"distressed" guitars

PeterIanStaker

Don't know if this has been done on here before, but what are people's thoughts on pre - aged, distressed guitars/basses?

example

Shoelaces

I like em, although a friend of mine destroyed his American Strat trying to turn it into Rory Gallagher's battered and bruised guitar. It just looks ridiculous now.

PeterIanStaker

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

Don't know if this has been done on here before, but what are people's thoughts on pre - aged, distressed guitars/basses?

I dunno, what's yours?

Mr. K

Like distressed jeans, I think distressed guitars are a bit...false. They certainly look cool, but it seems like an attempt to create a history where there is none. An real old instrument has a history behind each dint, a new one was just made to look that way in the factory.

PeterIanStaker

Papa Smut wrote: »

I dunno, what's yours?

I have mixed feelings tbh, on one hand if its done right I think it looks good, but on the other hand it might be a bit like buying those jeans with the holes already in them.

wild turkey

I think it needs to be done on nitrocellulose, It looks really bad & so fake on polyurathene

Mataguri

Mixed feelings here aswell. The looks can be a bit hit or miss, and some of them have some ridiculous wear patterns that would never happen like this one with the wear around the pickgaurd:



or this with the wear on the top horn:



on the plus side the necks always feel great

Johnny Storm

Totally stupid, JIMHO.

PeterIanStaker

Poll added:)

population

Silly looking things

Malice

I'm definitely in the Don't Like camp. If a guitar looks battered from years of (ab)use then that's one thing but distressing guitars deliberately just seems like a stupid thing to do - just like distressing jeans deliberately .

-=al=-

i only like them when they're distressed from years of use and abuse, they usually have a good vibe off of them... when its faked, its just lame

eoin5

Malice_ wrote: »

I'm definitely in the Don't Like camp. If a guitar looks battered from years of (ab)use then that's one thing but distressing guitars deliberately just seems like a stupid thing to do - just like distressing jeans deliberately .

Or the patches, although stupid I must admit a certain fondness for them :

http://www.metalireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=618281&sid=9c62b081e7250c976b76084bd3e2de6e

jamieh

I really like the look of Mayer's "The Black One"

Zombienosh

looks great if its because the guitar is old and played to death.

looks gey if u bought it like that.

Malice

Mataguri wrote: »

on the plus side the necks always feel great

Just looking at the wear on the second guitar pic you posted, wouldn't your fingers be able to feel the different surfaces and in that case wouldn't the neck feel terrible?

Gaspode

I did a tour of music shops in Dublin today* , and saw a fair few 'distressed' guitars on offer. They look like total sh1t IMO, and no way would I buy something that looks like it's been on a skip for a few months!
I want a new guitar to look like new.








* What a waste of time, completely pathetic selection of lefties on offer!

-=al=-

im used to the completly pathetic selection of lefties!

hon pa

I agree that bought like that new, it's a bit stupid and makes you kinda a wannabe but if it's after years of playing and the scratches have a bit of history behind them it's fair enough and looks pretty cool.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

its just dumb

Demeyes

I don't mind beaten up looking guitars if they are done right but I can't get over the falseness of an artificial job done on one. Also it depends on the guitar model because some guitars don't age as nicely IMO. Strat's and Tele's look awesome but Les Pauls/SG's and PRS style guitars are better looking when kept in a nice condition.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

I love old/distressed/beaten up guitars, but not fake old/distressed/beaten up ones. love maple necks that are distressed naturally, i have a rosewood neck that is 16 years old, but you cant notice the marks on it as the wood is so dark

LpPepper

I just got one of these and its a gem . Mine is a lefty though and seems to be one of the guitars that escaped the factory without too much wear done to it. (not my picture)

BostonB

Its fake. End of.

Irish Guitarist

They're idiotic. If you really want a guitar that looks like crap you could spend half the money on a similar instrument and leave it out in the rain for a few nights.

I think old guitars are cool (I especially love Rory Gallaghers battered Stratocaster or Willie Nelsons 'Trigger' acoustic) but a new guitar that looks like an old one looks stupid.

There's an interesting article about distressed guitars in this months Guitar and Bass magazine by the way. Although I hate these guitars it's interesting to read how the trend started.

fortuneg

I really dislike the distressed Custom Shop Fenders, although I have to admit I do have a soft spot for guitars like this:

BostonB

Thats not trying to look old, thats trying to look different.

fortuneg

BostonB wrote: »

Thats not trying to look old, thats trying to look different.

No, it isn't trying to look old. But it most certainly looks distressed

Portlawslim

I voted "Don't like them" in the poll but i do like the Rory Gallagher limited edition replica

http://http://fender.com/customshop/instruments/search.php?partno=0150080800

Connavar

It can look good on some. I got a strat that had its volume/tone knobs and its pickup covers aged(that old yellowy look) and it looks really nice.
I dont like when the wood is distressed as it seems like its too fake

ciaranmac

Hate hate hate them.

Darkglasses

I normally quite like them...New guitars don't show their age as much old, nitro-cellulose finished ones do it seems.