Do You Pass Your Relic Off As True Vintage?

[JMFan]

Curious if any of you who make relic guitars try to pass them off as real vintage? I don't mean anything criminal, like make them and sell them as vintage, no one would admit to that but I mean do you do that for fun? Do you make yours so realistic that you tell your friends that you just bought say a 1964 Jazzmaster?

I'm gonna do some distressing to my JM but not to fool anyone. The paint is aging already and only 9 year old guitar. Was not on purpose but I learned that nitro is fairly delicate and it shows. I might just replace the plastic dots with clay for accuracy reasons and to match the aging paint I'd like to distress the plastic parts. I am not going to however distress the metal hardware. Not trying to fool anyone but just trying to have the guitar match itself as in what I said about the plastic matching the aging paint and the dots and such.

But do you for kicks pass your relic off as a real vintage guitar?

[jeesumcrow]

no! never! that is a crime!

however, I had a 5 or 6 year old AVRI Jazzmaster, and she had chips and bruises, and it was yellowed, and all that good stuff. And it seems that people who don't see a lot of offsets always ask me "is that a really old guitar?", maybe its just based on shape and colour, or maybe the rarity of offsets in general, but I am always put in this weird situation of explaining to someone (who often has no idea about guitars) that "well yes, it is oldish thats why its beat up, and it is supposed to 'look' old because it is a reissue, but no, it is just like it would have been in '62"... "What! it's a '62? thats pretty old"... "no its not from.. you see... its... aww fuck it. Ya man, 62!"

...so I guess when I am setting my pedals up, and a drunk guys like "hey! how old is that!" and I run thru the "reissue" part, and people don't understand what I said, I will say anything to get rid of them. Hell the first time someone asks "is that new?" I'll tell them its futuristic.

[Johnny Z]

That would be a lie. Why would anyone buy a beater guitar for the same price as a Mint Condition guitar? I've always suspected Fender takes their blems and makes them into Relic's. Trying to say something without saying it but giving the impression, is still a lie.

[Murph]

no way

[hansonparry]

Every chance i get.
I immediately blurt out that my guitar is vintage as soon as anyone says "hello" and pretend to be all defensive of it by swinging my arms about, creating an imaginary protective area around it.
I also pass myself off as Elvis Costello.
If someone doesn't believe me I point to the signature on the back of my headstock.
PROOF!

[JMFan]

Every chance i get.
I immediately blurt out that my guitar is vintage as soon as anyone says "hello" and pretend to be all defensive of it by swinging my arms about, creating an imaginary protective area around it.
I also pass myself off as Elvis Costello.
If someone doesn't believe me I point to the signature on the back of my headstock.
PROOF!

Oh you have the Elvis Costello signature JM. I've tried those out before. In photos the finish is not that great looking but in person for some reason it's a great looking finish.

[tonewoods]

But do you for kicks pass your relic off as a real vintage guitar?

I usually just say "I dunno what it is", and then see if they can find the "tells"...
Usually not...

[fullerplast]

No.... guitar people will know and non-guitar people won't care.

[JMFan]

No.... guitar people will know and non-guitar people won't care.

That's a great point you make. non-guitar people have no interest or know what the heck a vintage guitar means and guitar people who are in the know, know if it is real or not. But someone in the OSG Forums said that this Dano guy here makes perfect copies of vintage guitars. Does he make them to the point one can't tell, even one who knows a lot about guitars?

[sookwinder]

I am both over 50 and have relic'd myself to look over 50 ... so people know I'm old without having to ask

[boss302bass]

Relicing yourself is the best answer yet...nice job Sook...
I have built so many mutilated one-offs, most people ask "what's that?" when they see my Jazzmaster baritone, my JM VI Bass etc. I just tell them I found it in a garage sale....but when they see my LPB 68 Tele relic I always tell em it's real and then they want to know how much it's worth...when I say 10 grand the girls want to sleep with me and the guys just think I'm some kind of super cool axe guru....
IF ONLY...
The only thing with relics is that they have come about because collectors in business suits who wish they could rock have bought all the original relics and pushed the prices out of us real musicians' reach...
There are far more important issues on the planet, so if you can make a relic look convincing - good on you - you should consider making funny money - coz relicking geetars aint ever gonna make you rich!

[mrrazorblade227]

I might just to dick with someone, but I'd tell them the truth after gauging their reaction lol

[Johnny Z]

I am both over 50 and have relic'd myself to look over 50 ... so people know I'm old without having to ask

LOL

My Relic is kind of worn out after 60 years, most of those chassing girls, things don't work as well any more and I'm a tad slower. But I can still pass myself off as a 40 something. Maybe I'm a reverse Relic with some worn out parts.

[natthu]

...I also pass myself off as Elvis Costello.
If someone doesn't believe me I point to the signature on the back of my headstock.
PROOF!

I am also Elvis Costello (and so is my guitar )

[andrewdoeshair]

I'm too proud of my work to give away the credit (to "time" in this case). Same reason I won't put the F logo on my guitars. I'm glad to tell people what it actually is.