rusty you wonder how they hold together - but they do have a certain charm. I don't fancy a rusty Datsun in the UK but something older and rounder might be fun. 

here you go, the car equivalent of the belt sander relic  (i almost like the beetle, the others are just ridiculous - but proper rat rods are cool)

Sassafras

How can he see through that rusty windscreen?

Wolfetone

jimmyguitar said:

I know what you mean, I can't stand new (especially poly) finishes as it just feels sticky and plasticky to me. My über worn '75 Les Paul is my fave guitar and the neck is worn down to just the smooth wood. It feels amazing to play and totally unique because of the wear, all naturally achieved over time.

That's a three piece top. In my ignorance, I always thought that lesters were two piece.

RaymondLin

Wolfetone;752167" said:

jimmyguitar said:

I know what you mean, I can't stand new (especially poly) finishes as it just feels sticky and plasticky to me. My über worn '75 Les Paul is my fave guitar and the neck is worn down to just the smooth wood. It feels amazing to play and totally unique because of the wear, all naturally achieved over time.










That's a three piece top. In my ignorance, I always thought that lesters were two piece.

Anything goes in the 70's from Gibson.

Chalky

Having young kids, relic or old guitars are fine by me

xmrchi

Chalky;752198" said:

Having young kids, relic or old guitars are fine by me

Agreed my old 80s usa jackson had a lovely split neck because of my little ones!

Garthy

MattFGBI said:

Guitars should show wear. I like the story it can tell. They are made to be played so I don't like the idea of keeping them locked away!

As for buying new, I like new and relic as I'll take each guitar on its own merits. Playability and sound are most important for me.

Mine aren't locked away (usually) and played by anyone who wants to pick one up if they have time to kill or just fancy it.

Bucket

I find guitars that are subtly worn (not beat to shit) from new always feel nicer to me, and I like the look when it's done well too.

DrJazzTap

Used not abused. I'm always a bit narked when I ding one of my guitars. But it happens.

I chose a PRS with some dings in already, as I didn't want to be mortified when I did the first one. And enough people think prs guitars are show things. I was buying the guitar for the guitar.
I've mellowed regarding the R word. It used to offend me, now meh not my money and if somebody else is happy then hey ho.

p90fool

RaymondLin said:

Wolfetone;752167" said:

jimmyguitar said:

I know what you mean, I can't stand new (especially poly) finishes as it just feels sticky and plasticky to me. My über worn '75 Les Paul is my fave guitar and the neck is worn down to just the smooth wood. It feels amazing to play and totally unique because of the wear, all naturally achieved over time.










That's a three piece top. In my ignorance, I always thought that lesters were two piece.

Anything goes in the 70's from Gibson.

Most (but by no means all) '52 Les Pauls are two-piece, but from '53 up to the first sunbursts three-piece tops seem to be far more common.

Jez6345789

I think scientists call it old jeans syndrome or fave T shirt. I am not much for fake ageing but if we have grown old together or someone else put in the time before me I think at that point you are bonded with an instrument. You know its strengths weaknesses and how to get it to sound a certain way. None of that you get straight out the box, how many times when you first got a guitar home have you thought not sure it's so good now. Then you play it for a few months and you are still er. Then you hit that gig and the thing is on fire your on fire and you bond and then you play the arse out of it for the next 5 years. In the end people's emotions about objects especially one you create on are exactly that emotions they flit and change its love hate death and birth all rolled into one. You see wood guys go just as crazy over their box of chisels it the human thing.

Sassafras

Garthy said:

MattFGBI said:

Guitars should show wear. I like the story it can tell. They are made to be played so I don't like the idea of keeping them locked away!

As for buying new, I like new and relic as I'll take each guitar on its own merits. Playability and sound are most important for me.

Mine aren't locked away (usually) and played by anyone who wants to pick one up if they have time to kill or just fancy it.

Same here, anyone's welcome to play my guitars but if they started beating the shit out of them then I'd have to have a quiet word with them, if you know what I mean.

BigMonka

I wonder whether there's a part of the psychology which is that an old guitar which has clearly been played must be better than a pristine one, as surely if the pristine one was good then it would have been played and picked up some wear and tear?

skankdelvar

Another psychological reason why aged or worn guitars may seem visually attractive is because they embody 'authenticity' - a quality much valued in these days of instant gratification and transient fashion. And - things being as they are - authenticity applies as much to people as it does to inanimate collectable objects

A minority may buy genuinely worn instruments in the belief (subconscious or otherwise) that this quality of authenticity will be transferred to themselves. 

Others may loathe reliced instruments not only because they think that 'fake roadworn' is the antithesis of authenticity but also because they think the relic's owner has appropriated 'personal authenticity' in an attempt to set themselves above other people. 

For the avoidance of confusion, be it known I embrace neither of these beliefs. :-)

Iamnobody

Great vids @jimmyguitar and @bluechargeboy

Back on topic

The only wear I've got on my poly Tele is fret wear! And a couple of dings...

tone1

Did somebody call?

57Deluxe

did I misread the subject matter then?? This is what springs to mind to me...

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/20/04/87/2004874533eccf6837aea9861fb9eb9e.jpg

https://i2.wp.com/img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/nollpost/funny pictures/bad halloween costumes/gunguywtf.jpg

http://guitarnoize.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/guitarheads_wtfcostumes.jpg