Battle Scars

['caster oil]

Some like to keep their Teles (or any other instrument) looking sharp - polishing, regular string changes, etc.

Others like 'em with "battle scars."

I'm not talking about relic-ing, but honest-to-goodness "bar-badges:" digs, nicks, scratches, paint-flakes, fingerprints, beer-spills, chicken grease, ciggie flares...

I'm sure this topic has been brought up before... but we have a lot of new blood...

Which camp you in?

[woodman]

mine looks like 40 miles of bad road, but i like it that way.

[TheFifth]

I think I'm in both camps!

My American deluxe is immaculate and I wanna keep it that way, whereas my '69 RI thinline is battered to hell! Every one of the scars was put there by me playing my heart out over the past 17 years and I wouldn't change it for the world. I think I prefer real scars rather than new reliced guitars though. If I buy a new guitar I want it to look perfect and if it picks up some dings over the years then I'm all good with that.

[quackerz]

Real scars for me. I just don't get the whole relicing fad nor do I have the patience to keep any of my guitars pristine.

[Telemarkman]

I like my guitars to look "new" for as long as possible.

I don't mind a natural relicing over the years, but not due to neglecting the guitar, so I wipe and polish it rather frequently. I hate to see a beautiful instrument with lots of grease and dirt on it.

But I don't get hysterical over a nick or two either.

[Seanycaster]

I like my guitars to look good but if they earn a scar and there's a good story I can make up about how it got the scar then all the better.

[boogaloo]

I'm for natural wear and tear- and it doesn't take long to get a nick or three if you play out regularly. Doing it intentionally- not for me. I do try to take care of my axes but, unlike when I first started buying "good" guitars, I look at them more as tools than as objects d' art. Course you can make a case for art whether the guitar is pristine or equipped with battle scars... JMHO.

Brian

[blinddick]

I think we can all appreciate a well worn instrument. I take the new stuff on the road and leave the old stuff safely at home. The new stuff can be replaced!

[rhino]

New guitars only stay "new" for so long and the first one (road-scar) is always the hardest to get over.

After that they seem to accumulate!

[SpaceyBen]

my green tele is only 6 years old but it has been in the bars and clubs for alot of its life and it is showing it big time...and the more it shows it the more I am connected to it because I put all of those on it the honest way

[Veitchy]

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

I don't mind a natural relicing over the years, but not due to neglecting the guitar, so I wipe and polish it rather frequently.

Exactly my sentiment. I dont mind the look of a well worn guitar, but that doesnt mean im going to go and start droping it on the driveway as soon as i get it.

[The Amazing Phil]

I don't mind it when it happens, but I really would avoid getting more dings than I have to, I was kinda mad when I put one on my thinline a few weeks back, it's really pretty noticeable and dented it hard near the output jack. Still, my '67 SG junior's seen plenty of road and looks great for it.

[fenderix]

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

I like my guitars to look "new" for as long as possible.

I don't mind a natural relicing over the years, but not due to neglecting the guitar, so I wipe and polish it rather frequently. I hate to see a beautiful instrument with lots of grease and dirt on it.

But I don't get hysterical over a nick or two either.

That goes for me too!

[Tele295]

Real scars. The first ding or nick is hard, but after that, I don't care. Let 'em know I play my guitars.

[fierce_carrot]

Some of my guitars like my Les Paul and Flying V I try to be pretty careful of, but the tele and the strat, look like the road warriors they are.

[Pete Galati]

Originally Posted by fierce_carrot

Some of my guitars like my Les Paul and Flying V I try to be pretty careful of, but the tele and the strat, look like the road warriors they are.

My Les Paul Standard is actually my guitar that's full of scars. I mean not counting my Tele built with a relic body.

My MIJ Tele has been bashed around quite a bit, but that's just because it got knocked over so many times. My older Tele is very minty for it's age.

IMO, you should take good care of guitars, but if they get a little bit beat up, it's no big deal. As long as you don't dent the frets, or break the neck or headstock (or something equally as drastic) who really cares?

Pete

[trandy16]

I buy 'em to play 'em....if they get a ding or three....so be it....goes with the territory.

[Blazer]

My Red Les Paul (see my avatar) looks as if it fell from a truck at 100 miles an hour.

But it became that way because I play it. Not because I deliberately made it look that way.

[Justin Crouse]

i don't intentionally do anything to them. i fall asleep playing sometimes and wake up with it on the floor after it hitting a few things on the way down. it's all part of it for me.

i'm not the greatest at taking care of my stuff. it's disrespectful sometimes, but then again, it's my bag.

i've got battery acid sweat and change out my hardware quite a bit. that's the only thing i don't like, rusted out hardware. the rest, is history as far as i'm concerned. if i play them enough that they get scarred up, i'm not going to ever sell them, so they become well worn.

having said that, if anyone's into the rusted hardware thing, i'd be happy to sell you some. :)

JC

[Johnny Caster]

Fake scars for me, real scars really bring me down!