Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

...would anyone "restore" a '53 Les Paul, and then "relic" it so it would "look right"?

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-7085.htm

"Yeah, I also restored my '65 356C, and then we put some door dings into it, pitted the "C" script, tore the driver's seat leather, and bent the front bumper, because it looked too new, ya know? Now it looks RIGHT!"

Yeah, I've always had problems with that. I figured anything I own through honest use will acquire its own patina, let's say.

JimK

Ummm, wouldn't the condition unrestored be 'relic'?!?!? Those people are nuts!

doctorwho wrote:Ummm, wouldn't the condition unrestored be 'relic'?!?!? Those people are nuts!

+1

jingle_jangle wrote:...would anyone "restore" a '53 Les Paul, and then "relic" it so it would "look right"?

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-7085.htm

"Yeah, I also restored my '65 356C, and then we put some door dings into it, pitted the "C" script, tore the driver's seat leather, and bent the front bumper, because it looked too new, ya know? Now it looks RIGHT!"

Great idea; my sister just had her the exterior of her `68 Camaro restored. Maybe I should go sandblast the grill and the hood so it looks like its been driven.

Reading between the (profit) lines, what they probably had was junque that they acquired as bitsas, or a trashed or incomplete instrument. A perfect restoration on a '53 LP, with the market being soft and unreceptive to refinished Gibsons, makes little sense, whereas a mediocre resto with some relicking to hide the flaws, is financially more feasible.

Still, at $14K, it may be awhile before someone takes a chance on this one.

Unlike many here I like and own a few relic guitars..not Fenders but Bill Nash models..not contrived but cool looking and a dream to play..imo...that said, doing and charging that for the Lp is nutz...crazy..crazy ...crazy!! Likely the dealer's idea was to bring up the value as a refin is often worth much less then the same guitar with it's original even beat finish. One of the best buys right now are 60's era Fender Jaguars that have been refinished as they can be had for 1/3-1/2 less than one who's finish is original.
I've had the pleasure of seeing much of Paul W's work and have to wonder what his refin's do to the value of the instrument...I would speculate that in the Rickenbacker market one of Paul's refins would be valued on a par with the value of a comp vintage piece and would add value to a newer model I guess much depends on market segments...

Never understood the whole relic thing to begin with.

Imitation mojo?

I thought 53 LPs were just gold-topped, not all gold, so that restoration can't look "right", reliced or otherwise.

I've always struggled to understand why I sould pay more for a guitar that has been whacked with a hammer and splashed with solvent by some dude in the workshop...

In the minority here but if you have a chance, check out a Bill Nash relic...they just look and feel right...I once owned a very expensive Fender Nocaster relic and to me the relic work just looked obvious ...yep I believe the Goldtops were/are just that only on top...

this is all gold like those few very few 52 minus trapeze/bridge combo. all gold is probably cover up for bad neck repair i think i remember the guitar from ebay earlier this year. it went for 8k and it was already refinished with what looked like latex . it is poor practice. elderly used to be better place that *this* . i don't think that any sane person could buy this when there is bunch of normal 70's and 80's les pauls for under 2k available.

i'm struggling with the idea of having this done to '66 1999 RM i recently acquired. the issue being, the previous owner removed the finish - but went a little too far and sanded a bevel (a la Fender) into the body.

the bass is being restored, but to deal with the bevel, the only way i can think of proceeding is to have the bass refinished in FG then the bevel hand-sanded out of the new finish as if this is what originally occurred.

thoughts? any other solutions?

brycycle wrote:i'm struggling with the idea of having this done to '66 1999 RM i recently acquired. the issue being, the previous owner removed the finish - but went a little too far and sanded a bevel (a la Fender) into the body.



the bass is being restored, but to deal with the bevel, the only way i can think of proceeding is to have the bass refinished in FG then the bevel hand-sanded out of the new finish as if this is what originally occurred.

thoughts? any other solutions?

Bondo ...Sorry..good luck w/your project!

brycycle wrote:i'm struggling with the idea of having this done to '66 1999 RM i recently acquired. the issue being, the previous owner removed the finish - but went a little too far and sanded a bevel (a la Fender) into the body.

the bass is being restored, but to deal with the bevel, the only way i can think of proceeding is to have the bass refinished in FG then the bevel hand-sanded out of the new finish as if this is what originally occurred.

thoughts? any other solutions?

Bevel or radius? If Fender it'd be a radius, like what Macca did to his Rick...and then, it all depends upon the degree of radius. Not likely that it will be able to be taken out of the clearcoat...the clearcoat, applied any thicker than about .015-.025 or so, will be unstable and look weird, like the edge of a glued-up plexiglas picture "box" frame.

grazioso wrote:this is all gold like those few very few 52 minus trapeze/bridge combo. all gold is probably cover up for bad neck repair i think i remember the guitar from ebay earlier this year. it went for 8k and it was already refinished with what looked like latex . it is poor practice. elderly used to be better place that *this* . i don't think that any sane person could buy this when there is bunch of normal 70's and 80's les pauls for under 2k available.

If true, very interesting, Dusan. And it makes me speculate a bit on the internal politics over at Elderly, that would allow such a thing to take place. It goes from being odd practice to "take the money and run", proclaiming integrity to all who will listen.