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Who likes the relic look?

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#281
The relic arguments kind of make me laugh at myself.

I ruined in my opinion the finish of my 1987 Fender 1957 reissue that was Surf Green dropping it, hitting it on stuff, putting stickers on it and other stuff that would have made it a relic in todays world.

I had it repainted Plum Crazy Purple to match my car and every time I get a ding it in or hit it on something I cringe and yet people pay for that stuff.

I know I am not saying anything new, but I am obviously not the kind of guy they build relics for LOL.
 
#282
I love the look of old worn basses but I will personally never buy a new relic'ed bass. It doesn't appeal to me at all. Especially if the relic'ed "vintage style" bass comes with a battery compartment and poly finish. I mean, I can ALMOST understand why people would buy a relic'ed bass if we are talking about a 100% vintage correct Fender Custom Shop P or J but an active poly finished Sandberg? I just don't get it...??? And don't get me started on the signature relics with all the scratches and dings in the EXACT same places as the original. Definitely not my style. But hey, YMMV.
 
#285
gwangi said:
I'll add my 2 cents, Antonio Stradivari, Andrea Guarneri & Giuseppe Guarneri didn't make relic violins.
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And you know this from what source? Enquiring musicologists want to know! LOL.
Oh, do you have the 1672 or the 1673 Cremona catalogue? ;)
 
#287
Jim Carr said:
And you know this from what source? Enquiring musicologists want to know! LOL.
Oh, do you have the 1672 or the 1673 Cremona catalogue? ;)
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Why would those legends have made new instruments that looked crappy from the start? I seriously doubt that, especially at those levels and during those times. The craftsmanship standards back then were probably all about the beauty and sound. Also, I would bet that relicing did not even exist (strong guess, if you ask me).
 
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#290
songwriter21 said:
Why would those legends have made new instruments that looked crappy from the start? I seriously doubt that, especially at those levels and during those times. The craftsmanship standards back then were probably all about the beauty and sound. Also, I would bet that relicing did not even exist (strong guess, if you ask me).
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Sorry. The emoji ;) means I was kidding, like you know, "wink, wink?" Besides, what you think looks crappy, Sally or Joe over here might think looks great. Really, a paint job is just a paint job. No one is being fooled, hurt, or defrauded.

Fake stories are not being made up (any more than usual:thumbsup:), and money is not being stolen from widows, orphans, or old retired school teachers. :D Relax, its OK. Relics won't hurt you, and they might make someone happy.
 
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#292
GretschWretch said:
Nope. All those guys were making for the high end of the market.
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Not sure about high end, as I don't think the Cremonese ruling class in the 17th and 18th c. played music seriously (some famous exceptions noted), that was done by those "in service to the Duchess," so to speak.
 
#293
MrB8 said:
If you invented the whole "fake relic" idea to prevent douchebag posers from sucking useful instruments from the market, I'd give you a nobel prize!
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Yes indeed! And a Pulitzer in Music for the guys that created sunburst finishes on guitars, as it was to save all those old German instruments from destruction at the hands of the great unwashed. Sunburst was created as a relic faux mojo poser finish by greedy builders. For real. See below.

From Wikipedia "sunburst article:"

Sunburst is a style of finishing for musical instruments such as electric and acoustic guitars and electric basses. At the center of a sunburst-finished surface is an area of lighter color (often showing the wood grain underneath) that darkens gradually towards the edges before hitting a dark rim. Among the best known examples of a sunburst finish are the Gibson Les Paul guitars and the Fender Stratocaster. It was originally intended to imitate an aged German finish, as applied to classical string instruments such as violins, as well as to enable the use of wood with less attractive edge grain on high-end instruments.[1] ....
 
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#295
Jim Carr said:
Yes indeed! And a Pulitzer in Music for the guys that created sunburst finishes on guitars, as it was to save all those old German instruments from destruction at the hands of the great unwashed. Sunburst was created as a relic faux mojo poser finish by greedy builders. For real. See below.

From Wikipedia "sunburst article:"

Sunburst is a style of finishing for musical instruments such as electric and acoustic guitars and electric basses. At the center of a sunburst-finished surface is an area of lighter color (often showing the wood grain underneath) that darkens gradually towards the edges before hitting a dark rim. Among the best known examples of a sunburst finish are the Gibson Les Paul guitars and the Fender Stratocaster. It was originally intended to imitate an aged German finish, as applied to classical string instruments such as violins, as well as to enable the use of wood with less attractive edge grain on high-end instruments.[1] ....
Click to expand...
/Thread
 
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#296
Sometimes you guys are just trouble. All of this "come, let us reason together" (more or less) has prompted me to unbag a not-too-long-ago purchased Fender fretless which may be a parts bass (or not). I bought it because it was affordable compared to what else was out there, not because it is "relic'd. No pics, so imagination is in order for what follows.

Fretless maple neck purported to be from 1976, serial #764....., skunk stripe, heel truss, tv logo

sunburst body, string-thru grommets in the back, factory drilled holes for ashtrays and tug bar, pickup to cavity wiring underneath (no routed channel), EMG Select pickups, white pickguard, beneath which, counting the ones for factory fittings

are drilled thirty-three holes, all about the size of holes for tuner mounting screws, in a random pattern.

I honestly have no idea what this bass is. It could be a parts bass, or it could be genuine Fender with some mods. I don't care; I just wanted a Fender fretless not a "collectible," and the next cheapest ones cost at least double what I paid for this. Played-in, relic'd, abused; in this instance, it's "just the bass, ma'am."

I am thinking of naming this bass "Blackburn."
 
#297
Jim Carr said:
Sorry. The emoji ;) means I was kidding, like you know, "wink, wink?" Besides, what you think looks crappy, Sally or Joe over here might think looks great. Really, a paint job is just a paint job. No one is being fooled, hurt, or defrauded.

Fake stories are not being made up (any more than usual:thumbsup:), and money is not being stolen from widows, orphans, or old retired school teachers. :D Relax, its OK. Relics won't hurt you, and they might make someone happy.
Click to expand...

Oh it's wasn't a big deal at all, just that pristine craftsmanship was probably more prevalent back then. That, and I like real mojo, ala Geddy Lee's well-worn oldies from his book. I totally get that.
 
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#298
GretschWretch said:
Nope. All those guys were making for the high end of the market.
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I would venture to say that also holds true for manufacturers now as well, since most "relic" instruments are sold at a premium price and come out of the custom shops. To me, while it is a bit strange, some of them look really cool... most of them are WAY overdone and look like someone dragged them behind a truck. The amount of wear that some of these have is laughable.
 
#299
Jim Carr said:
...From Wikipedia "sunburst article:"

Sunburst is a style of finishing for musical instruments such as electric and acoustic guitars and electric basses. At the center of a sunburst-finished surface is an area of lighter color (often showing the wood grain underneath) that darkens gradually towards the edges before hitting a dark rim. Among the best known examples of a sunburst finish are the Gibson Les Paul guitars and the Fender Stratocaster. It was originally intended to imitate an aged German finish, as applied to classical string instruments such as violins, as well as to enable the use of wood with less attractive edge grain on high-end instruments.[1] ....
Click to expand...
That's a real hoot. I'm on the non-relic side of the aesthetic debate, and I guess I'm more consistent than I thought. While I've seen some sunburst finishes that I thought looked pretty good, I've never particularly liked the style, and have no sunburst instruments in my collection of ~20 basses and guitars.
 
#300
Gustopher said:
I would venture to say that also holds true for manufacturers now as well, since most "relic" instruments are sold at a premium price and come out of the custom shops. To me, while it is a bit strange, some of them look really cool... most of them are WAY overdone and look like someone dragged them behind a truck. The amount of wear that some of these have is laughable.
Click to expand...

Like this?

Mishell's jazz bass.png
 
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