These dicks never stop the insanity.....

[veemagic]

....jeebus these relic threads get old fast!!

A brilliantly ironic statement! I wonder how many relics have been played by the people that bash them? As has been stated over and over again. The amount of time, patience, skill, labor, and love that goes in to these instruments drive the cost way up. Now I am not defending some of the prices, but I am having a hard time understanding why to enjoy such a guitar you must be "stupid". WTF? Who the hell are you to call anyone stupid for buying something because it's expense and relic'd. Since when do we shit on people for purchasing things you don't agree with? I don't know, something about the way this thread took a turn bugged me.

[CowboyFromHell]

Using SRV as an example, if you wanted as close as you could get to his Strat, why not buy the Fender replica? You're most likely not going to be able to afford the original even if it were for sale. I say if it's what you like and want, and it plays well to you, then go for it. Afterall, I don't think anyone here bought themselves a quitar just to please anyone else in this forum.

[Matt_B]

The best guitar that one can hope to own is one that inspires you and allows you to make music that makes you happy. If that guitar is a $100 pawn shop rescue or a $11K relic'd Gibson, more power to you because in the end that all that matters.

To all the people that take issue with guitars like the Gibson in question you have my sympathy. I implore you to seek professional psychiatric care because the venomous and hatefulness in your posts is symptomatic of deeper underlying issues that you should seek resolution to if you wish to live happy and fulfilling lives. You owe it to yourself, your friends and your family.

[bucketbrian45]

To all the people that take issue with guitars like the Gibson in question you have my my sympathy. I implore you to seek professional psychiatric care because the venomous and hatefullnes in your posts is symptomatic of deeper under lying issues that you should seek resolution to if you wish to live happy and fulfilling lives. You owe it to yourself, your friends and your family.

[PowerTube]

To all the people that take issue with guitars like the Gibson in question you have my sympathy. I implore you to seek professional psychiatric care because the venomous and hatefulness in your posts is symptomatic of deeper underlying issues that you should seek resolution to if you wish to live happy and fulfilling lives. You owe it to yourself, your friends and your family.

Regardless of how my post read, I have no problem with it. Gibson or Fender or whoever makes it, the customer buys it, everyone's happy.

But what I don't like is the way they imply that owning a guitar that looks like a certain player's will make the buyer sound and play like him. Granted, that's none of my business and it's the way marketing works, but I just wish that people would understand that putting some rock star's name on an instrument doesn't cause everyone who plays it to sound or play like that rock star. The beef I have is that these companies promote such a concept. "Now you too can own a piece of history! This Strat/Les Paul/ES-335/Telecaster, made last week in Mexico or Indonesia, is exactly the same as a well-played 1950's model and has the exact same vibe!" -or- "The only difference between you and Steve Vai/Randy Rhoads/Eddie Van Halen is the guitar! Buy this guitar and everyone will mistake you for him in low light conditions!"

I just don't get it. Whatever happened to the desire to be unique and original?

[walshula]

I just don't get it. Whatever happened to the desire to be unique and original?

Best thing said in this entire thread

I think it would be sweet to see what guitars we would consider to be our signature/relic'd guitar that us as members own, that is if any of us got famous enough to have one (might be an very interesting thread)

This would be mine......and it is a mutt also like SRV because I couldn't afford to to have one built the way i wanted, so... I made parted to be what I wanted. She has her fair share of dings, dents, chips and mojo so to say but I absolutely love it to death Definitely my #1

[CowboyFromHell]

Whatever happened to the desire to be unique and original?

What's more important than getting the next generation into playing guitar? If that happens because of some "replica" then so be it. As far as your theory goes, no, it won't make someone play like their hero but often that "replica" will help you sound like the person you're after (providing you can play). I won't even get into how many people here have done Adrian Smith inspired guitars so what's wrong with letting the factory do the work and build it whether it's reliced or brand new looking?

[Matt_B]

I just wish that people would understand that putting some rock star's name on an instrument doesn't cause everyone who plays it to sound or play like that rock star.

Some people do understand and some people don't want to or never will. If they're in the later group what's the harm? Either they're naive or in denial but either way, it doesn't hurt anyone but themselves and maybe not even.

I just don't get it. Whatever happened to the desire to be unique and original?

I believe you're basing that statement on the premise that everyone WANTS to be unique and original. Some people do, some people don't and nothing any of say or do will ever change that. Being unique and original takes time that some people don't have or don't want to put in. Sometimes pretending to be someone else is enough. Music is very powerful and affects some people more deeply than others. Even if no one else thinks that they sound like the rock star they're pretending to be, who cares?

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

So....if a guy/girl loves Duane Allman & was inspired to play guitar & wants a guitar exactly like Duanes works hard & spends his/her hard-earned money on the guitar they've always wanted they're "stupid" "foolish" "a fraud" "dishonest" "a goof" "silly" "a corksniffing tightass" "deluded" for buying a "damaged" "dragged behind a car" "dropped" guitar....because some folks don't "get" or "understand" relics??

Understand relics or not: they're no different than a graphic guitar & the buyers are no different than those folks buying a DeMartini or EVH....both relics & graphics require more hours to create....therefore will usually cost more....you don't have to buy them & don't have to understand those that do!!

Don't have to bash them either....sorry folks but rather than tear down anybody that spends their hard-earned $$ on the guitar they want I'd rather say good for them!!

[PowerTube]

So....if a guy/girl loves Duane Allman & was inspired to play guitar & wants a guitar exactly like Duanes works hard & spends his/her hard-earned money on the guitar they've always wanted they're "stupid" "foolish" "a fraud" "dishonest" "a goof" "silly" "a corksniffing tightass" "deluded" for buying a "damaged" "dragged behind a car" "dropped" guitar....because some folks don't "get" or "understand" relics??

Not at all. That's their right and I don't question it. My issue is still the fact that these companies market them based on false hope. Someone above mentioned people buying the Adrian Smith model. Does that mean that they have no creativity on their own and just want to copy Adrian Smith? Of course not. But if they like the features of that guitar, then more power to them. Even if they DO want to copy Adrian Smith, that's their business and I don't disrespect them for it.

But when a guitar company openly promotes this BS that the replica of a rock star's guitar will have that "magic mojo" or whatever, or that a 1950's replica guitar will give them that "vintage vibe" or whatnot, that's where I get irritated.

On a similar note, a lot of people don't understand that a "vintage" sound also involves decades-old recording technology and has zero to do with how an instrument looks.

[pickford1625]

i was lucky to buy a bunch of my favorite guitar players favorite guitars {jacksons, les pauls and schecters} and i can assure you when i play them they don't sound as good as when he played them. im still happy to own them and have a ball playing them. that being said i do like the look of the new relic'd stuff, if someone can afford it and wants them, god bless em.

[Matt_B]

My issue is still the fact that these companies market them based on false hope.

Heh, a lot of marketing is based up "false hope". Guitar manufacturers are not unique in this approach.

[ginsambo]

I think the general point is that if, for whatever reason, $10,000 is like $500 to you as an individual, then threads like this wouldn't really interest you anyway, so who really cares.

Of course, unless you are the parasitic type who award themselves year on bonuses whilst making bad decisions and making the guys who bring you in that money take a year on paycut or you don't know what you are doing and got your position through influence or birth rite rather than hard work and professionalism. In which case you are a knob and deserve to loose $10 grand on a guitar you can't play.

[PowerTube]

i was lucky to buy a bunch of my favorite guitar players favorite guitars {jacksons, les pauls and schecters} and i can assure you when i play them they don't sound as good as when he played them. im still happy to own them and have a ball playing them. that being said i do like the look of the new relic'd stuff, if someone can afford it and wants them, god bless em.

There's nothing wrong with that at all, and I'm happy for you. I guess my main gripe is that they deceive a lot of kids who don't know any better.

[veemagic]

There's nothing wrong with that at all, and I'm happy for you. I guess my main gripe is that they deceive a lot of kids who don't know any better.

I honestly don't think the kids that you are worried about are their targeted demographic for these 10k-15k dollar guitars. And the people that can afford them, certainly know better. And why is everyone hung up on the relic'd finish? There is more that goes into these things than some well placed bumps and bruises. Specific and sometimes exotic materials, hardware, and even different construction methods are used as well.