NZGuitars.com

Thought this was a really cool job, lose the 'Studio' trussrod cover and I bet most people wouldn't even know it's not a Standard

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/refin ... on.428422/

I had an interesting reminder last week that many genuinely old instruments are not as "relic'd" as a lot of these new iterations are. Fender did a series once I think called closet classic, where the relic work was minor. They got it close I think. I played a '61 Strat, '58 burst, 1930's Martin OM and other great guitars Thur/Fri and they had only minor wear, and certainly didn't have large pieces of lacquer missing for eg. Gibson has re-issued the very burst I played and their modern interpretations were off also...too much relicing.

Sure, there are examples of heavily worn instruments (my JM for e.g.), but I think more subtle wear/relic work on new instruments is a better look.

Unless it's a Tele or a Strat

GrantB wrote:I had an interesting reminder last week that many genuinely old instruments are not as "relic'd" as a lot of these new iterations are. Fender did a series once I think called closet classic, where the relic work was minor. They got it close I think. I played a '61 Strat, '58 burst, 1930's Martin OM and other great guitars Thur/Fri and they had only minor wear, and certainly didn't have large pieces of lacquer missing for eg. Gibson has re-issued the very burst I played and their modern interpretations were off also...too much relicing.

Sure, there are examples of heavily worn instruments (my JM for e.g.), but I think more subtle wear/relic work on new instruments is a better look.

Did I read this right, you played an original 58 burst that Gibson has reissued? In NZ?

Reg18 wrote:

GrantB wrote:I had an interesting reminder last week that many genuinely old instruments are not as "relic'd" as a lot of these new iterations are. Fender did a series once I think called closet classic, where the relic work was minor. They got it close I think. I played a '61 Strat, '58 burst, 1930's Martin OM and other great guitars Thur/Fri and they had only minor wear, and certainly didn't have large pieces of lacquer missing for eg. Gibson has re-issued the very burst I played and their modern interpretations were off also...too much relicing.

Sure, there are examples of heavily worn instruments (my JM for e.g.), but I think more subtle wear/relic work on new instruments is a better look.

Did I read this right, you played an original 58 burst that Gibson has reissued? In NZ?

First part, correct...but not in NZ. That instrument lives in Aus now. Not only did I play the original burst, I played the Gibson protoype for the RI's. Serial No 1 was there also but I didn't play.

GrantB wrote:

Reg18 wrote:

GrantB wrote:I had an interesting reminder last week that many genuinely old instruments are not as "relic'd" as a lot of these new iterations are. Fender did a series once I think called closet classic, where the relic work was minor. They got it close I think. I played a '61 Strat, '58 burst, 1930's Martin OM and other great guitars Thur/Fri and they had only minor wear, and certainly didn't have large pieces of lacquer missing for eg. Gibson has re-issued the very burst I played and their modern interpretations were off also...too much relicing.

Sure, there are examples of heavily worn instruments (my JM for e.g.), but I think more subtle wear/relic work on new instruments is a better look.

Did I read this right, you played an original 58 burst that Gibson has reissued? In NZ?

First part, correct...but not in NZ. That instrument lives in Aus now. Not only did I play the original burst, I played the Gibson protoype for the RI's. Serial No 1 was there also but I didn't play.

Do tell more! Who’s the owner that’s important enough to get their own reissue?

Wow Grant, lucky man! What did you think of it?

I'll only discuss the original. Huge is probably the best word. Through a cranked Marshall it was 3D bliss. Heaps of bottom end yet full clarity all the way up...nice neck and nowhere near the size that R8's have. Great guitar overall...one that lives up to the burst hype.

GrantB wrote:some people get worked up about relic guitars, as in the idea. It’s all in the execution. Poorly done they are embarrasing, but done well, they can emulate the look and feel of an old, and usually prohibitively expensive instrument. The Historic Makeovers and Jaeger stuff is sooo good, I’d buy one given the chance. It’s all in fun too...not sure why the high ground I see on (other) forums.

https://www.jaegerguitars.com/the-bavar ... eover.html

Yikes! So after you've bought your guitar, a full monty workover is $9650 + shipping and GST unless Gibson has done a crap job of building your Lester in which case it's $11k + shipping and GST.

Lucky Gibson don't do crap jobs huh?

A 59 Junior is looking pretty good at this point.

Florian Jaeger
Great Christopher Wentz bond villain name

Slowy wrote:

GrantB wrote:some people get worked up about relic guitars, as in the idea. It’s all in the execution. Poorly done they are embarrasing, but done well, they can emulate the look and feel of an old, and usually prohibitively expensive instrument. The Historic Makeovers and Jaeger stuff is sooo good, I’d buy one given the chance. It’s all in fun too...not sure why the high ground I see on (other) forums.

https://www.jaegerguitars.com/the-bavar ... eover.html

Yikes! So after you've bought your guitar, a full monty workover is $9650 + shipping and GST unless Gibson has done a crap job of building your Lester in which case it's $11k + shipping and GST.

Lucky Gibson don't do crap jobs huh?

A 59 Junior is looking pretty good at this point.

Having done a few refins in nitro recently, and related repairs, it’s an expensive game. The time involved is material. Especially when you’re backing your work that it will age and crack in the right way etc....

Bit cheaper than a real 59 too....

GrantB wrote: Having done a few refins in nitro recently, and related repairs, it’s an expensive game. The time involved is material. Especially when you’re backing your work that it will age and crack in the right way etc....
Bit cheaper than a real 59 too....

Yeah, I know. It's high art and I admire it much.

I was just going for the cheap headline.

I love the 3% of relics out there that look convincing, but the majority of relics look really bad to me. I like more aging in the hardware and plastics less sandpaper to the body, actually no sandpaper is better. I did a bit of aging to some pickguards on Sunday and will probably try my hand at doing a neck and body, I'll send the before and after pictures of my first try will probably be a disaster but it's all for fun. Here are the pickguards I did.

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BMW-KTM wrote:I hope relicing catches on in other areas of life.
I'd love it if my old POS car had a sudden increase in value.
I imagine the increased value on mine would be truly impressive since all the wear and tear is actually genuine and in no way contrived.
Then I could sell it for much more money to someone who wants to look cool and it would be easier for me to buy a brand new car so I can keep my current social status and stay in the not-cool category.

I have a 20 year old Hilux with half a million kms on the clock.
To me, it's an old car that works too well to waste money replacing. To my son and his friends, it's the coolest thing on the road.
Who am I to argue?