Anyone have one of those Fender relics?

I don't know dude, I just wouldn't want to pay 2Gs for a guitar that already had the snot beat out of it.

 

I don't own one but I got to play one at the GC in Central Dallas. That was last summer on a business trip. It was light blue with a rosewood board. It was lighter than any of the pre-CBS basses I've played. In fact I went back 3 times to play that bass while I was down there. It felt great and had a really nice bridge pickup snap to it. The odd thing was that I was running it through an SWR 900 and a Goliath cab. Not my fave amplifier setup, and I thought that it sounded schweet.

I was saving up for my Sadowsky at the time so I didn't even press them for a better price. Those guys aren't real swift when it comes to negotiating off the sticker so I passed it up.

I'd say that, like any Fender, you'd have to play it to see if it'd work for you. But in this case it wasn't just a beat-up run-of-the-mill Fender.

 

Hmmm... I can't decide whether this is a "bash Fender instruments" posting, or a "seriously interested to see your Fender" relic post;^)

Going with the latter, a brief history and description of the only Fender I have, and still own to this day;

-An early 70's 'P' bass w/sunburst body (worn in all the right places) and a rosewood faced neck.
-Some will / have become instantly ill, and yet others say "interesting"... it's been 'modified' w/the 'P / J' set-up;^O
-I still have the original set of Fender pick-ups, but it currently is stocked with 'active' EMG's (soon to be changing those out for a set of Bartolini's active 'P / J')
-Picked it up for song at a 'mom & pop' independent music store.. $75 including a cheap, beat-up, cardboard case!

BTW: A few years ago I bought an Alembic as a 'second base;^' several months later I was back to playing more of the Fender. Eventually, within a year, maybe less, the Alembic was set aside and is currently up for sale... still in 'new / mint' condition, flawless finish and includes a hardshell case!

I have some pics of the Fender, but never had em' scanned... perhaps one day,

michael

 

I've played a couple of Relics and they were very fine instruments. Would I buy one? Hell no! I think this is the dumbest marketing program Fender or anyone else could dream up. I would however, buy a NOS which is the same instrument before the manufacturing stage where they take a hammer to it.

 

Like your bass shiny new? Get NOS

Like your bass looking a bit aged? Get Closet classic.

Like your bass looking war torn? Get a relic.

Dumb marketing? Yeah dumb like a fox, YOU get to choose which you want, and they all sell.

 

Obviously, no one who bought a relic will fess up to the fact that it's been aged artificially.

"No, really, I bought this '62 Jazz new!" says the 25-year old purchaser.

 

I've played one of these in a store. Played and felt awesome, sounded fantastic. These are made by the Fender Custom Shop so the quality is very good indeed. It's funny they take the painted body out in the parking lot and drag it behind a pickup truck a few laps then beat the crap out of it.

But the necks are perfect and untouched....

 

On all the Relics that I've seen the wearing looks really fake and really bad... not to mention I think it's a dumb idea in the first place. I do , however, like the Closet Classics--the finish and the pickguard have that pleasant yellow aging. Out of the three, I would go for a Closet Classic.

 

A friend of mine has a relic P. Lows like you wouldn't believe! It's the epitome of a P! He bought it from a guy for $900, who, BTW, paid about $1900 for it.