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Guitar talk: acoustic, bass, classical, twelve string? You name it! Pt III

100% agree, but not a relic version.

I’m kind in two minds on the ‘relic’ thing. By nature I’m hopelessly obsessive, it’s basically why I’m a record dealer as I’ve always wanted a mint 1st pressing of everything and it can take a few goes to get there (obviously it grew hugely from there and I now buy/sell all manner of manner of music I have no interest in). I fully relate with what Mick said on the TPS viewers questions yesterday in that you really shouldn’t be afraid of your guitar at all, and with a genuinely rare and valuable instrument in mint condition I am. I’d be beyond mortified if I stuck a dent in my SC1200 as it may well be the best example of this very rare instrument on the planet (it is pretty much mint), same with my Shergold bass. You just never see these in the condition mine is in. As such I suspect if I was buying a brand new very expensive Fender I’d be tempted by one of the ‘light-relic’ Custom Shop models, it just removes all that fear as basically another light mark won’t be noticeable. I think the heavy relic ones look naff, very obviously faked though.

Its one thing I really like about my ‘82 Strat. It’s a nice clean and original, but still obviously used example. If I ever planed to gig I’d definitely use it rather than the Yam as a dink or scratch just wouldn’t piss me off as it already has a few. I don’t fear it at all and will happily thrash the hell out of it. If I was to buy another vintage instrument I think this is the condition I’d aim at. Fully original, not abused/battered (or worse faking it), but not NOS or anything close to it.

PS Gibson’s Custom Shop should obviously knock the headstocks off all ‘relic’ Les Pauls and glue them back on. Anything else just looks faked.
 

One of the best non Fender Tele's is the K-Line Truxton.

I was lucky enough to snap one up used at Coda for £1200 just before Brexit and the $US exchange rate went pair shaped....the thing is, decided I don't like Tele's. I've got a few local lads wanting mine but can't face selling it (mine's the non distressed version) :)

https://www.coda-music.com/electric-guitars/k-line/k-line-truxton-b-s-b.html

k-line_truxton_blonde_01.jpeg
 
I’m kind in two minds on the ‘relic’ thing. By nature I’m hopelessly obsessive, it’s basically why I’m a record dealer as I’ve always wanted a mint 1st pressing of everything and it can take a few goes to get there (obviously it grew hugely from there and I now buy/sell all manner of manner of music I have no interest in). I fully relate with what Mick said on the TPS viewers questions yesterday in that you really shouldn’t be afraid of your guitar at all, and with a genuinely rare and valuable instrument in mint condition I am. I’d be beyond mortified if I stuck a dent in my SC1200 as it may well be the best example of this very rare instrument on the planet (it is pretty much mint), same with my Shergold bass. You just never see these in the condition mine is in. As such I suspect if I was buying a brand new very expensive Fender I’d be tempted by one of the ‘light-relic’ Custom Shop models, it just removes all that fear as basically another light mark won’t be noticeable. I think the heavy relic ones look naff, very obviously faked though.

Its one thing I really like about my ‘82 Strat. It’s a nice clean and original, but still obviously used example. If I ever planed to gig I’d definitely use it rather than the Yam as a dink or scratch just wouldn’t piss me off as it already has a few. I don’t fear it at all and will happily thrash the hell out of it. If I was to buy another vintage instrument I think this is the condition I’d aim at. Fully original, not abused/battered (or worse faking it), but not NOS or anything close to it.

PS Gibson’s Custom Shop should obviously knock the headstocks off all ‘relic’ Les Pauls and glue them back on. Anything else just looks faked.
You can’t beat shiny and new when buying something but as I’ve got older I seem to accept “wear and Tear” more readily, though I do tend to be quite careful and look after things.

Three of my guitars are from the 70’s, one from the 90’s and two a couple of years old, I would classify them all as in very good condition for their age.

Regarding records and cd’s, from a teenager I would never loan them out until one day relenting and letting someone borrow Wire’s 154 (The version with the 7 inch) he then decided to decorate his flat with a roller brush while the LP was playing. Vinyl and emulsion paint are not a good mix, NEVER again!
 
I don't mind dings and scratches on my guitars and find the pristine ones look oddly plasticky, especially when they start to wear on the neck and fretboard but the indestructible, gloss finish poly lacquer still looks like a brand new piece of 1950s furniture. But really its not the dings and scratches you want but the wearing of the neck and the checking of the lacquer and to some extent this has to be done by playing and time.

Which is why I am a big fan of the nitro lacquers -- faster wear means quicker to that really "played in" feel, checking, etc. Although as the guitar I have had for 30 years was a super cheap squier, and my nice strat with the nitro is basically new, it will probably be just starting to age then I shuffle off and leave it to my favourite nephew.
 
Eventually I decided the Tele for me was the Thinline. Although I have managed to resist buying it yet. Also would be torn between the Surf Green/Tortoise vs the Sunburst (and I am not normally a burst fan).

https://shop.fender.com/en-GB/elect...ginal-60s-telecaster-thinline/0110172834.html


A Thinline needs to have big flashy Ash grain showing for that proper '70s look. I'd be torn between the burst and the natural. On any other guitar I'm usually allergic to natural finish.
 
A Thinline needs to have big flashy Ash grain showing for that proper '70s look. I'd be torn between the burst and the natural. On any other guitar I'm usually allergic to natural finish.

It's the grain that makes me like the sunburst when I don't normally like bursts.
 
It's the grain that makes me like the sunburst when I don't normally like bursts.

In the late '60s/early '70s they did some Thinlines in mahogany, totally uncharacteristic for Fender, and they look great too.
 

Andertons very much into the ‘heavy relic’ thing. I’m sorry, but I don’t get it, they just look so obviously fake to me, more like a guitar that’s been left outside in the garage for years or even dug out of landfill than one that has natural play-wear etc. I do very much like the idea of a light relic, just to remove that paranoia about dinging a shiny new guitar, but these don’t look real to me at all.

Reeves Electro have just been swamped with fuzz pedal orders after the TPS rave review, the waiting list is now at least 70 days, probably more! Great to see a great idea take off, he’s got a very viable business there, though as Mick said the pricing is too low for the amount of labour you are buying (beautiful hand-wiring, acid case etching (link as to how he does it here), case drilling etc, he does the whole thing). Annoyingly PayPal froze his account for a while due to the ‘suspicious spike’ in payments which slowed him down buying components resulting in more delay. I hope he stays truly boutique, I’m sure people will wait for the real deal.

PS Currently very much enjoying a Boss CE-2W that miraculously appeared on my pedal ‘floor’ (I don’t have a board). Instant Cocteau Twins! \o/
 
It's not just Andertons. I’ve been seeing lots more heavy relics in many dealers over the last few years. Presumably they order them because that’s what sells. Can’t think why, because they look totally naff to me (unless you’re Rory Gallagher maybe).

I have a strong urge to pick up one of these, even though I’m not entirely sure what I’d use it for:

 
At the other end of the scale, Richard has some lovely Gordon Smiths. I take 'handmade' with a pinch of salt, but they'll be a lot of hand finishing involved I'm sure.

 
At the other end of the scale, Richard has some lovely Gordon Smiths. I take 'handmade' with a pinch of salt, but they'll be a lot of hand finishing involved I'm sure.

They always used to be hand made I’m sure. I’ve still got a ‘heavy’ GS1:

26347345298_4b14672655_b.jpg


(Ignore the Aria YS500, that’s very nice but long gone)

The GS is as utilitarian as a guitar can be, but quite brilliant in its own way.

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The way they didn’t even attempt to care when matching wood parts makes me giggle, e.g. that block on the headstock - it isn’t a repair, it is how it came (I’ve owned it from new). It is in its own way a fantastic guitar. Totally punk, I can really see why Pete Shelley, John Otway etc played them as they just scream. The neck is great, much better than the Les Paul, but similarly it doesn’t balance sitting down so again I can’t really play it as it means keeping my thumb wrapped round the neck to stop it ass-sitting and trying to smack me in the face. In hindsight I made a huge mistake specifying the heavier body option!

I think Gordon Smith have changed hands since this one was made (I’ve had it a decade or more). Certainly the new ones just don’t seem to have the rough ‘n’ ready ‘all about the sound and playability, forget the looks’ thing going on. They look very polished whereas a ‘finish’ used to be an add-on option with a Gordon Smith, most just being pretty bare brown wood like mine.

I really need to sell some guitars!

PS Just watched the video, sounds like they moved to Northampton or something. Mine’s a Manc!
 
I started watching that (Andertons) last night but lost interest half way through. While I completely agree with them that if the relic thing works for you then fabulous crack on, it just doesn’t do anything for me unlike genuine wear that adds to the history of the guitar.
 


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