Distressed instruments

Started by Johnny M, October 20, 2009, 11:15:58 PM

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Quote from: flatlander on October 22, 2009, 11:00:14 AM
The important thing though is no matter what a guitar looks like, even if it's canned mojo, is that you work on learning to play the dang thing. 

Obviously, Matt has heard me play....


:laughin:
Larrivee 00-70 
Gibson Advanced Jumbo  - J-185 - J200 Jr.
 National Resophonics  M1 Tricone
 Eastman MD-904 - DGM-1

Quote from: Dotneck on October 21, 2009, 01:05:51 PM
Never really gave the whole concept of distressing new instruments a lot of critical thought...although I think it's pretty silly to buy jeans with holes in the knees...

But I am about this close   [-----------]  to buying one of those Washburn parlors....

If your close to one of those, how about one of these ooo slothead Recording Kings, available in a hog or spruce top?

http://www.centsiblesounds.com/products.cfm?product_id=460

http://www.guitarworld.com/article/25_coolest_products_of_2009_recording_king_century_studio_series_acoustics
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

I've seen those and read about them since they came out. Another good buy (although its about $200 more than the Washburn I was looking at.) I'd be interesting in trying one....

Although for my particular needs....I'm pretty well covered in that size of a guitar with the forum I OM and the two Forum IIIs....I'd actually rather sell an OM than buy another.

BTW...I dragged my feet long enough and it looks like the Washburn sold this morning...so my money is safe for a few more days!
Larrivee 00-70 
Gibson Advanced Jumbo  - J-185 - J200 Jr.
 National Resophonics  M1 Tricone
 Eastman MD-904 - DGM-1

Yeah Gary, I forgot about your OM and 2 FIIIs.  BTW, have you played the IS/RW much and do you have a preference between the RW and hogtop?
bluesman67
HOGTOP CHARLOTTE

www.reverbnation.com/hogtopcharlotte

Quote from: Dotneck on October 22, 2009, 09:36:00 AM
That's okay....a solid rosewood/sitka, ebony neck/bridge, fully bound slothead won't get much cheaper than $500...which is the price range of those Washburns....

Have you tried a Blueridge BR-361?    I think there are a couple on eBay for $600-ish, and I liked the one I tried better than my P-01.
Gits: 2004 P-01K, 2005 OM-03MT
Uke: Kala KA-ASKS with Larrivee Flamed Koa
Chops: fingerstyle noob

Quote from: Dotneck on October 22, 2009, 12:02:07 PM
Obviously, Matt has heard me play....


:laughin:
No you were just too gracious a host and stayed in the back ground too much but I heard ya.
10-1614 more than a number, it's body and soul.

I like doing all my own distressing, and strictly by accident. I don't even like toner on the tops of guitars. New guitars should look new, old ones should look well used.

Tad
Bunch of Larrivees - all good -
and a wife that still puts up with me, which is the best -

I think it's for posers.  Having said that, wasn't the sunburst originally supposed to mimic the wearing off of the dark finish from middle of the top and back from playing?  Seems to me I read or heard that somewhere.   
Jeff
OMV-40
OM-3R
LV-03
Martin OMC-15E
Late 70's Univox Acoustic
Kentucky Mandolin

I think it was, and it was eagerly adopted by builders as a way to hide imperfections in the material or the build. Actually, I think it still is -

But they don't beat them with chains and such, thank goodness.

Tad
Bunch of Larrivees - all good -
and a wife that still puts up with me, which is the best -

I had a furch D32-SM for a few years. The guitar had a very nice darkened finish but fake wear nickel tuning gears, a strange mix of kitsch and cred. It had a spruce top which has been aged by some organic process invented in Switzerland which simulates the "opening up" of an old guitar. It had an "old" mellow sound straight from the shop and I loved it. Strangely, after a few years, it started "closing"... I cant explain it otherwise. Probably the mahogany back and sides started aging nicely but the top couldnt, and the tonal balance shifted. So it goes. Nowadays I have two brand new larrivees which I expect to age the right way.

My grandfather was an antiques dealer and showed me how to look out for 'distressed' pieces - it was cheating and and an attempt to pass something off as something it wasn't.

I LIKE gloss finish on my best gits. I like the crazing and stains and  mojo of my 50+ yr old  classical passed down by my father.  Every mark was earned honestly, by being played. In 50 years my L-09 will probably look that way too and my children or grandchildren can look at it pride and maybe treasure a bit of the aura I left on it.

To each his own, but why be a poseur?
Chris
Larrivee's '07  L-09 (40th Commemorative); '09 00-03 S.E; '08 P-09
Eastman '07 AC 650-12 Jumbo (NAMM)
Martin   '11 D Mahogany (FSC Golden Era type)
Voyage-Air '10 VAOM-06
-the nylon string-
Goya (Levin) '58 G-30
-dulcimer-
'11 McSpadden

This thread and a couple others got me wondering about how strongly most feel about their gits should look. Started a poll on the guitars forum

"What finish do you prefer?"
http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=29741.0

(So far NO ONE has voted 'Major Mojo')
Chris
Larrivee's '07  L-09 (40th Commemorative); '09 00-03 S.E; '08 P-09
Eastman '07 AC 650-12 Jumbo (NAMM)
Martin   '11 D Mahogany (FSC Golden Era type)
Voyage-Air '10 VAOM-06
-the nylon string-
Goya (Levin) '58 G-30
-dulcimer-
'11 McSpadden

My thought is simple. Something that has been "distressed" has been "damaged".

My father is a cabinet maker.  He once made an armoire for a friend of his.  Clear heart AAA maple. Cost about $2000.  The guys went fishing and the friend's wife's "interior decorator" decided to distress the cabinet with a rasp and chain.

Could have saved almost 2-grand and built it from scap lumber instead.

The relicing/aging debate is always heated. I like the broken in thing. Either way is fine with me.

 :donut2 :coffee :donut

I guess I'll weigh in here. I thought the idea of distressing new Strats was ridiculous when I first saw it, yet I can sympathize with the charm of an old ravaged guitar since I have two I've owned over 25 years. There is something cool about an aged blond strat neck with the nicks and splotches where the finish rubbed off. There's just something comfortable with an old guitar that you don't have to worry about it meeting up with the edge of a coffee table or some such. But like others have said, I like my new guitars to stay that way as long as humanly possible and I sulk for hours after that first careless ding.

But, yeah, I agree it's cheating to purposely make a guitar look that way, but obviously there's a market for it. So if someone wants to pay for something that took me years of careless neglect to achieve, then that's capitalism for ya.  :humour:

Watch this space for a soon to be distressed Taylor 312ce as soon as I finish dragging it behind my car for a few blocks. Oughta be worth a whole lot then!
Larrivee OO-05 • Larrivee OOV-03 SS • Larrivee OO-44  • Taylor 322ce • Strat • Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/jpmist

Owning a 335 with plenty of "authentic distressed mojo" I have never understood distressing a new guitar.  To each his own however.
Steve ....aka the SMan

No way would I buy a new 'distressed' guitar and pay more for the priviledge.

I would like this distressed guitar that Lonnie used to own  :winkin:





I was in a music store a few days ago and there were some new, distressed fender electrics on the rack. I thought the guy had gone into the pawn business or was doing a lot of trade-in business. I was not impressed.

To borrow a line from an unrelated source: "We make MOJO the  way: we EARN it!"

f
Larrivee L-03 w/Gotoh 381 tuners (African Mahogany/Sitka)
Collings OM2Hc (EIR/Sitka)
Schenk Ophirio (Sapele/Cedar)
Bourgeois 00 Custom (Mahogany/It. Spruce)

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