Cunetto Relic Strat owners...

This is a August '97. Interested to hear feedback from other owners... John

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Killer flames on the neck!

I had a Cunneto Relic and a couple of the later Custom Shop models and I liked the Cunneto one better it had more resonate body and I liked the 9.5 radius neck a little better too.

Mine's not a Strat (I've got a vintage 60 & 64) but a Nocaster. It was the best playing and most resonant of all the new Teles I tried before I bought it a few years back. I bought it for those reasons and in spite of the relicing, and I love it. The bridge height adjustment screws are frozen by the relicing however. Seems the Cunetto era was a quality time for those reliced instruments.

...and I liked the 9.5 radius neck a little better too.

Yes, Mark, the flatter radius is nice, although I have played many of the newer Time Machine 60's and they are great players. The newer Time Machine 60's seem to have necks that taper to fairly slim at the nut. The Cunetto 60's Relics had pretty beefy necks, although they varied somewhat...

If you look closely, you can see that I had this one refretted to larger frets...what Jim Grainger referred to as "Gibson Jumbos".


I saw a post on the FDP some time back by Mr. Cunetto asking owners of his relics how these guitars were aging, if people were noticing changes if any. John

I have a 98 Cunetto relic. Great neck... really big and chunky. It weighs at least a pound less than my 96 American standard strat. This one is Seafoam Green and according to Vince himself it was a "One Of" as Seafoam wasn't a standard color.

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I love my Cunetto Relic 60's Strat, but sure wish they would have used the clay dots like they do now. I aged the pickguard because it looked too new compared to the rest of the guitar.

...I aged the pickguard because it looked to new compared to the rest of the guitar.

I hear ya, I have considered replacing the parchment picguard with a period correct mint guard, aged of course.
I guess you can get the 11-hole guard with a truss rod notch-out. I believe I saw one like this at Callaham Guitars. He will sell a complete wired aged pickguard (with Fralins), but doesn't sell the aged 11 hole green guard alone. John

Seems the Cunetto era was a quality time for those reliced instruments.

This is a matter that many have debated, and I will only say that regardless of "quality", the Cunetto produced Relics will be outnumbered greatly, if not already, in the coming years by the newer CS produced Relics.

There are those I have heard from that are buying up these guitars, anticipating a demand that may or may not become a reality. Time will tell. John

If you want to relic that parchment guard, just buff it with some fine Scotchbright (brite?) and rub some brown Kiwi shoe polish all over it. The longer you leave it to dry, the darker it will be after you buff it off with a cloth. You can experiment on the back. Fender makes a 62 mint green Strat guard with truss rod notch and correct hole placement, those come out nice with the Kiwi trick too. jvc

when i bought one of my relics in '98, i narrowed it down to three. a candy apple red 60's, a sea foam green, and a mary k 50's. all three were at the hollywood gc. they were in a batch of one, two, and three off's. candy apple reds, fiesta red, lpb, and the one sea foam.

anyway... i ended up with the mary k. i went back the following week to put a deposit on the sea foam, and it was gone... and the c.a.r. was sent out to one of the other stores.

eric

when i bought one of my relics in '98, i narrowed it down to three. a candy apple red 60's, a sea foam green, and a mary k 50's. all three were at the hollywood gc. they were in a batch of one, two, and three off's. candy apple reds, fiesta red, lpb, and the one sea foam.

anyway... i ended up with the mary k. i went back the following week to put a deposit on the sea foam, and it was gone... and the c.a.r. was sent out to one of the other stores.

eric

I'm the 3rd owner of this one. The first and second owners were from the LA area however. The first owner bought it and put it in a closet. The second owner (a friend of mine) took it in trade against an amp and then sold it to me in Boston. I got it a month ago with absolutely zero fret wear.

It's possible that it was that same guitar. There were very few built in Seafom, and they were all special orders.

One of the reasons I bought the guitar was because it was a Cunetto.

Vince btw is currently releasing a very hot guitar that he's building himself. Fender scale Bolt neck, tele bridge two mini hums. I've seen pictures of the prototypes and they look awesome.

Fender makes a 62 mint green Strat guard with truss rod notch and correct hole placement, those come out nice with the Kiwi trick too. jvc

thanks for the heads-up. I bought a Fender green guard a while back, and experimented with coffee and steel wool to see what it would look like. I had the wrong part though! John

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL53/823382/1470155/22443502.jpg

BTW, does anybody have a use for this?

Nice guitar SB62. I have a Cunetto 50's strat that is my #1. Mine is a '99 custom order in Olympic White (I have yet to see another 50's in OW). Looks just like Jimmie Vaughan's old strat. This particular guitar has THE tone.

I did have a newer TM '56 Relic which was a nice guitar but I still think my Cunetto has a better tone and Relic look. :wink:

I have chatted w/ Vince several times on the FDP and he has been more than gracious to provide any information that I needed on my relic. Really just a great guy. I will be interested to see his new guitars when they come out.

Broly

Lovely Strat and sounds good too!

I'll try to get mine posted tonight!

Tommy

I have a Cunetto 50's strat that is my #1. Mine is a '99 custom order in Olympic White (I have yet to see another 50's in OW).
I just have been watching the tape "A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughn". Jimmie is playing that strat. It is very cool. The body is really beat, although the neck (fingerboard) is in good shape. Would like to see a pic of your Relic.

And that Seafoam Relic, Hambone, is just a wonderful looking guitar...and rare too. John

It's great to see pics of "my kids" out there.

Yep, the rumors of me doing my own model are quite true. For those of you who wanted to know what they look like, I'll post this link for informational purposes only. Don't want to break the spammage rules!

Someone from another board I frequented picked it up and posted it on another board.


http://www.cafewah.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1448

Vince

I remember seeing a post on the FDP about asking Cunetto version Relics owners what they thought about how their guitars had "aged".

What is the #1 topic that these relic owners have commented on? Just curious... Thanks, John

Vince
Cool guitar. I've always wondered what you'd get if you crossed a tele and a strat and I guess that's the answer.

I have a question. If it's not giving away a trade secret, I'm wondering what's the best way to get a convincing relic look on a 50s single-ply white pickguard?

The one I've got was so roughed up it's got pretty much a matte finish--nice, but not really authentic, from the few 50s Strats I've seen.

Thanks in advance
Allen

thread came up as a result of a search, still own this guitar

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