Heritage showcasing hand relic’d guitars

[bolero]

pissing into the wind come back at you, twice as hard

[funkapus]

 

When I last went into my nearest large store I could not find a custom Fender Strat or Tele in NOS condition, they were all relic'd.

Yeah, this is pretty frustrating.

 

When I browse used listings on e.g.TGP, if I see the word "relic", I immediately move on. These days, that seems like over half the used Fenders for sale.

 

Each to his own but in my view total Lunacy and sought out only by posers who want people

to believe they are something that they are not

I can't say what's going on in other people's heads, obviously, but I lean in the same direction. It makes no more sense to me than buying pre-ripped jeans. In the case of used guitars, while obviously guitars in use get dings and scratches and so on, being significantly torn up can be a sign that an owner didn't take good care of the guitar. But now I have no way of knowing how much of the finish damage/dings/etc. came from relic'ing and how much came from use. Some dings are indicators of problems and I can't tell that from a picture. So I just skip the damn things.

 

That said, lots of people buy pre-ripped jeans; and relic'd guitars are definitely a thing. So I guess it makes sense for Heritage to get into it.

 

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Some, IMO, are pretty cool like a few Nacho Banos examples, maybe some early Fender Custom Shop ones just because the attention to detail is so high they look insanely convincing. For the most part I think Gibson and modern Fender pre-aged guitars look like crap. I think my VOS Gibsons look tacky as hell too...you can see all the swirl marks from the steel wool in the finish then couple that dullness with aged parts, doesn't look anything like my vintage guitars, the first thing I want to do to a VOS is buff/polish the heck out of it. 

 

And, yeah, my '54 reissue strat and SJ-100 are already covered in checking lines & wear/tear from use, not quite the same as the old guitars though. 

 

Instead of VOS they should do a run of guitars shot with this stuff:

 

 

Straight up filler plus color & clear, keep it super thin. The guitars will be checking/yellowing like vintage guitars within a few months/years of ownership. I'm not sure why more small builders don't use old school lacquer formulas as a feature as there are people who make a living re-finishing guitars with 50's formula junk lacquer so there's definitely a market for it. Not all your guitars as some folks would complain but offer it as a custom or special run option. 

[deytookerjaabs]

Update, I saw one of these in person at Chicago Music Exchange yesterday and though I'm not a fan of aging per se it looked as good if not better than the best Gibson aged stuff. It was an H-150, the top was really purdy, the rosewood was a fine looking deep chocolate, the salesman strummed it a couple times and the sound seemed pretty big. Apparently it was one of those 'NAMM guitars. I thought I was going to get to try it but when I asked a few minutes later he said "Oh no, the fella near me was here to buy it!" Gone it went though I think I did alright in the end. 

[ElNumero]

On 7/22/2019 at 12:12 AM, Spectrum13 said:

Did this start with stonewashed jeans? Are baseball mitts broken it too these days?

Years ago, I bought a "road worn" strat from GC, looks like an old 57, swapped the pups out from a set of Fralins I bought from Martygrass, and it plays and sounds great. Dan, you played it once when I brought it to your home. The nice thing about it, I don't worry about bumping, dropping, banging, or anything else. Heck, I even put a few new dings in it myself on purpose!!! That works for me!!

[rockabilly69]

On 7/24/2019 at 9:25 AM, deytookerjaabs said:

Some, IMO, are pretty cool like a few Nacho Banos examples, maybe some early Fender Custom Shop ones just because the attention to detail is so high they look insanely convincing. For the most part I think Gibson and modern Fender pre-aged guitars look like crap. I think my VOS Gibsons look tacky as hell too...you can see all the swirl marks from the steel wool in the finish then couple that dullness with aged parts, doesn't look anything like my vintage guitars, the first thing I want to do to a VOS is buff/polish the heck out of it. 

My friend Lynn Wheelwright has been working on a special project with Nacho, which I can't reveal right now, but I will when I can. As for Gibson VOS, I also buffed that crap off on all of mine. I hate that stuff!

[rockabilly69]

This one looks pretty good, but, I could do this level of aging on a new guitar in a year or two of gigging one...

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/heritage-artisan-aged-collection-h-535-semi-hollow-original-sunburst-serial-ai08517/26558851

 

 

 

[deytookerjaabs]

3 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

My friend Lynn Wheelwright has been working on a special project with Nacho, which I can't reveal right now, but I will when I can. As for Gibson VOS, I also buffed that crap off on all of mine. I hate that stuff!

 

No secrets on the internet!

 

3 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

This one looks pretty good, but, I could do this level of aging on a new guitar in a year or two of gigging one...

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/heritage-artisan-aged-collection-h-535-semi-hollow-original-sunburst-serial-ai08517/26558851

 

 

I played this guitar unplugged, it was awesome! It sat on display in the center of the hollow body area. Anyone out here hesitating, make them an offer. I'm already good in the ES department or I'd have taken the plunge. They're still doing the nashville bridge for whatever reason...old habits die hard. I'm not even anti-nashville bridge, I'm just conditioned to expect it once the $$ gets real. I agree, you can keep a guitar with nickel hardware in it's case for 5 years and that's how it will look when you open the case. 

 

Too many nice guitars. 

 

[rockabilly69]

5 hours ago, deytookerjaabs said:

I played this guitar unplugged, it was awesome! It sat on display in the center of the hollow body area. Anyone out here hesitating, make them an offer. I'm already good in the ES department or I'd have taken the plunge. They're still doing the nashville bridge for whatever reason...old habits die hard. I'm not even anti-nashville bridge, I'm just conditioned to expect it once the $$ gets real. I agree, you can keep a guitar with nickel hardware in it's case for 5 years and that's how it will look when you open the case. 

As I said it's a looker, and it sounds like a winner. I just don't like relic'ing or Nashvilles!

[DetroitBlues]

On 7/22/2019 at 4:02 PM, zguitar71 said:

Nah, I’ll do it on my own. It only took about 3 years to get through to the wood on the top and the neck, it spread from there. Just play them all the time and it will look old. The finish is thin, as it should be, so it really doesn’t take long. 

When I grow up, I want to be able to play my H150 GT P90 so it looks like that.  I love seeing guitars being played the right way, gives it some serious mojo.

[zguitar71]

DetroitBlues, it doesn’t take long. The finish is really thin on the Heritage guitars. Which is a good thing and a sign of quality imo. I started to wear through the top and neck in about 2 years. I have a ‘81 ES347 that took 10 years to get there, the finish is too plasticity on that guitar. I gigged that guitar for 20 years, that sucker is worn in now. The heritage just keeps getting better too, it has really opened up, its like Charlton Heston’s gun, one day you’ll have to pry my 150 from my cold dead hands. 

[High Flying Bird]

On 7/22/2019 at 12:06 PM, JeffB said:

I dont get the "relic" thing. Never have. Does not compute. Never looks right and often looks quite shabby.

I have played some relic'd guitars that really were quite great to play and also sounded great.

I dont feel triggered by this news. 10yrs ago I wouldve been looking around for signs of the 4th horseman.

I have never understood the relicing thingy.  I got my first Heritage in 1990.  It seemed to be their finishes were so superior to other guitars.  Why beat hell out of them in the factory?  Earn that reliced finish.  I don't feel triggered either mate.  I suspect there is even more to come.

[tbonesullivan]

Ugh... not this crap.  Sadly, there is a HUGE market for it. Some companies pretty much ONLY make relic guitars now, which I guess really does help keep costs down: it's no big deal if you buff right through the clear coat by accident!  As long as it plays good no one is going to care.

[rwinking]

What is the difference between a relic'd guitar and a player's guitar?

$3000