Have you ever worn out a guitar ?

[windmill]

So what happens to all the old guitars ?

Do they get worn out so they cannot be restored to playability ?

What has happened to all your previous guitars ?

 

[bgmacaw]

This guitar was stuck on the wall of a seaside bar and grill as decoration for several years before I restored it. Fortunately, the bar owner didn't nail it to the wall or something drastic like that.

 

[Sean French]

I've only worn out frets on two guitars. One I sold at a guitar show and the other was talked away from me by a buddy.

 

[Last]

Wear through finishes faster than frets.

Rhythm player will do that

 

[stormin1155]

As long as Willie keeps playing Trigger, any guitar can keep going.

 

[slider]

Takes a lot, many years of playing. After so many re-frets, fingerboard planing, a neck becomes unworkable, but a neck can be replaced, and you're off to the races. Pickups, wiring, pots, hardware, all can be replaced, the body lives on, with that good, old wood. Violins that are hundreds of years old are played every day.

 

[jay_red]

Look at the "mike Bloomfield" Tele Dan erlewine worked on in those stew Mac videos, if he can bring that back, no guitar can ever be "worn out"

 

[monty]

Not to the point of unfixable, but not wanting to spend the $$ to fix it. My old Squier Strat that I gigged and recorded with forever. Trem posts need to be plugged and redrilled, special order trem block, frets ect.

 

[BigDoug1053]

Yes. A 61 SG Special I played the hell out of. My first electric. Needed new frets and binding and I did not want to spend the money to fix it up. It sold quickly because it was "vintage." I also wore out the S-trem on my 89 Steinberger GL and replaced it this year.

 

[oldtelefart]

I've done all my work since 1986 with the same Telecaster, 80% of it in the tropics, mostly 3-5 gigs a week, plenty outdoor venues.
After the first 14 years I had it rebuilt. All the metal parts on the front were totally rusted, every screw had to be drilled out.
Neck was shaved to 9.5 radius, refretted, new bridge, control plate, nut, switch, pickups (Bardens) etc. I used to go through 2-3 volume pots a year, sweat just killed 'em.
The only original bits left are the wood, strap buttons and pickguard.

The last five years or so I gig a lot less, so the old plank will last the rest of my playing life.
(I was told that another refret is not possible.)
It looks like the life it's had, but the only scary wear is on the bottom edge of the neck between the 3rd and 7th fret.
There's bare wood, a very slight but definite curve, and the outside fret edges are very rounded over.

It sounds and plays better than ever.

 

[Uncle Dad]

I've done all my work since 1986 with the same Telecaster, 80% of it in the tropics, mostly 3-5 gigs a week, plenty outdoor venues.
After the first 14 years I had it rebuilt. All the metal parts on the front were totally rusted, every screw had to be drilled out.
Neck was shaved to 9.5 radius, refretted, new bridge, control plate, nut, switch, pickups (Bardens) etc. I used to go through 2-3 volume pots a year, sweat just killed 'em.
The only original bits left are the wood, strap buttons and pickguard.

The last five years or so I gig a lot less, so the old plank will last the rest of my playing life.
(I was told that another refret is not possible.)
It looks like the life it's had, but the only scary wear is on the bottom edge of the neck between the 3rd and 7th fret.
There's bare wood, a very slight but definite curve, and the outside fret edges are very rounded over.

It sounds and plays better than ever.

C'mon, where's the pics?? You can't tease us like this with no pics...

 

[VJF]

C'mon, where's the pics?? You can't tease us like this with no pics...

+1

 

[monty]

Yes, pics please!

 

[wox]

When I was in high school, I bought a brand new 1992 Les Paul Studio Light for $500 and learned to play on it. I probably played that for 10 hours a day for years. Played in rowdy punk bands in high school and college, then later toured with it in a few bands, playing all sorts of dive bars and DIY backroom underground spaces.

I had it refretted at least twice, wore out numerous bridges, broke a pickup from sweating into it too much, and cracked the headstock at least 5 times. When it could no longer just be glued shut, repair people had to start grafting in chunks of wood, and eventually, that area just got too compromised to play anymore, so I retired it after 20 years of action.

It's not really "wearing out" I guess, the guitar would still be fine if I didn't break it so much, but hey. It was fun and I'm more laid back now.

Here's what the neck looked like at the end:

In better days, it looked like this

 

[TheLateGreatJC]

I've worn the finish off of a few guitars, especially the backs of necks, I turned satit finished guitars glossy with use, and I've worn frets down, and finishes off of maple fretboards, but I haven't worn a guitar out to the point where it became unplayable or repairable.

 

[Rotten]

I played the s#*t out of my '73 335, which I purchased in 1980. Other than reversing a mod, and other than some minor nicks, it is in very similar condition to when I bought it. Even the low, flat frets are still good. I'm not sure all this relicing is that real unless you never use a case and use your guitar as a picnic table.

 

[0018g]

When I was in high school, I bought a brand new 1992 Les Paul Studio Light for $500 and learned to play on it. I probably played that for 10 hours a day for years. Played in rowdy punk bands in high school and college, then later toured with it in a few bands, playing all sorts of dive bars and DIY backroom underground spaces.

I had it refretted at least twice, wore out numerous bridges, broke a pickup from sweating into it too much, and cracked the headstock at least 5 times. When it could no longer just be glued shut, repair people had to start grafting in chunks of wood, and eventually, that area just got too compromised to play anymore, so I retired it after 20 years of action.

It's not really "wearing out" I guess, the guitar would still be fine if I didn't break it so much, but hey. It was fun and I'm more laid back now.

Here's what the neck looked like at the end:

In better days, it looked like this

Do a backstrap overlay on that sucker and it'll be road worth again!

 

[Dashface]

I've worn the same guitar's frets out a few times, to the point where it's starting to get to where they can't be replaced again.

 

[ripgtr]

My '60 strat was already pretty worn when I got it in '76. I played the heck out of it, probably have a thousands gigs on it, easy. Plus for a long time, it was my Only guitar, so it got played at home all day, too.
Tuners have been replace. Volume knob replaced twice. On my fourth set of frets. etc.
Still plays and sounds just fine.

 

[Fishyfishfish]

I teched for a dude that literally played through the pickguard on a strat, but never so worn it couldn't be replaced.