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.