Is it possible to weather a tartan without damaging it?

[KennethSime]

Anne's last comment on faded, prewashed (and it may be added, "distressed") jeans, brought to mind, the rather interesting, perhaps odd, option to purchase new electric guitars and basses from several makers, "factory-relic-ed" and even "heavily relic-ed."

Intent is allowing the purchaser to possess an instrument which appears to have been long-and-heavily played, having suffered the ravages of time, "road wear" and "battle damage," without having to put in the playing time / effort-"dues-paying," oneself.

When I was in my youth, I would wear my jeans until it was no longer.... "decent" to do so. Hole-y jeans were quite the fad, and we took it as a matter of pride to come by the look "authentically." I was once accused of having used a razor-blade to shred my jeans, to which I took great offense. Obviously, to my young mind, this would take the honor out of it.

That said, I am entirely disgusted at the "relic" job when it comes to guitars. Why on earth would someone pay another person to wreck their a thousand-dollar (or worse) instrument? I try to remember "to each their own," but I just can't stop myself when it comes to promoting this nonsense.