Artificially aged guitars... what do you think?

[AndyR]

I've got one of the 60s Roadworn strats, in sunburst.

I have no real problem with "aged" guitars. But I never expected to own one, and I did have to get over some of the cosmetics on this one when I bought it.

The main issue was the "arm-wear" that everyone seems to think an old strat ought to have. I do not like it...

I've seen/played several early 60s strats, they have the odd ding, bump or gouge. But not a single one I've ever seen has a smoothly worn bit where your arm rests. I suspect that makers are imitating this from the Fender Custom Shops relics!!

The dings on my roadworn (apart from stuff on the back - but who's gonna see that?!) are all believable. They're all in places where I've damaged guitars in the past. I understand that they are all relicked to a "pattern", but I find it hard to believe that a machine made every single hole. I've seen close up photos of others, and yes, it looks like someone was working to instructions, but the marks are different shapes from one body to the next, and sometimes slightly different places.

What did impress me about the finish and relicking when I handled it close up was the way the finish is going. Mine's starting to crack and craze when you look really close - this means that if I gigged it, it would deteriorate like Rory Gallagher's or that bloke in the Chilli Peppers - the finish will fall off in strips (another reason I don't believe in the "arm-wear" thing...).

Added to that, under the sunburst, it's got that flecks and wrinkles thing going on between the grain and the finish. It looks "old" in those areas.

Anyway, NONE of this is why I bought it, or why it's my #1 go to guitar above all others. It is just a fantastic instrument to play.

When I tried it in the shop, it felt like a classy old guitar that no-one has loved for 15-20 years. It felt dull and unpolished in your hands, but it sounded and played fantastic.

I've had it for 3 or 4 months, and now it looks and feels shiny and warm and entirely mine (including all the holes which I didn't personally make). If I think about it, I still don't like the "arm-wear", but it's ok, the bare wood is starting to darken and show its grain, and it's also starting to polish up a bit (and you can't see it when I'm playing!).

Overall, for me: aged guitars in general, who cares? Each to his/her own tastes. I personally wouldn't pay premium prices for one. If I was prepared to pay a premium price for any guitar (and I'm not), then I'd personally want it in a "new" state. The Roadworn series I wouldn't call premium price. I judged it by the guitar itself, and I assessed the "finish" on the guitar in my hands as part of that judgement.

After I'd been playing it for 30 mins, my reservations over what it looked like really didn't matter - the guitar I'd been searching for for nearly two years had found me!

[Gritter]

Naturally aged is better but to each his own...

Here are two of my favorites;

Glen Hansard has been busking with this guitar for over 20 years and has worked it hard...he still loves the sound...he describes it as having great attack...seems he has attacked it:



And of course Joe Strummer who I think not only worked it hard (living up to his chosen last name) but also took a knife and/or blow torch to it...that's so Punk!



Fender have a Joe Strummer aged model:

According to Fender's write-up, this guitar is cool because "All his life, [Strummer] vigorously championed individuality, self-expression and change-tenets often reflected in the constantly altered look of his favorite instrument – his Telecaster" and this guitar was built "to celebrate Strummer's fierce sense of individuality." Buy the thing and you can champion individuality and self-expression just like Joe! Well. . .just like Joe and the 1,499 other folks who buy the limited edition with the stickers.

[chapperz66]

After I'd been playing it for 30 mins, my reservations over what it looked like really didn't matter - the guitar I'd been searching for for nearly two years had found me!

Couldn't agree more!  That's the only way to choose a guitar in my opinion.

Paul

[Saijinn Maas]

Okay... Looks like I need to officially retract what I said before... At least in regards to the Fender Strat Road Worn series.

Went to Guitar Center last night and thought I pull some guitars down and mess around with some stuff. My wife sat next to me watching in horror as I pulled one guitar after another over to the amps to play. Each one she looked at the price... I thought she was gonna have a hear attack. LOL

So, there I was looking at the guitars. And there, on the wall, I saw a tobacco sunburst road worn strat. I pulled it down and plugged it into this Bugera 6262 tube amp I was also "checking out".

I have to say... This frickin guitar FELT outstanding!  It felt like I'd been playing it for years. If I had the money, I probably would have bought it right then and there! 

So I officially retract my misgivings about relic'd guitars. That is if all relics are the same. I know what I am getting next!

[AndyR]

That's what happened to me Saijinn when I bought my Roadworn (except I had the money on hand!!)

[Torren61]

An artificially aged guitar is as silly as an artificially young woman...

[Blooby]

An artificially aged guitar is as silly as an artificially young woman...

=

?

[AndyR]

That's not your guitar is it Blooby?

I'm tempted by one of those as well, I already have the 60s version, it is a stunner

[chapperz66]

I'm tempted by one of those as well, I already have the 60s version, it is a stunner

The guitar is rather attractive as well.

Paul

[AndyR]

I'm tempted by one of those as well, I already have the 60s version, it is a stunner

The guitar is rather attractive as well.

Paul

Curses, I thought I'd closed the door on someone doing that .... Never crossed my mind that all you had to do was delete the first line of my quote