Hi, guys, this was a video I shot awhile back and had to take it down do to an audio issue. I forgot to reupload it then but found it and figured I would post it now :)

It's your guitar I don't care what it looks like. If you like it and play it, that's all that matters.

In my humblest of opinions, I prefer my instruments to not be factory relic'ed. I like my instruments to look as good as possible, and if there is wear and tear, I want to be the cause of it. My #1 guitar (PRS Custom 24) has a ton of resonance, as do my #1 bass (Warwick Corvette $$) and #2 bass (Music Man Stingray Special 5). I don't hate relics, just not my personal preference. To each his own, I say with instruments.

I wonder if Gibson should pre-break the necks on their guitars. Hey, it would be even more authentic.

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about, when you feel that guitar resonating on your body. It almost always coincides with a louder acoustic sound with electrics as well. My '14 Sandblasted Tele has very deep wood grain and a thin finish and my wife is constantly asking to me to 'play quieter' at night....I"m playing through an Apollo and headphones haha, this thing is just loud unplugged. With all this craziness in the world I consider myself very lucky to have exited the military and relocated just in time. Just settled down in Hawaii, have two guitars, a Mac, an Apollo Twin X, and Adam A5Xs (it'll be a month before the rest of my stuff gets here, including all my P90 loaded guitars). I've been at sea so much over the years I've lost a step or two, so I've just bought your 8 course bundle and I'm going through it now. Thanks for being such a cool dude Robert, this world needs more people like you. Rock on! Nick

With that thumb nail I thought we were talking about hss strats

I totally dig them, I think they look sick. I just like to buy NOS because it's cheaper and I get to beat them up myself.

It’s not really a make or break thing for me. But it’s kind of silly, ESPECIALLY for the price one usually has to pay for one. I grew up in Seattle during the pre-grunge to grunge era. We wore boots because it rained a lot and Goodwill-bought, logger-owned flannels because it was cold and we were poor. Sure it became a little fashionable up there too. But it mostly was that because it was cheap and warm. Enter the media, and flannels became fashionable everywhere for a premium price as the music scene exploded worldwide. Needless to say, it was kind of silly to watch. People in Florida, for example, wearing Doc Martins and a layered flannel couldn’t be more artificial as compared to where the look originated from. I get it, sure. But there’s no denying it wasn’t authentic. Now let’s talk relic guitars. If I try and sell a used 1995 Fender American Standard Stratocaster that’s been on the road with me and has seen better days with chips, dings, belt rash, etc: It’s considered “beat and worn,” and therefore is depreciated in value. However, a brand new relic guitar from Fender purposefully appearing to have lived a life of purpose is more expensive than its new, mint counterpart. Does no one find that weird, and maybe a little inauthentic? Playing one in front of an audience is kind of telling a lie. To summarize, manufactured relic guitars is like seeing a Florida grunge fan wearing flannel, jeans, and boots in July.

I don't feel that passionately one way or the other. Reliced guitars do sort of just feel "broken in", and also you don't have to worry about that first big ding or scratch. Which is kinda nice. But on the other hand, it is kind of a "counterfeit" thing. Like none of the wear-thru, dents or dings came from a lifetime of traveling, gigging, and practicing. So I get that argument too.

Firstly a mans axe is his damn axe. It’s up to him to style it any way he wants. Those who dislike relicing don’t need to do it. Personally I like a thinly nitro sprayed guitar that just shows wear naturally I think it makes a guitar unique and meaningful. I want my grandkids to own my Gibson someday and know that his grandfather made those marks. I wish my grandfather had done this. I also have a great strat with poly and I don’t prefer it but I won’t be hitting it with a hammer to relic it. I may remove someday and hit it with nitro but it’s most likely not worth the effort. I love that tele I think it’s amazing. Peace

I really like the relic look! I'm playing everyday hoping to get my tele to have that played in feel!

There's the pain and agony of the first ding on a flawless guitar finish... Getting it new-relic'd (or used-loved) is a psychological relief (imo).

Here is my thing. It breaks my heart to ding my "new" guitars. The cure. Buy a relic. Bonus, holds its value when dinged. Double Bonus usually feels much better both in terms of resonance and neck feel. Personal bonus I usually like how they look. The other cure is buy used. Holds their value even better. Am I a poser if I buy a used guitar with someone else wear? Who cares!!! Plus when I'm on stage it's not the guitar that makes or breaks me it's the number of hours I've practiced.

I have a Tele that came with an exotic wood veneer top, which I didn't particularly like. It had a poly finish as well. Since I thought the back and sides of the ash body looked better than the top, I took it apart and took my belt sander to the top and sanded through the poly as well as the veneer to uncover the ash. When I had it sanded smooth I used a nitro sanding sealer and sanded that and then applied lemon oil about 3 coats. I left the back and sides in the thick poly finish. Surprisingly the difference in the sustain with the top opened up is amazing. It always had a bright sparkle to the tone, but I love how it holds a chord 'forever'.

I wonder if they have blems and then just say" hey make a relic out of that one and we'll charge an extra grand".

I’m totally cool with “worn” guitars. I’m suspicious of “relic” guitars. My main guitar is a Washburn acoustic. It looks really nice. It has a couple cracks and dings from shows I’ve played. The neck is worn shiny from my hands. (It was satin when new.) I love that guitar. I can play anything on it. It’s almost an extension of me. You smell what I’m stepping in? Now, that being said, I’ve bought a few horses for color. You gotta like how stuff looks. Otherwise who’d be married? Right? But isn’t it sweet when you just know something? You know that guitar. It’s worn to your hand. That shiny spot on the rosewood where you rest your hand. Why rob yourself the experience?

Everyone pays for an aesthetic, who cares which one? "Why did you pay extra for a sunburst guitar? You didn't paint it. You didn't earn it." Just play whatever you want, and dont care what other people think.

I have a 30 year old American strat.. the day it arrived I modified it with pick-ups locking tuneing machines. The frets and fretboard are heavily worn from years of learning to play. I love the sound and feel better than my 50th anniversary strat

Had a teacher once who could take a $5 guitar and make it sound like a million bucks. Me , I could take a million dollar guitar and make it sound like $ 5

I’ve had every kind of strat you can think of all the way to master built and once I got my hands on a Friedman vintage s I knew this was the only one I needed. It feels broken in. It looks broken in. It’s a work horse and I’ve gigged the crap out of it and I prefer it over my custom shop Les Paul’s. It’s light and has balls. Love it.

I stumbled upon a Nash bass in the Mesa Boogie store in Hollywood in 2005 while I was there just to buy a pedal. I had never heard of Nash up until that day in the store. I was blown away by the neck feel and body resonance. Simply amazing. 19 years later, Nash guitars and basses are still all I care to play.

I think the relic/nitrocellulose finishes are applied thinner by and large than the urethane finishes. My experience ymmv

Yes sir the less finish on the guitar equals a more resonant guitar. My neck through kiesel dc600 with tung oiled neck and Raw-Tone body finish witch is a super thin satin clear is my only guitar that rings and vibrates like a tuning fork! Next is my USA classic 60s tele in nitro LPB. The less crap covering the wood allows it to breath and vibrate. Something else not often talked about is how dry the wood is. Example= a roasted or torrefied wood will be more resonant then a standard wood would be.

I’ve played a black beauty with enough poly to seal a cruise ship for decades. I’ve gotten more into relics the last couple years. I got a road worn Tele and a 70’s lp copy I rebuilt and they just sing differently. Cool video, man! I’ve got my heart set on a sea foam Nash S-63 right now!

A guitar is like a window into a player’s philosophy and personal character and authenticity

Really dig worn guitars. I only use 1 guitar primarily so I like that my Gibson Les Paul has history on it. Started turning black when I was practicing 8 hours a day in a windowless room in 100 degree heat. Cracks in the finish from travelling so much the past few years. Took the paint off the neck which is sort of relic like, more a feel thing. Natural finish is my fav for necks. Neat topic!

Let’s just say I won’t buy jeans with factory tears in them. I will go as far a pre- washed though.

Relic guitars are the “Plastic Surgery” of guitars. Either you’re ok with em or you’re not. I personally find real worn in guitars more impressive because the guitar has really been played and seasoned, plus everyone plays differently so the wear and tear will be unique to you 🙂

back in the late 60's,some r+b bass players i knew would buy a brand new fender bass and sand a bare patch on the back so it looked new and shiny from the front...they said it helped the wood dry out and improved the tone...these guys were in demand professionals...i'm in the process of assembling 2 t-types and an s-type for some retired fun,and i'm leaving the bodies and necks bare wood,maybe a very minimal sealer that a woodworker guitarist friend gave me....i've fumbled around on guitar and bass for 64 years and always much preferred a worn in,well used guitar....thanks for this video Robert for verifying my suspicions.

Totally agree...just got my first relic, Fender 60's Road Worn strat, Olympic White. This thing resonates like crazy, it's load and articulate unplugged. It just looks BAD ASS and I want to play it all the time!!!

I love reliced guitars and make no apologies for it. I love that beat up well played feel. Whether naturally beat up or artificially reliced, to me they just feel better to play.

A Friedman guitar is the only relic I would buy, just because it already has great mojo to begin with.. :)

I love my relic Fender, bought it in ‘74 and now its a natural relic, like me lol. Never too old to play.

Funny story, I play a custom shop Schecter strat and I don't know what kind of finish they use, but it actually resonates the way a reliced guitar does, but without being reliced. I recall one of the custom shop guys mentioning that they use the same finish that expensive car manufacturers like Rolls Royce and Bentley use, but I can neither confirm nor deny this. I also used to own (sadly had to sell it at the time, still miss it) an 1985 Japanese fender strat which had seen a lot of wear and tear and - despite being a poly finish - it had gotten beat up enough to the point where I could really feel that guitar resonate aswell. So it IS also possible on poly guitars, but doesn't happen as easily and doesn't look as nice

Gotta love the placebo effect.

They look cool, but honest wear and tear is ALWAYS better.

I have a 2016 Les Paul Studio, and I've worn down that guitar and gave it a forearm cut where there wasn't one before just because of the time I've put into it!

On that note...Some years back the factory relic-ed, limited edition, Joe Strummer Tele was available at my local GC. I couldn't get over how realistically cool it looked with the different layers of worn paint, distressed 60's hardware, and stickers. Then I thought to myself how presumptuous I'd look banging out chords with that thing. If I bought it I don't think I could ever show it to anyone. It would be like I was trying to be like Tom Morello, Woody Guthrie, or even The Boss with his worn butterscotch Tele. Not bad company, just over the top (you know, presumptuous like).

For those of us who can't afford custom shop relic stuff. Try open pore finishes. I love the way my Cort G260 vibrates on my belly. It's a great feeling... And a lovely guitar too. Stay safe everbody. Peace.

i think there is something to that, like you can feel the vibration through the wood more, i personally dont have one like that but my guitars are pretty worn in, but i have a friend who relics guitars who when i play those feel weirdly different than before they were, though i think i like the sound of old pickups more than anything, i think stripping some of the finish off of the back of a glossy neck just helps make it easier to move across it

I have an older Fender US Tele body with thin checked nitro and beat to hell and a road worn Warmouth V neck. The thing looks like an abused step-child but it's one of my fav's. The sound resonates through your entire body. Let's not forget to mention that its a thing of beauty.

A well loved guitar shows the years of memories and experiences its owner went through with it, much like scars or tattoos have their stories behind them.

I've come to the conclusion that a stain or a relic -- that has a thin finish, will resonate so much more than a painted one. I also like hide glue for set-necks. The combination of a lightly finished guitar (achieved by either a relicing and/or or a thin stained finish with a light top coat) and hide glue creates a guitar that will vibrate in a very satisfying way.

I don't completely buy into the "relic sounds better" theory, but I see no issue with the relic finishes. It's just that....another finish option. No different than wanting a specific color...or with other surface finishes like Tyler's Schear or the Suhr Drip Finishes.

Never tried a reliced guitar but I just moded my first top loading hardtail strat and it just came alive like you were saying with the vibrations and feel through out. Not to mention the sustain goes on forever and that’s before it’s even plugged in. Will check one out. Love the show, down to earth and real. Saturday nights are great live streams. Thanks for the inspiration!

My LSL is lightly reliced and I love it. First time I ever I had one so it’s new to me

Got my first new Les Paul in 2013. Always treated it with kid gloves. Then I got my first ding in it. Then, a while later, a pretty good scratch. Now, I just play the hell out of it and don't give a damn anymore. ;)

Can you answer this question I hope.I am not a luthier but I came across of a "ELECTRA" 1979 " VULCAN" LES PAUL STYLE.The repair is stronger than original I believe.It's rare I found out but question is can spray paint work with nitro Cellulose paint like Rustoleum??? If anyone might know , much appreciated! It's just I made it this far and its down to the paint.Found out this Japanese made guitar was used by Peter Frampton, Rick Derringer, and a few other notable players.Stay healthy to you and your family...Be good..Jerry

I have an Epiphone Special I P90 poly finish and it reverberates like crazy when I play it. Just like you said in the text about some guitars are just dead, I believe some are just lively no matter what finish they have.

For those on the fence. I hope this is helpful. I’m fortunate to have put together a good guitar collection over the past 38 years of playing. I still have my first “real” guitar, a 1984 Kramer Pacer. I’ve bought and sold a lot of guitars too (eBay and I are old friends). I own both cheap guitars, and expensive guitars from Gibson, Fender, PRS, etc. My oldest guitar was built before I was born. I make a comfortable living not playing guitars, but making gear for musicians, so I’ve played a lot of instruments (as old as 1932) and have been fortunate to try a lot of guitars. I’m not a naturally gifted musician but I like to think that I know a really good guitar when I play it, no matter what it cost to build/buy. I was one of you that had the “nope” attitude toward relic guitars for a long time, then a buddy let me live with his for a while... I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it, how much I came back to it. It surprised me. Today I have about 15 guitars out to play, hanging on the wall of my office/studio. Some are new, some are old guitars I’ve had 10 or 20+ years with their fair share of bumps and nicks, some are even Custom Shop relics and I have a Mexican “road worn” relic hanging on the wall right now ... “in the rotation” if you will. So, I’ve got a little of everything out and ready to play at any given time. I find myself picking up the reliced guitars the most. I’m not sure why, but they just feel and sound better to me ... they entice me, inspire me and suck me in to playing them. When I pick up a shiny, beautiful, great sounding PRS it fabulous. When I play a “cheap” second hand purple “road-worn” Mexican tele it’s just as satisfying. I get why people hate on relic guitars, they are an easy target. And having owned a few now, you’ll never convince me that they are not fabulous instruments with their own mojo. Their feel, playability and resonance brings me back every time - and I don’t worry about belt rash. Back in the forum days we used to say, “if it were lost or stolen, I’d replace it immediately.” That’s how I feel about them now having lived with them for a while. I have no regrets on being “suckered” into the relic world, or the craft beer world, or the small builder pedal explosion of the last 10 years. I appreciate the craftsmanship of it all. I still buy (and sell) relics and non-relics, they all bring me joy. If you try a relic because of this video, and you find you like it, cool, welcome to the club, and don’t worry about the haters ... anyone smart enough to pick out that your guitar is not a “tormented-over-decades” relic is probably cool enough to know that if it makes you happy, and makes your music more fun for you, they should be cool enough to keep their disapproval to themselves and instead ask about your amps or pedals and be stoked to meet/chat with a fellow guitar player. They’ll save their scorn for the internet where it can fester. ;o). Two cents worth of thinking out loud. Keep up the good work Mr. Baker.

I can't bring me top pay for the relics. Coming from a automotive back ground paint jobs are to be flawless. I'm buying a new standard les paul. For the price it better be flawless. Otherwise money off.

Here's me being a JERK. Thank you for everything you've done my brahddah 🤙you've been the most helpful guitar teacher on yt for me for years. You also have the tastiest licks, bar none. All the other guys try shred too much, you know when to stop or bend and let the soul have time to speak

That guitar really speaks to me because of my own '73 Tele Deluxe that my Dad and I have beat up over the last 40 plus years. We've put some hard miles on it (especially since it was a teenager's first guitar). I used to think you needed to earn it, but now I really dig them. Especially the thin nitro finishes like you were saying.

I'm not a physicist or anything but I can't see how such a thin layer of finish would make a difference on an electric guitar, and how it would make any difference if the finish is cracked. If you feel different guitars vibrating in different ways, there's probably another reason for it.

If my Beginner Squire was blue when I got it new, then I kept it because it is more mine then before. Part of me saids it is cheap, but it is Mine and it grew on me. Thanks Robert 4 being Real.

I’ve taken guitars and taken the poly finish off and resprayed with nitro lacquer and did light relic jobs. You’d be amazed at the difference. It’s not the vintage of the instrument It’s the finish. What were lifeless now feels like amazing instruments. And then throw new jumbo fret wire in. You can turn a 200 dollar guitar into an amazing piece.

I only have one relic'd jazzmaster body... it feels good but I have other guitars that resonate as much if not more, mostly japanese made guitars... finishes are not extremely thick and woods vary but they are all very well put together. I feel the combination of neck and body and general set up is more important than the finish. The most extreme example is a Tokai guitar that is covered in some vinyl o paper with a poly finish ...it still resonates beautifully and sounds great both unplugged and plugged in. Cheers!

i like your channel different from the norm. your honesty shines thru

Robert Baker, I'm worried about you man. I hope you and your family are well and staying safe.

I think the best perk of a relic finish is the absence of carefulness you need. If you scratch it or scuff it, then it adds to the finish. Whereas a brand new finish, you want to scream like a 4 year old if you knock it.

Love your riffage on all your videos, but that arpeggio in the extras blew me away!

I think at first blush, relic’ed guitars can be likened to pre-worn jeans. Jeans that are made to look old and beat up but are three times the price. Personally, I never had a problem with relic guitars. I think it’s neat how the Fender Custom Shop, or really any custom shop, can accurately mimic wear patterns and finish checking, Especially when they’re trying to match a specific player’s guitar. It takes a lot of effort to get it right. You’re not just randomly sanding. I liked what you mentioned about the guitar vibrating more but it made me want to ask how many custom shops dry out the wood to get it like that. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but I heard that the guitar’s wood dries out over time and then just becomes louder so I’d imagine it would just vibrate more then.

I actually picked up an old Squier 50th Anniversary Strat for a few bucks that has a chipped finish and have that same feeling of vibration and resonance as you described. It also makes the bridge pickup act like its microphonic a bit, even after i replaced it. I never thought that the cracked finish could be the reason, but you might be on to something.

I don't mind relic'd guitars, I just couldn't justify spending a couple grand on one

70's Strat shaved to a hard 57 V + oiled, then ad 4 bold plate (just use picks to adjust), repaint with nitro. Ad 50's tele to treble pickup slot. Unless you can by a real 50's tele, nocaster. Friedmans don't plat as good as the first run China tele's if you look around.

Scott Grove would have an aneurysm if he watched this, and I hope that he does watch it

Sorry Robert, it’s in your head. But it looks pretty sweet and if that inspires you then who cares?

I do a lot of woodworking and understand the science behind wood finishes . . . One reason that older guitars often sound remarkably better is because of the age of the finish. This is especially noticeable on acoustic guitars. What most people don't know is that the finish, even though it's "dry", is still a liquid. And over time, the finish sinks further into the wood of the body making the finish thinner on the exposed surface. This is one (not the only) reason why the finish will start to crack at some point. Finishes will also crack as a result of humidity, changes in temperature, cleaning (or lack thereof), among a few others. Relic'd guitars have exposed wood surfaces that allow for the vibrations to transfer out of the wood more easily, which is part of the reason why you can feel the resonance of the guitar in your body right away. In my opinion, though, you should buy a guitar that delivers a fair amount of resonance to your body when it is new, and as it ages it will become more noticeable and pleasurable. Hope this helps!

Saw a great looking Fender Mustang very relic'd and it looked amazing should have bought it

Interesting point about how a relic'd guitar plays different from ones that aren't due to cracks in the nitro. I love the look of a guitar that is medium to heavily relic'd but wouldn't pay top dollar for one. Just like I wouldn't pay big bucks for heavily distressed jeans. One aspect I think a relic'd guitar provides is that you're not afraid to beat the heck out of it while playing which creatively may provide a bit more range of options as opposed to a pristine guitar.

Great riffs! I actually just picked up s used reliced LTD EC256. It's only lightly done, light satin finish in honeyburst. Being reliced didn't make the deal for me. I don't mind either way. It was the $250 price tag, frets looked not even played, neck is sooo smooth, and it came with the hard case 🤘. Honestly, I think it looks good on this guitar, but I either pay extra for it. I think actually buying well played used guitars has more "cool" factor if you want that used look. At least it's got an actual history behind it, and a story to go with it. If buying a reliced guitar is your thing rock it. Either way, you're still playing.

I agree with you. It’s like buying a used baseball glove it just feels better for some reason. I don’t have any store bought relics but my worn out guitars sound the best for some weird reason. I also randomly picked up a Mexican road worn tele to try and amp and it was killer. 8 out of 10 of those I’ve tried have been just killer guitars. I have all American made high end guitars and those road worn ones were just as good which blew me away. Great topic!

I always play standing...with a strap there's no leg vibration.....the guitar weight is displaced on the shoulders/neck..freeing up both hands to concentrate on said task

It ultimately comes down to taste and preference. It's all mental, but if relic-ing makes you feel better, by all means go ahead.

Yeah man, I totally agree. It has got life in it and doesn't feel stiff and sterile. A big plus is you never have to worry about that first ding. Great Vids buddy !!!

I don't have an reclic-ed guitars, but I do have two that I've painted myself with veeery thin finishes, one in nitro and they do indeed seem to vibrate more and both feel great to play. Much more alive. I don't think it affects how they sound at all though

I have a Fender Road Worn Jazz Bass. Cheapest way to get a nitro finish from Fender. Was as simple as that for me. Too bad they're discontinued.

Man this guitar sounds insane and the fact that it looks bad ass on top of it is just icing on the cake.

I’m not gonna say in my opinion because I have experienced this. You can feel the resonance on any guitar, some more than others. A brand new cheap Epiphone I owned, with thick lacquer, vibrated through the body more than my custom shop tele that has a light relic job. The resonance factor is the wood itself and how it matches the neck, not the relic job.

I like the relic thing because I'm more relaxed at gigs and jamming here and there with friends because I'm not stressing about dinging a beautiful well-taken-care of guitar...having someone knock it off my stand, or my turning around and hitting a mic stand with the neck (I've played my share of cramped stages) or forgetting that I still had a belt buckle on. I have not-so-cheap classic guitars and I always stress that I'll be careless somewhere and the next time I take it out of the case there will be a nice ding or scratch in it. I am also really picky about who borrows one of my 'nice' guitars. I had the bright idea to only take nicer guitars to gigs with lots of room on stage at 'nice' venues, and maybe cheaper guitars to the crowded bar gigs, so much so that I bought 3 Earl Slick relic'ed guitars (SG, Strat, and Tele styles) to take to jams, some gigs, and general screwing around. They're so relic'ed that if it fell 2' off a stage I wouldn't freak out, haha... still fairly cheap and what's another 'scar'? My big problem with Slick guitars is that they aren't relic'ed in the way a guitar 'normally' wears....like from where your forearm wears the finish down to bare wood after a few hundred gigs. They're made overseas and it looks like they told factory workers to rub paint off in 'random' places, and they did, where a guitar would never really wear...looks stupid. They also took a razor blade and diagonally sliced up the top of P90-style pickups, and when in the 'real' world would this happen??? Slick is a good playable guitar for the cheap price, sound fairly good, but I'm done with their crappy relic jobs.

A guitar should show a story.. whether real or fake.. but I do think a guitar should show its journey. Anytime I see a absolute mint 60s or 70s guitar, I immediately think it must not play that good because it looks like it lived its life in a case..

I pay meticulous care of my instruments and I probably know how they got every single small, barely visible scratch and ding as it's impossible not to have them after a while (although one would think I bought them all a few months ago if they don't look very closely). I don't think that those scratches and dings tell any sort of a story and I'd rather not have them at all (in fact, if I weren't afraid they'd get ruined in the process, and if it weren't so damn expensive for a proper job, I'd refinish some of them!). I want my guitars in a pristine condition, leave the story telling to me! I will never understand a wish for a beat-up instrument (fake or real) as much as I will never understand a wish for torn up jeans or semi-exposed brick walls, but to each his own...

I'm lefty, so my options are already limited right from start. So relics aren't available, but probably wouldn't buy one even if they were. They guitars that Rory Gallagher, SRV and Keith Richards play, that look a thousand years old-- they look that way because they actually are that damn old. The finish process was totally different and the years of playing--- that guitar was loved and had mojo. You can't manufacture mojo in a factory. I don't like relics. But it's preference.

Relicing is not my thing.. but different strokes for different folks is the old cliche that comes to mind.. but I will say this.. i can see how if a guitar feels more comfortable in your hands then you will feel it more.. totally makes sense.. like a pair of jeans or shoes.. worked in is just more comfortable.. thx for being so awesome Robert..i always catch at least a portion of ur Saturday live streams and learn something new every time. Stay healthy and awesome to u and ur family bro

Whatever makes you happy ...

I agree with you my SRV strat is all beat to hell and it definately vibrates when I play it . I can feel it against my body.

I can see it both ways. For me...if it appeals to my eyes then I like it. We buy guitars because we like how they look. I have an old tele that’s all beat up, I didn’t beat it up. I bought it that way because it appealed to me and the story behind it. The previous owner gigged with it for years. (He pasted away) That guitar is my desert island guitar. I connected with it. The feel, the fit and the finish. I can feel the guitar resonate into my body. PS, I love your Friedman. I would buy that guitar.

Idk, I bought my Korean Wolfgang without plugging it in. It felt good playing it acoustically and I said "Sold" I knew it would sound good plugged in. That was 17yrs ago

I'm not a fan of things that try to appear as something they're not, but to each his own, just find a guitar that YOU like, relic or not, and have a blast with it. Who cares if everyone else likes it or not, it's yours, not theirs. I do have that experience where the guitar vibrates into your leg and chest, with my dirt cheap Harley Benton kit tele that I finished with India ink and Tru Oil. It's a super nice resonant piece of wood and I find myself playing it unplugged quite a lot.

The relic and played in neck is the best feeling a guitar can have in my opinion

Hands down, my most resonant guitar is my Fender RoadWorn Tele. I see relicing as a finish choice, no different than paint color. But the only way to let a guitar relic “naturally” is if it has a nitro finish. Poly finishes will not relic. Danish Pete showed off his main touring strat once and it was over 20-years old and had thousands of hours on it and it had a few dings but other than that, it looked almost brand new. The poly finish is just too hard to wear like nitro.

I have a 1978 strat and 2019 strat. The oldie has the best frets I’ve ever played but a gloss finish the newbie has a satin neck and I like that way better :/

I know some people like the necks unfinished.....for me it's all about the setup, pick and pickups

I don't know, but that Friedman you're playing is super awesome. I really like that guitar. Has that mojo.

Ivd actually noticed exactly what you're talking about. And yes the tone seems different to my ears. Like it takes on a more colorful personality.

Love the sound of your Friedman Telly. But you are also a fantastic player. I also have one, but with humbucker bridge / P90 neck and the sheet metal saddles. Incredibly resonant this thing. Cheers from Germany

John Cruz from the fender custom shop told me that a light nitro and less paint makes the guitar sound better and he’s one of the best fender builders. I think they feel better in general I don’t like plastic and sticky feeling.

I say to each his own. I like a tasteful relic job. I also like a clean guitar. I think it is totally up to the guitarist for sure. Now as far as the vibration thru your leg, Yes, my 79 with cracked finish I do feel it playing the E,A,and D strings. That is my only electric right now but when I played my 98 with perfect finish I did not get that. Crazy....No hate here.

I completely agree. I've owned several Luxxtone heavy relics, and they resonate more than anything else I've ever played.

Im okay if I damaged my guitar, scars that I made on my guitars are okay, but if someone did it, just no.