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Is anybody getting bored of "reliced" instruments?


prowla
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[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1487021968' post='3236368']
Never seen the point. Age and wear = mojo. Relicing does not confer mojo..
[/quote] This.

I can see that Jaco would have a battered instrument as he'd been playing it for years and he "earned" the right to look credible with it. Most folk with a relic simply look like they don't look after their things.

I certainly don't get the look of the battered body and pristine neck

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[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1487022259' post='3236379']
I don't see the point. It's like buying a mediocre priced car then ran sand paper and wire brush through it and knock the bonnet and wheels here and there!
[/quote]
Google 'rat look vw' but have a sick bag ready......

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Pre-aged is just a pose, really. Buy a bass, gig it for a while and it will pick its own genuine character from the knocks and bumps it will inevitably get. Relicing is just fake, so people can pretend they've been using the thing for decades even if they bought it new on the way to the gig.

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Hmmm, just about to receive a Sandberg MarloweDK. I think Sandberg does probably the best and most natural relic, and they age the wood a little, who knows how much difference it makes, but i tell you what from what i have heard and read its not an excuse for a crap bass, its a quality bass that happens to look like its done the business

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Ive got an old, fairly faithful sunburst Precision copy (it's a 1978 Aria Primary...look it up). It was in a shocking state when I got it and I pretty much resurrected it from the scrapheap. It owes me next to nothing.

It was covered in dings, so I've made a point of contributing to those every time it leaves the house. I'll scrap it along something, knock it against something. So from that perspective, I like how it looks.

It doesn't look artificial; it's already nearly 40 years old and it looks its age. I just put a Delano pickup in and, dinging aside, it gets more TLC and attention than the rest of my guitars put together. It sounds monster. I'm sure if it could speak, it would be croaking, 'Thank you.'

[Edit] Sorry it was late and I forgot to add this. Relicing, for me, only looks decent on Fender-style basses, but yes, there's too much of it. Ultimately, makers are in business for one reason and if making battered around instruments makes them money, then so be it. It's a phase. Like pointy headstocks.

Edited by NancyJohnson
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[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1487021968' post='3236368']
Never seen the point. Age and wear = mojo. Relicing does not confer mojo..
[/quote]

Another +1 to this. Just don't get it at all. A complete mystery to me why anyone would consider an artificially worn instrument to be a good thing.

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It's just another finish option at the end of the day.
I personally really like the look of an old, worn sunburst and maple P-bass and I do have a sunburst and maple P but being a poly finish it's unlikely to ever age that way naturally so a relic job may be the only way to get that look.
However, I couldn't bring myself to intentionally damage it that way so I'll just have to keep taking proper care of it I guess :).

Generally though I think it's interesting that it bothers some people at all (obviously if it was done to mislead a potential buyer in some way then I get that completely) but nobody seems to question refinishing an old instrument to restore it to an as-new appearance.

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[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1487026170' post='3236446']
Hmmm, just about to receive a Sandberg MarloweDK. I think Sandberg does probably the best and most natural relic, and they age the wood a little, who knows how much difference it makes, but i tell you what from what i have heard and read its not an excuse for a crap bass, its a quality bass that happens to look like its done the business
[/quote]

"Age the wood a little". Are you sure? The wood was 100+ years old when they cut the tree down. So, how many years do they manage to add?

It's ok. I appreciate you mean they stain it a bit to give it a different look.

I saw an ad once for a "Fender Road worn in mint condition". seemed to me he'd missed the point.

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The fortunate thing about the free market is if you don't like something you don't have to buy it. I'm not really sure what the point of this thread is, how can you be bored of something completely unrelated to you? Unless you mean you have one & don't like it any more?

I've never owned a pre-reliced instrument but I wouldn't rule one out. I've played on a few recently & the necks have been incredible - the comfiest I've ever played. The other benefit is it stops you being precious about little knocks & dings - those of us in heavier bands know how easy it is for other people to scratch your gear when playing!

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