Over-relic'd

[GGJaguar]

Yikes!

 

[mushroom]

What the…..

 

[RBSinTo]

Another reason why rock groups were never seen jamming in swimming pools.
RBSinTo

 

[F30]

left on a saltwater beach porch

 

[richardp69]

Personally, I've just never got the whole relic'd thing, not ar all.

 

[DrumBob]

I do get the relic thing completely. A broken in and slightly worn guitar just feels good and looks like it's been well played and loved, and when it's done by a professional who knows what he's doing, they look great. When it's done by a chump with a belt sander, they look terrible.

That guitar looks like it was left outside in the elements.

 

[walrus]

I've tried some slightly relic'd guitars (not a "heavy relic", that's too much for me), and the sanded down neck was really nice to play.

Random FYI from Roger Sadowsky:



walrus

 

[chazmo]

Interesting comments by Mr. Sadowsky. Thanks for posting that, walrus!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Personally, I've just never got the whole relic'd thing, not ar all.

What I don't get is why people spell it relic'd. Or any of the other goofy ways I've seen it.

I wrote to Fretboard Journal yesterday to find out why they do it. It's a well-edited magazine, so I figured I'd get a good answer. Haven't heard back yet.

 

[chazmo]

Just vernacular, Charlie. No idea, myself. Maybe "reliced" isn't a legitimate tense of the verb? Google's spell correction appears not to like it too.

That apostrophe misusage is everywhere. It bugs me when I see it too, but I've come to accept it.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I do get the relic thing completely. A broken in and slightly worn guitar just feels good and looks like it's been well played and loved, and when it's done by a professional who knows what he's doing, they look great. When it's done by a chump with a belt sander, they look terrible.

That guitar looks like it was left outside in the elements.

Why pay more? I have absolutely no trouble breaking in guitars myself (or blue jeans or coffee tables or shoes). Charging extra for stuff to look worse is as big a scam as selling tap water in those tiny plastic bottles.

In fairness, though, I did a refinish once that didn't come out very well. I got tired of messing with it and finally called it good enough and put the guitar together. Sounds and plays fine, which is what I care about.

 

[chazmo]

Why pay more? I have absolutely no trouble breaking in guitars myself (or blue jeans or coffee tables or shoes). Charging extra for stuff to look worse is as big a scam as selling tap water in those tiny plastic bottles.

In fairness, though, I did a refinish once that didn't come out very well. I got tired of messing with it and finally called it good enough and put the guitar together. Sounds and plays fine, which is what I care about.

Hey, Charlie... In all fairness, aging is a very common practice with new classical string instruments. Some people just don't like the look and feel of a new instrument. I'm sure you and I wouldn't be the target market for these, but for many people this aging adds value to their experience.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Just vernacular, Charlie. No idea, myself. Maybe "reliced" isn't a legitimate tense of the verb? Google's spell correction appears not to like it too.

That apostrophe misusage is everywhere. It bugs me when I see it too, but I've come to accept it.

Yeah, that's what I mean. Folks seem to be settling in on the apostrophe.

That's not a crime. English has no spelling rules, just tendencies and traditions. But our custom with verbs that end with a hard C is to put a K before suffixes: picnicked, trafficked, politicked, frolicked, panicked.

So is there a problem with relicked? Maybe folks don't like picturing someone licking a guitar — much less doing it again. But most English words have more than one use. I can't believe that's something folks are worried enough about to resort to an apostrophe.

But I've been wrong before. (Unless I'm mistaken.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hey, Charlie... In all fairness, aging is a very common practice with new classical string instruments.

Yup. Same thing. Classical players are as goofy as normal people.

Some people just don't like the look and feel of a new instrument. I'm sure you and I wouldn't be the target market for these, but for many people this aging adds value to their experience.

I've played a few relicked guitars. They feel just like any other guitar. And the look? They look like used guitars. So I just use my guitars. Free relicking!

 

[chazmo]

I guess it's just that relic is only recognized as a noun, Charlie.

 

[GGJaguar]

I can change the title to something less controversial.

 

[Neal]

Yet, on a vintage instrument, pristine condition fetches a higher price.

 

[Guildedagain]

I write relic-ed, because reliced looks like you got lice again.

Relic-ing is fake wear, has no merit whatsoever and keeps natural aging from happening, also heaven helps the seller of a relic-ed guitar that has real wear.

It's been a joke from day one, albeit a very profitable one. The flip side is that I got a lot of weird looks from everyone including Richard Hoover during a Santa Cruz factory tour for daring to ask if he would consider a slightly aged tint on the tops because it is more attractive, which I believe they now offer.

It got to the point where I'd see nice guitars at the pawn shop that have been gone over with a torch...

And everyday you see someone posting on a forum about a tiny ding someone can't get over, even to the point of trying to blame the manufacturer and wanting to return it.

The guitar in the OP looks like it may have been a victim of butyrate off gassing in the case, can wreak havoc with a guitar's finish and metal parts.

 

[chazmo]

Yet, on a vintage instrument, pristine condition fetches a higher price.

Excellent point, Neal. We are so fickle!

 

[RBSinTo]

To me, relicing a guitar is the same as putting a spoiler on the back of a Kia Forte Sedan.
It's posing.
But everyone does what they do.
RBSinTo