Relics - what's YOUR take on this "feature"?

[Whitefang]

1 hour ago, RBSinTo said:

I don't understand why anyone would pay for a new instrument that was finished to look old, and beaten up.  Obviously some people would, and do, but I'm not among them. 

My guitars (all purchased used) have their little dings and cosmetic use imperfections, but I am careful not to add to their inventories.

To each his own.

RBSinTo

Agreed.  As long as they don't buy them with my money, I'm OK.  

There's a line in a movie from the '80's called "Crossroads" in which Ralph Macchio plays a Julliard classical guitar student obsessed with the Blues.  Reading in the paper about an old bluesman(Joe Seneca) being hospitalized, he gets a job at that hospital and seeks him out.  His goal is to learn all he can about a legendary "lost song" of Robert Johnson's He even comes into the hospital with an old Gibson and runs some  blues type licks past the old man.  At one point, when telling Ralph it takes more than playing a bunch of old time overused blues licks to understand the blues and be a real bluesman, he says, "You probably bought that guitar because you thought it looked beat up!"  Of course driving home the point it isn't knowing the licks or playing a beat up old guitar that makes you any more a bluesman than it does a brain surgeon.  That if you can't FEEL the blues, all the fancy playing or ragged guitars ain't gonna matter.

Good movie, especially the "cutting heads" segment near the end between Maccchio's character and another guitarist played by Steve Vai.

Whitefang

[Narwhal6]

1 hour ago, Whitefang said:

Agreed.  As long as they don't buy them with my money, I'm OK.  

There's a line in a movie from the '80's called "Crossroads" in which Ralph Macchio plays a Julliard classical guitar student obsessed with the Blues.  Reading in the paper about an old bluesman(Joe Seneca) being hospitalized, he gets a job at that hospital and seeks him out.  His goal is to learn all he can about a legendary "lost song" of Robert Johnson's He even comes into the hospital with an old Gibson and runs some  blues type licks past the old man.  At one point, when telling Ralph it takes more than playing a bunch of old time overused blues licks to understand the blues and be a real bluesman, he says, "You probably bought that guitar because you thought it looked beat up!"  Of course driving home the point it isn't knowing the licks or playing a beat up old guitar that makes you any more a bluesman than it does a brain surgeon.  That if you can't FEEL the blues, all the fancy playing or ragged guitars ain't gonna matter.

Good movie, especially the "cutting heads" segment near the end between Maccchio's character and another guitarist played by Steve Vai.

Whitefang

I love that movie 

It's interesting to me that Macchio was able to beat Vai (and the devil) with  Paganini's 5th Caprice. He was a Julliard learned student, being taught in classical music, written by man.

The blues have long been associated with the devil, and the original deal struck at the crossroads by Robert Johnson. Of course anyone attempting to defeat "scratch" in a guitar duel playing the blues is gonna lose.

Macchio's character sensing defeat fell back on what he truly knew, his classically trained Julliard schooling. Very poignant.

[badbluesplayer]

I reliced my Telecaster -

[merciful-evans]

21 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

I reliced my Telecaster -

Good job. Looks comfy!

[Whitefang]

21 hours ago, Narwhal6 said:

I love that movie 

It's interesting to me that Macchio was able to beat Vai (and the devil) with  Paganini's 5th Caprice. He was a Julliard learned student, being taught in classical music, written by man.

The blues have long been associated with the devil, and the original deal struck at the crossroads by Robert Johnson. Of course anyone attempting to defeat "scratch" in a guitar duel playing the blues is gonna lose.

Macchio's character sensing defeat fell back on what he truly knew, his classically trained Julliard schooling. Very poignant.

But as you must(rather should) have noticed was that all being played wasn't strictly blues.  That and it wasn't Scratch playing the guitar.  And cutting heads is more about overall skill, not just particular genre.     And yeah,  I liked the poignance of Butler(Vai) being defeated by music created by man.

Whitefang

[Dub-T-123]

On 4/8/2023 at 10:58 AM, badbluesplayer said:

I reliced my Telecaster -

That’s too bad 😬

[merciful-evans]

I'm relicing all my guitars for the next generation. I'm doing it by playing them a lot. I wont die soon, coz its gonna take me many more years yet...

[Whitefang]

WHAT!!  relicing them naturally?

🙄 Oh, that is SO '60's, '70's and '80's. 

Whitefang

[Notes_Norton]

All my instruments are tools. I use them to make my living.

Currently, we are playing 3 days a week, outdoors, a few hundred feet from the ocean, and the salt air is relicing everything. I'd rather they stayed nice looking, but I'm happier that they are providing me with my income.

I don't understand why you would buy a pre-beat-up instrument. But then, I don't understand why females cover their beautiful skin with tattoos, or why anyone would eat at a fast food joint, or why anyone still smokes cigarettes, or why anyone would buy new jeans with holes in them, or why anyone would grow a lawn around their house, or why anyone would come to Florida and then live their lives in Air Conditioning, or why anyone would be a vegan by choice, and so on.

But as long as their likes don't directly hurt me, I'm OK with it.

 

Notes ♫

[merciful-evans]

4 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

All my instruments are tools.

I suppose only collectors would think otherwise. Most of my guitars earned their keep up until Covid, but now none of them do. 

BTW what's up with lawns? The smell of new mown grass. The glistening of hanging droplets after the rain. Playing croquet. Picnics etc. Traditional no?

[badbluesplayer]

On 4/9/2023 at 3:37 PM, Dub-T-123 said:

That’s too bad 😬

😁.  I've already drilled out the body some to accomodate a different bridge, so it's already been kind of messed up.

[duane v]

13 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

😁.  I've already drilled out the body some to accommodate a different bridge, so it's already been kind of messed up.

No worries.... Its got personality...... At first I thought it was a reflection then I saw the bare wood. 

[duane v]

22 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

All my instruments are tools. I use them to make my living.

Currently, we are playing 3 days a week, outdoors, a few hundred feet from the ocean, and the salt air is relicing everything. I'd rather they stayed nice looking, but I'm happier that they are providing me with my income.

I don't understand why you would buy a pre-beat-up instrument. But then, I don't understand why females cover their beautiful skin with tattoos, or why anyone would eat at a fast food joint, or why anyone still smokes cigarettes, or why anyone would buy new jeans with holes in them, or why anyone would grow a lawn around their house, or why anyone would come to Florida and then live their lives in Air Conditioning, or why anyone would be a vegan by choice, and so on.

But as long as their likes don't directly hurt me, I'm OK with it.

 

Notes ♫

Man Notes.... That's a lot of wondering... lol 

I don't look my guitars as a tool but more of an extension of musical creativity. To me a guitar is kind of a living thing as the wood is always changing, (sometimes not always for the good). And I can understand why some of the good folks in Florida live in their AC's.... The weather can get pretty damn nasty. 

[Murph]

22 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

 or why anyone would grow a lawn around their house, 

The lawn grows all by itself.

I have to trim mine to keep it from turning into a forest.

Actually, I have a forest down at my cabin. Complete with deer and fox.

Don't get your lawn hate, though...

[Whitefang]

22 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

 

I don't understand why you would buy a pre-beat-up instrument. But then, I don't understand why females cover their beautiful skin with tattoos, or why anyone would eat at a fast food joint, or why anyone still smokes cigarettes, or why anyone would buy new jeans with holes in them, or why anyone would grow a lawn around their house, or why anyone would come to Florida and then live their lives in Air Conditioning, or why anyone would be a vegan by choice, and so on.

But as long as their likes don't directly hurt me, I'm OK with it.

 

Notes ♫

I'll give this a try....

1.  Maybe you can also sell those "pre beat up guitar" guys that car you have for sale.  You know.... the one with all those DENTS in it?  

2.  Yeah, I never got the tattoo thing either.  For women or men.

3.  Eating at fast food joints isn't all that bad.  As long as only every now and then.  All the time doesn't really sound appealing.

I used to smoke cigarettes.  And I did enjoy smoking for whatever reason.  But at their prices these days, comparatively it cost me less money to smoke dope back in the day. And yeah, I know... smoking cigarettes IS smoking dope.  

4.  You'd be quite a hit on stage, playing your pre beat up guitar while wearing your new jeans with holes in them.  😜

5.  Where I live(along with the places where the majority of the country's population lives) it's hard to buy a house without a lawn.  But mostly, lawns don't grow around the house.   And without lawns most of those houses would have mud pits for front and back yards.  except when it's dry, then when a wind would kick up you could get the "living in the dust bowl"  experience.

6.  Living in Florida without air conditioning is great for anyone who doesn't mind sweltering in choking high humidity and always looking like they're covered with a thin coat of canola oil.

7.  I think being vegan by choice requires some level of brain damage. 

Whitefang

[Pinch]

1 hour ago, Whitefang said:

7.  I think being vegan by choice requires some level of brain damage. 

Whitefang

Vegetarianism is a gateway drug

[Murph]

21 hours ago, Whitefang said:

7.  I think being vegan by choice requires some level of brain damage. 

 

Yea, I would miss my Traeger.

A lot.

[Notes_Norton]

Lawns are poisonous. The "Weed and Feed" chemicals contains carcinogens that leech into the water supply and stick to your skin. The amount of groundwater used to keep them green could have filled Lake Mead.

According to the EPA, the fertilizer industry emits 100 times more methane than all the cow farts and burps on the planet. Lawns are ecological disasters. The lawns look good, but keeping them green is an ecological disaster. There are no turf lawns that grow naturally in the USA.

Living in AC uses a lot of energy, which emits greenhouse gases, which makes the earth warmer—which makes the AC work even harder—which uses more energy—which emits more greenhouse gases—which makes the earth warmer—which makes the AC work even harder,—which uses more energy—which emits more greenhouse gases—which makes the earth warmer—which makes the AC work even harder yet—which uses more energy—which emits more greenhouse gases—which makes the earth even warmer—which makes the AC work even harder—which uses more energy, which emits more greenhouse gases—ad infinitum. (or until the planet becomes uninhabitable).

Living in the AC, people's bodies do not get acclimated to the heat, so when they go outside, it feels much hotter than it is, and they sweat profusely.

I grew up in Florida, before homes had AC. People had white roofs, which reflect the heat out of the atmosphere, and planted shade trees around the house. Mother Nature kept the houses cool.

Over 99% of the humans that have ever lived on Earth have done so without AC. Now people paint their roofs dark, (which makes their AC work harder), mow down all the trees, and live in their sealed coffins.

Like I did all my life, I have a white roof, and shade trees around the perimeter of my house, but not over the roof. The sun hits the white roof, it's reflected up, the cooler air from under the trees move in to replace it, and no matter how hot it is outside, it rarely gets over 79 in my house.

I planted ferns under the trees, which feed the trees, and hold the soil down.

I have a half acre, and I replaced the lawn with native vegetation that naturally grows in my particular area. Ii needs no fertilizer, no herbicides, no pesticides, and no watering. It gets along just fine with Mother Nature provides. I can treat it with benign neglect.

I have birds nests and squirrel dreys in the trees, and because I am near a nature preserve, I get wildlife in my yard from time to time.

Instead of fighting Mother Nature, I'm using her to make me comfortable, save me money, and save the earth.

Won't you join me?

---------

And yes, my instruments are slowly getting beat up.

If shops still relacquered saxophones, I'd get a relacquer job every few years. Sadly, they don't do that anymore. The auto body shops can relacquer outdoors, but the EPA says a shop that works on brass instruments requires a million dollar recycling room for the lacquer. The car folks have a better lobby.

My guitar is getting worn in the picking area. I'd rather it didn't but I can't help it. So I guess my instruments are getting relic'd all by themselves.

My guess (and it is a guess) is that many of the people who buy relic'd instruments, want to enhance their street cred. They think they can impress others by having a guitar that looks like they have been playing for years. IMO the best way to impress others, if you need to do that, is to practice and learn how to play better.

There -- I'm back on topic.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[jdgm]

Great post!

This year I am not mowing my lawn until at least July (I hope) to give the insects a chance. 

 

[mrichard27]

As a kid, when I got new sneakers, the first thing I did was take them outside, roll them around in the dirt and make them look used.   There was NOTHING more in the world that I hated than big white new sneakers...   When I got jeans, I washed them 100 times to make them soft and faded, because I HATED the feel and look of new jeans...   When I bought a murphy les paul, and I smacked into the corner of my desk as I turned around in my chair, and put a nice dent in the already dented and cracked finish.   All I did was add a little more character.  What I did NOT just do is put a big dent in the flawless glossy finish of my brand new 7,000 les paul..  

[merciful-evans]

8 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

According to the EPA, the fertilizer industry emits 100 times more methane than all the cow farts and burps on the planet. Lawns are ecological disasters. The lawns look good, but keeping them green is an ecological disaster. There are no turf lawns that grow naturally in the USA.

Mmmm, lucky I'm in the uk then.

Never used any fertilizer on my lawn. Not the 55 years I know about anyway. I just assumed the grass was natural. Its green, it looks like grass and it grows. There are weeds amongst it, but nothing to worry about. Or maybe its all weeds with an uncanny resemblance to grass? Still nothing to worry about. 

[merciful-evans]

4 hours ago, mrichard27 said:

As a kid, when I got new sneakers, the first thing I did was take them outside, roll them around in the dirt and make them look used.   There was NOTHING more in the world that I hated than big white new sneakers...   When I got jeans, I washed them 100 times to make them soft and faded, because I HATED the feel and look of new jeans...   When I bought a murphy les paul, and I smacked into the corner of my desk as I turned around in my chair, and put a nice dent in the already dented and cracked finish.   All I did was add a little more character.  What I did NOT just do is put a big dent in the flawless glossy finish of my brand new 7,000 les paul..  

You have a Murphy Lab and a new flawless LP? 

Cool! Covers all the bases

[SteveFord]

When I buy a new motorcycle the first thing I had is run it up to 45 MPH and throw it down the road.

That also helps to break in my helmet, leathers, boots and body.

I try to keep the guitars looking as good as the day they left the factory, though.

[Murph]

5 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

Mmmm, lucky I'm in the uk then.

Never used any fertilizer on my lawn. Not the 55 years I know about anyway. I just assumed the grass was natural. Its green, it looks like grass and it grows. There are weeds amongst it, but nothing to worry about. Or maybe its all weeds with an uncanny resemblance to grass? 

He's nuts.

Grass grows in the U.S.A. without planting, feeding and fertilizer too.  I've never watered or fertilized in my life. I just mow.

I have several acres of grass by a pond in the middle of my 30 acres that was wild land I simply bush-hogged 25 years ago and I started mowing it to keep the small trees and briars down.

Never planted anything, just mowed it every week or two. It's been grass for over 20 years and has never been fertilized or watered. It just grows by itself. The pond has catfish.

The grass isn't killing the fish.

The grass is NOT poisonous.

 

[duane v]

How topics so often go off topic around here