guitar wear and tear-good or bad?

Pearl-Fighter

I'm kinda pissed about my fairly new Highway one strat. I play it endlessly but i just got ANOTHER chip, and this time its right in the centre of the guitar. i have a few others along the sides and quite a few pick scratches. i also have some belt buckle scrathes on the back. what do you guys think? is this stuff worth keeping mint or is it bound to happen?

exhausted

it's going to happen no matter what. they're meant to be played.

Pearl-Fighter

hehe, i thought so. Thats what i ended up telling myself. Its simply gonna happen. Its a Tool for Rock! Hell, look at some of Mike's guitars.

parchy

Worth keeping mint?? Hells no!




One of the coolest things I've ever been apart of is seeing my Seagull 20th anniversary acoustic guitar age the way it has...


http://www.seagullguitars.com/anniversaireguitars.htm



Mine is the light, almost white color... but over the two years I've had it, the wood has aged to the point where it's this awesome, off-light brownish color that you obviously can't buy anywhere, because it's just aged that way... the sound has gotten deeper and richer since I bought it and it just looks hella cool now...


My point being, it's gotten some knicks and cuts along the way, but the damn thing looks and sounds really good... age your strat, and you probably won't get a better sound unless you do something to the electronics, but even if you sandpaper it or do something to it, it will look badass....

who's_pearljam?

Scratch'm up! Unless it's a collectors item type guitar, you might as well use it. The resale value might be hurt a bit, but my theory is, buy them to play them, just take as good care as you can.

I took really good care of my two old les pauls over the years, because I knew they were going up in value, and I was sure glad I did when I sold them, but most newer strats aren't going to become collectors items.
(I say that like I know what I'm talking about, but last week, I watched Eric Clapton's "Blackie" go for nearly a million bucks!):D
It was pretty beat up!

It's like having a new car, you might as well just go to the food store and grab a shopping cart and put the first ding in yourself! Then it's officially broken in.

pariah

hehe... if there's one thing the Highways are known for it's the sucky paint job. It's a miracle the paint doesn't fall off during transport.

I like that though. It's like "relic your own strat", but in a less cheesy way than a factory dry ice treatment.

mojorison_75

I take super good care of my gear and I still get the occasional scratch or little divet. I used to really sweat this on my acoustic, but now I've come to realize it's just a part of playing. Unless it's obviously been abused, someone who really likes the instrument isn't going to sweat too much over little stuff like that.

It gives them character. History.

mojorison_75

sorry, this post ended up in the wrong place somehow.

gimmesometruth27

yeah, that stuff is going to happen. i was initially pissed that my amp cabinet is scratched to hell and i have gotten dings and paint chips on my guitars, but as a good friend used to say "it looks gigged".

All Those Yesterdays

Unfortunately new guitars don't wear like old ones do. They use a different kind of paint and stain now, that doesn't wear. Instead it chips etc..... Fortunately my Jazz Bass I have is one that will wear. Can't wait for the sweat stains to form on the neck etc....

HetfieldVedder0

fenders are especially talented in sounding better as they get older. My tele, I've only had for about 6-7 months's color has darkened (metallica blue), and the tone is so much bassier than it used to be. It used to have a signature twang, but due to it's beating, it's kind of sweated out the twang....and more or less now moans and screams notes than pinches them out. It's like a puppy becoming a dog. I love it.

mca47

my old fender acoustic was pretty beat up. i thought it got better with age... until i got drunk and dropped it down a flight of stairs! D'oh!

pj kid

Originally posted by mca47
my old fender acoustic was pretty beat up. i thought it got better with age... until i got drunk and dropped it down a flight of stairs! D'oh!

that sucks
double D'oh!!!!

Pat H

I quit trying to prevent letting my guitars get beat up. Its bound to happen no matter how much care you take.

and yes, the beat up guitars usually sound better.

Pearl Jam and toast

strat's are famous for taking beating and still playing perfect.

look at mike's strat in the riot act book

WiLL75

In my lifetime, I have four more guitars to buy then I am done. '57 RI Strat, SG Special, Les Paul, a decent acoustic. After that, no more guitars ever. Just gonna sit back and play them all the time and watch them age beautifully. Even if I start/join a successful band...no more guitars. That's my plan, anyways. ; )

gimmesometruth27

good luck sticking to that plan. a year ago I said the same thing but before i knew it i was buying more and better guitars. my most recent purchase is a 2002 les paul that i needed like i needed a hole in my head. it was on sale and my buddy is a manager at a guitar store so of course i had to have it. oh well, after 3 more gigs it will be paid off.

WiLL75

I will stick to the plan, seriously. lol. I never said anything about amps though.
; )
If I start making good coin, either with music or if I get a "real" job, then I'll ad an orange to my set up. It'll sound good with my bassman. If I make REALLY good coin, then I'll give old Sal a ring to make me a $5000 special. lol. I wish.

Pat H

I could never stick to a plan like that. I love all my stuff, but if I fall in love with something I will try to get it. It sucks too, because there is so much more equipment and stuff that I really want, I just fell in love with a beautiful acoustic, I wanna get a bass and bass amp, and I am going to be starting at the community college, so I'll be broke for a while. hahaha, oh well, it will be worth it. Once I get a good job from college I'll live in a small house that doesnt cost a terribly high amount to live in, and probably drive the same car I have now, but I'll probably always be buying guitars and equipment.

WiLL75

Yeah, I imagine I'll be tempted by a Gretsch somewhere down the line, but I'm really going to try and stick with my plan.