How times have changed. I remember buying a used Fender Strat from Pan Music in London back in 1966. Clean looking guitars with few signs of use were priced at £95 worn ones, (relics in todays speak), were £75.
I have a stage 4 of what I believe is an ‘82 Deluxe gold top that has killer patina. Much of the wear was present before I acquired it, but I certainly added to it from playing the crap out of it in smoky haunts for many years. I should have you check it out for fun someday.
My 1969 Custom is definitely a Stage 4 guitar. I acquired it in 1987 but previous to then it had spent most of it's life as a hard working road guitar. The original owner passed away and his nephew received the guitar and an amp, he was not a player and decided to sell them because he needed money to go on a fishing trip to Canada with his buddies so $400 later I owned my first Gibson! Like this guitar it somehow managed to survive with no breaks or cracks, just TONS of play wear although the owner of mine seems to have also owned nail clippers...LOL! At some point converted to a Nashville bridge, original tuners long gone, tons of play wear, and missing or brittle and cracked plastics other than the original witch hat knobs. Happily other than having the covers removed the pickups are the original T-tops and the pots and caps seem to be untouched. Sounds and plays great though, that's what really matters!
Good comment on the volume control on the Dirty Fingers. One of my Les Pauls has a Duncan JB in the bridge that I roll down the volume if I want to lower the output while keeping the thicker sound humbucker sound or coil split if I want some high output single coil bite. Seems the internet does not like the combo, but I really like the Duncan JB/Jazz combo in that particular Les Paul.
I really enjoyed this episode based on the uniqueness of this guitar. It has seen things. You managed to cover many genre’s based on the Dirty Fingers pick up’s. You got it to sound awesome over so many genre’s. In 1979, I don’t think that’s would they had in mind. The DF’s are awesome!!
Finally, I have this exact same guitar only mine is a 9 out of 10. Purchased about 20 years ago for 1500. I yanked the dirty fingers ( got them in the case) and installed WCR handwound PAF’s. & 50’s wiring harness. The guitar suffered with DF pups but is one of the best 335’s I’ve ever played since starting in 1973. It’s appraised @4k easily as of 2020. I won’t sell the DF pick ups but they will go to the new owner when I die. lol. Thanx Trog for the review.
If you want to relic a guitar, find a model rail road person that builds from scratch and buys his locomotives new but ages them. You would not believe how good these guys are with good ole USA industrial patina and oxidation. They make those little trains look they have ridden hard and put away wet for decades. A good friend of mine is a luthier and a boutique guitar builder. His back ground was auto body until he got into show business. Now he builds guitars and has done quite well with a few star player endorsements.
That is comparable to painting mud on your 4x4 so you look cool, but do not have to go off road. A bit sad..I bought my strat new in 89, the frets are by now pretty worn but it still looks nice.
I don't like relic guitars at all, but I love seeing something like this that was played for decades and has legitimate wear. I would love to own something like this. It still has years of use left in it. Very cool.
This is why I hate on “relic’ing”. There is no amount of laboratory Murphyism voodoo that could even come close to replicating this. Blood, sweat, and tears cannot be bottled. Excellent episode, Trogly. Wow, what a machine.
I’m not a fan of the fake level 4 guitars, ie Murphy Lab, etc but the actual road worn guitars are sweet! This is an awesome 335! I’m so annul that my oldest guitar, a 1978 Takamine Acoustic is barely stage 2! 😎
8:02 I was honeatly thinking, "Please don't endoscope this one." I am actually afraid we are going to get a shock creepy crawler one day and THIS isnthe one to expect it in, lol.
Last week, I left my Custom SG 61 reissue on her stand, in front of the chimney wall, which is made of big rocks... Turns out the top 3 rocks of the wall detached and fell on my SG... The top of the headstock was hit, then right above the truss rod cover, then the left horn, and finally a rebound on the very end of the neck binding... I found the guitar lying face down... It's still 100 as playable, and nothing major was hit!! It's almost miraculous... It's a goddamn Chrimbus miracle is what it is!!....
I agree, this '79 335 Pro is definitely a beautiful "Stage 4", with all it's gig stories etched into/onto it. Plus decades of dust inside even after cleaning, lol. Yet the Dirty Fingers still really rock and guitar plays well. I'm suspicious there's a headstock break repair that shows up on the profile at 22:55, but a guitar this well worn, it's no surprise. Love the new high res endoscope, really clear images!
those 80's maple necks are the best IMO and they dont' seem to break as easily my LP has had a rough life and still no breaks! not much paint left either.
Whenever you see a guitar like this you just know it's gonna play amazing, coz there's no way anyone would play it that hard & for that long to cause so much wear if it didn't. That's no bedroom rocker's guitar. That belonged to a pro (pun totally intended). This dude gigged the eff outta this puppy. I have a couple of guitars in this state & there's a reason I've kept them for as long as I have.
That beastly beauty is a punk machine. All I hear seeing it is. "Don't worry about me, I'm gonna make it alright Got my enemies cross-haired and in my sight I take a B.S. situation gonna make it right In the shadows of darkness I stand in the light"
A friend of mine paid a bunch of money to have the finish stripped off of his new LP, also a bunch of money, then paid a bunch more money to have a new finish put on it that would wear off more easily than the original finish. But wait, there's more. After having the paint peeled off then replaced with a less durable paint, that was still too durable, he had it sent off, along with a bunch more money, to a place that specializes in fucking your guitar up for you, which includes, you guessed it, rubbing the dang finish off again lol
How did they clean the pots! Without removing the harness! That harness has never been removed hence them pots (inside) have not been cleaned! Fabulous guitar….
Man, that mudbucker in the neck is the epitone of farty. Nice guitar though. I love the good guitars that got played in. I've got an early 30's Harmony arch top with a perfectly strait neck, it's the best playing guitar I own out of 15 and 7 are electrics.
The Relic thing is something I completely understand and "get" but it still feels strange to me. I just imagine some guy saving up for months and months to finally get that dream guitar and after a year or so of playing the dang finish starts coming off. I wonder what the luthiers of that era would say if you tried to explain the idea of relicing. Lol. Humans are weird.
These guitars are the greatest reason to watch this channel!! Trogly we need more stage 3 and four please!
From an era when gigs were plentiful and most guys played one guitar.
That is really very cool, congrats to whoever ends up as the new owner.
My '86 Les Paul Custom is at an advanced Stage 3 right now.
I own an 86 custom in wine red myself but in nice condition for its age. Very nice guitars.
Always fun listening to Orion played on a 335.
I'm a 58 model, road worn and physically have seen better days so I must be a stage 3 🤪
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Those fretboard gouges are insane.
That thing sounds awesome, especially with the gain.👍
I love how much better this guitar sounds than the $10k BB King Guitar... & looks way better also
How times have changed. I remember buying a used Fender Strat from Pan Music in London back in 1966. Clean looking guitars with few signs of use were priced at £95 worn ones, (relics in todays speak), were £75.
Previous owner: Beowulf🐺
...or maybe Reignwolf.
That is my birthday guitar, June 5th 79
Hope you are in better shape 😂
I have a stage 4 of what I believe is an ‘82 Deluxe gold top that has killer patina. Much of the wear was present before I acquired it, but I certainly added to it from playing the crap out of it in smoky haunts for many years. I should have you check it out for fun someday.
My 1969 Custom is definitely a Stage 4 guitar. I acquired it in 1987 but previous to then it had spent most of it's life as a hard working road guitar. The original owner passed away and his nephew received the guitar and an amp, he was not a player and decided to sell them because he needed money to go on a fishing trip to Canada with his buddies so $400 later I owned my first Gibson!
Like this guitar it somehow managed to survive with no breaks or cracks, just TONS of play wear although the owner of mine seems to have also owned nail clippers...LOL! At some point converted to a Nashville bridge, original tuners long gone, tons of play wear, and missing or brittle and cracked plastics other than the original witch hat knobs. Happily other than having the covers removed the pickups are the original T-tops and the pots and caps seem to be untouched. Sounds and plays great though, that's what really matters!
Glad to see the endoscope is back in action.
Don't rub your eyes. You might get pink eye😂
Good comment on the volume control on the Dirty Fingers. One of my Les Pauls has a Duncan JB in the bridge that I roll down the volume if I want to lower the output while keeping the thicker sound humbucker sound or coil split if I want some high output single coil bite. Seems the internet does not like the combo, but I really like the Duncan JB/Jazz combo in that particular Les Paul.
Find it a bit strange that it's had a plek setup but the bridge is unmovable.
Cool guitar though.
I really enjoyed this episode based on the uniqueness of this guitar. It has seen things. You managed to cover many genre’s based on the Dirty Fingers pick up’s. You got it to sound awesome over so many genre’s. In 1979, I don’t think that’s would they had in mind. The DF’s are awesome!!
You really enjoyed reviewing this guitar, from my point of view anyway. Excellent stuff.
Finally, I have this exact same guitar only mine is a 9 out of 10. Purchased about 20 years ago for 1500. I yanked the dirty fingers ( got them in the case) and installed WCR handwound PAF’s. & 50’s wiring harness. The guitar suffered with DF pups but is one of the best 335’s I’ve ever played since starting in 1973. It’s appraised @4k easily as of 2020. I won’t sell the DF pick ups but they will go to the new owner when I die. lol. Thanx Trog for the review.
What a beauty!!!! Love from the other side of the pond!!
If you want to relic a guitar, find a model rail road person that builds from scratch and buys his locomotives new but ages them. You would not believe how good these guys are with good ole USA industrial patina and oxidation. They make those little trains look they have ridden hard and put away wet for decades. A good friend of mine is a luthier and a boutique guitar builder. His back ground was auto body until he got into show business. Now he builds guitars and has done quite well with a few star player endorsements.
Scale war jet guys like my dad can put a good wear in on things too!
That is comparable to painting mud on your 4x4 so you look cool, but do not have to go off road. A bit sad..I bought my strat new in 89, the frets are by now pretty worn but it still looks nice.
New endoscope a definite improvement.
I don't like relic guitars at all, but I love seeing something like this that was played for decades and has legitimate wear. I would love to own something like this. It still has years of use left in it. Very cool.
This is why I hate on “relic’ing”. There is no amount of laboratory Murphyism voodoo that could even come close to replicating this. Blood, sweat, and tears cannot be bottled.
Excellent episode, Trogly. Wow, what a machine.
My gosh, that 335 is absolutely gorgeous! It would complement my black '79 LP Custom quite well. 😁
That PRO looks like the brother of the ' Old Smokey ', and it also needs a nicotine patch ! Thanks Trog !
I’m not a fan of the fake level 4 guitars, ie Murphy Lab, etc but the actual road worn guitars are sweet! This is an awesome 335! I’m so annul that my oldest guitar, a 1978 Takamine Acoustic is barely stage 2! 😎
Its a crime that this guitar doesn't have a story...
8:02 I was honeatly thinking, "Please don't endoscope this one." I am actually afraid we are going to get a shock creepy crawler one day and THIS isnthe one to expect it in, lol.
It’s like an old worn violin with that wear and finish! Awesome guitar
The way the wood gets so smooth and nice is through a process called "burnishing"
Old rubberized phone case burst
Great guitar - great find - perfect condition
If you search, some of the Pros have a dot at the first fret...some don't.
My '79 has the dot on the first fret.
the breakout of orion for this guitar is perfect cliff would be proud
There's a lot of love in that guitar.
I definitely can’t wait for some of my guitars to become Stage 4’s
Hello from Alaska.
✌️✌️
The best your playing has ever sounded
Wearing stage four merch I see. Well done...
Looks great. I hope my Les Paul makes it to this stage one day.
I have never seen a 335 so beat, but I love it.
Last week, I left my Custom SG 61 reissue on her stand, in front of the chimney wall, which is made of big rocks...
Turns out the top 3 rocks of the wall detached and fell on my SG...
The top of the headstock was hit, then right above the truss rod cover, then the left horn, and finally a rebound on the very end of the neck binding...
I found the guitar lying face down...
It's still 100 as playable, and nothing major was hit!! It's almost miraculous...
It's a goddamn Chrimbus miracle is what it is!!....
It's a TRUE homemade relic job... Literally made BY MY HOME...
Looking for a 79 LP and 79 Fender Strat as my Grail Birthyear guitars. But this Ol dog would be loved as well.
I agree, this '79 335 Pro is definitely a beautiful "Stage 4", with all it's gig stories etched into/onto it. Plus decades of dust inside even after cleaning, lol. Yet the Dirty Fingers still really rock and guitar plays well. I'm suspicious there's a headstock break repair that shows up on the profile at 22:55, but a guitar this well worn, it's no surprise. Love the new high res endoscope, really clear images!
Cool wear. Love it!
I can only say two words about this guitar. Way cool.
what is the name of the song @ 28:45?
I heard him playing that riff in many clips, dying to know the song's name. Please HALP.
It’s a riff he wrote
those 80's maple necks are the best IMO and they dont' seem to break as easily my LP has had a rough life and still no breaks! not much paint left either.
Your still using the endoscope?
Rock on wit your bad self Trogly! Bridge pickup gets the live this time!!
That thing is awesome!
Whenever you see a guitar like this you just know it's gonna play amazing, coz there's no way anyone would play it that hard & for that long to cause so much wear if it didn't. That's no bedroom rocker's guitar. That belonged to a pro (pun totally intended). This dude gigged the eff outta this puppy. I have a couple of guitars in this state & there's a reason I've kept them for as long as I have.
28:13 Can you name that chord?
Trog I'm surprized you did'nt point out any pareidolia on the wear pattern of the top !
Beautiful!!
Hey Austin, those are not just "Dirty Finger" pups, they're "Absolutely Filthy Fingers"!! 😂
Awesome guitar! Hey Trog, got a link for that new endoscope?? Works a whole lot better than mine!!
Can’t fake that wear around the switch.
That beastly beauty is a punk machine. All I hear seeing it is.
"Don't worry about me, I'm gonna make it alright
Got my enemies cross-haired and in my sight
I take a B.S. situation gonna make it right
In the shadows of darkness I stand in the light"
I love Dirty Fingers pickups!
Lmao the putrid pro took me out 💀
Absolutely Superkool !
Gotta be some more blue sparkles somewhere.
Relic butter 🧈
Or lard…..
Howdy all!!
TROGG’s riding them hard , and putting them away wet. I salute you, good sir.
Its ugly. But this is what I hope my 335s get to eventually. I love it.
Edit. I just saw that board...holy hell. I've never seen divots that hard.
2:22 My arm 💪 and lungs 🫁 are emotionally attached (if not clinically) to my stage four guitar. 🎸 😬
ES335 Pro Max when
Call it The beast
Robert is a Fender dude.
Man, this guy does not have nails, he has claws 😮
That thing looks like it had more whiskey spilled on it than most people ever drink. Character.
This guitar proves that there is a reason to buy a new one sometimes
The pots look like someone dried out the Titanic 🤣
I must say I’m a “Player’s guitar4 kinda guy”
A friend of mine paid a bunch of money to have the finish stripped off of his new LP, also a bunch of money, then paid a bunch more money to have a new finish put on it that would wear off more easily than the original finish. But wait, there's more. After having the paint peeled off then replaced with a less durable paint, that was still too durable, he had it sent off, along with a bunch more money, to a place that specializes in fucking your guitar up for you, which includes, you guessed it, rubbing the dang finish off again lol
How did they clean the pots! Without removing the harness! That harness has never been removed hence them pots (inside) have not been cleaned!
Fabulous guitar….
Down the shaft with the knob off . There’s an adapter for it
That kinda wear zipper sleeve biker jacket wear,
*Rode, mate. Rode. As in, 'has been ridden'.
Man, that mudbucker in the neck is the epitone of farty. Nice guitar though. I love the good guitars that got played in. I've got an early 30's Harmony arch top with a perfectly strait neck, it's the best playing guitar I own out of 15 and 7 are electrics.
That thing needs a refinish!
✌️
✌️✌️
Semi scallop frets there
Now that's a relic job.
The Murphy Lab should buy that one and reproduce it.
I feel sorry for the Gibson employee that had to sit with that, in a booth smoking 500 cigs, to get it to look like that 🤢
So what are you thinking if you were to sell it???
Triglycerides, I think you have finally come up with a true stage five
430 tonight late. Hey Trogly what's happening
Putrid what? You mean well played .
I love aged guitars, but not this one
Mojo for Days!
That looks Great!!!🤙
Great Looking Guitar!
The things dreams are MADE of.
Very cool guitar man
This 335 sounds thrash metal 😅
The Relic thing is something I completely understand and "get" but it still feels strange to me. I just imagine some guy saving up for months and months to finally get that dream guitar and after a year or so of playing the dang finish starts coming off. I wonder what the luthiers of that era would say if you tried to explain the idea of relicing. Lol.
Humans are weird.
Sweat from a person who likes spicy food. Probably Tex/Mex.
Exit…..stage 4! 🎸😱 💀