How to accelerate the speed to age my bass

[Mr_Music90]

Just grab a piece of sanding paper and scour of some finish here and there carefully Use a coarse grit to start with, something like 100 or 80 so it's easy to get the paint off. When you're on the wood, take a fine grit, 220 and make the surface smooth.

You could use the fine grit (220) as well to give the pickguard a older look (if there is a pickguard on your bass of course )

Wanna give the tuningpegs an aged look? Steelbrush!

Originally Posted by rogerhe

Hey guys:

I am sure I am not the only one who raise this question, or at least keep this question in my mind.

I am a fan of relic guitars, and I am playing hard on my bass, by gigging, practising, hope I can have nice scratch, paint crack on the body, and make it looks like road worn model. It has been played for almost two years, still look like a new bass.

So my question here is, usually how many years we need to stick on one bass, before it can really be called a road worn look bass?

Roger

[lowphatbass]

Originally Posted by Mr_Music90

Just grab a piece of sanding paper and scour of some finish here and there carefully Use a coarse grit to start with, something like 100 or 80 so it's easy to get the paint off. When you're on the wood, take a fine grit, 220 and make the surface smooth.

You could use the fine grit (220) as well to give the pickguard a older look (if there is a pickguard on your bass of course )

Wanna give the tuningpegs an aged look? Steelbrush!

I'm not sure I've ever seen a bass with a "modern poly" finish wear down to the wood. I've got a '75 P and a few MIJs randing from '83 to '94. They chip, scuff, fade, check, scratch and fracture...they don't wear off generally. Trying to reproduce "nitro" style wear on a poly bass is a quick and easy way to devalue your instrument.

I understand it's a finish choice and some people may like the look, I respect that. If for any reason you are trying to make a bass look older or more played by doing this there's a good chance you are going to fail.

[rogerhe]

+1, agree.

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

You guys that don't like the relic look, we understand that it's not for you.

I personally like the look. I've been playing for well over 30 years, but when I was first starting out I had NO idea is someday want a bass that looked aged. If I did, I would've kept some of my earlier basses.

Whether your bass is a relic or not says nothing about your playing. All it says is that you like basses with that look.

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

I'm not sure I've ever seen a bass with a "modern poly" finish wear down to the wood. I've got a '75 P and a few MIJs randing from '83 to '94. They chip, scuff, fade, check, scratch and fracture...they don't wear off generally. Trying to reproduce "nitro" style wear on a poly bass is a quick and easy way to devalue your instrument.

I understand it's a finish choice and some people may like the look, I respect that. If for any reason you are trying to make a bass look older or more played by doing this there's a good chance you are going to fail.

This is very important to remember if you attempt a relic, that is to relic within the limits of the finish. Don't try to make a poly guitar look like a nitro relic. You WILL end up with a mess.

Look at other examples of the same finish you're working with. A poly guitar will most show dings and maybe yellowing. That's about it. Checking might happen but if it does it's not like nitro checking at all.

[dfinnegan71]

During these winter months, go put it outside let it get really cold and bring it in and place directly next to the heater. Do this daily all winter and you my friend will have some kick ass looking laqure checking goin on there.

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by 4001

I'm waiting for the 2014 Chevy Road Worn Series complete with dents, scratches, rust, cracked windshields, loose bolts, bald tires and oil leaks.
List prices starting at $25,000...

Yawn...

[Mr_Music90]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

I'm not sure I've ever seen a bass with a "modern poly" finish wear down to the wood. I've got a '75 P and a few MIJs randing from '83 to '94. They chip, scuff, fade, check, scratch and fracture...they don't wear off generally. Trying to reproduce "nitro" style wear on a poly bass is a quick and easy way to devalue your instrument.

I understand it's a finish choice and some people may like the look, I respect that. If for any reason you are trying to make a bass look older or more played by doing this there's a good chance you are going to fail.

In that case, I wonder how Sandberg does it and even adds 880 euro of extra costs on the bass

[fuzzychaos]

Originally Posted by Mr_Music90

In that case, I wonder how Sandberg does it and even adds 880 euro of extra costs on the bass

they do it well...that's how they do it.

[Fletz]

I relic'd my Geddy Lee bass:
Geddy relic

[Steve Dallman]

In college in the early 70's, I bought a very nice and fairly expensive Fugi bicycle. It was beautiful. Not wanting to have it stolen, I painted over the gloss white using cheap, flat white House paint and a cheap brush. I then sprayed some rusty metal primer randomly, followed by a little more house paint. IT looked like an abused, neglected piece of junk. After college, the cheap latex was easily removed. My 'relicing' served it's purpose.

[Fuzzbass]

Despite the wording, I completely understand the OP's question. My 2005 Sadowsky P5 has a nitro-finished neck and poly-finished body. It was my go-to warhorse for 6 years, but since 2011 has been in rotation with two other Sadowskys.



Poly does wear, eventually. 5 years of buckle rash.



This photo was taken after just 4 years. It's hard to see, but there's a thumb divot above the pickup, some of the pickguard screws are tarnished dark brown. Can't see it, but some chunks of finish are missing around the butt of the bass -- minor battle scars.



It only took 2-3 years before the nitro-finished neck began wearing.



Nothing feels better to me than a vintage Fender where the finish has worn off the back of the neck. I hastened the process on my Sadowsky with some 300 grit sandpaper. This was from a couple of years ago, and the neck is now darker and smoother: not quite vintage, but close! It feels better to me than satin nitro, and of course the problem with satin nitro is that it becomes glossy with playing wear. (Satin poly will also become glossy, but it takes much longer).


Anyway: the OP probably wants even more aging than is present on mine, without waiting 5-6 years for it to happen. I wish him luck with his project, I love aged/relic basses (when nicely done).

[lowphatbass]

Originally Posted by Mr_Music90

In that case, I wonder how Sandberg does it and even adds 880 euro of extra costs on the bass

There's a difference between a shop/factory like Sandberg(or Fender, ESP, Gibson, etc)puting a treatment like this on a bass and somebody at home hitting their shiny bass with a few grades of sandpaper and a wire brush. Honestly, I'm not familiar with how Sandberg goes about their process but I suspect it's a bit more involved on the front-end.
Again, I don't have a problem with somebody wanting to dull the finish and remove paint from their bass.

[SherwoodGreen]

The fact that SO many builders offer relic'd instruments should close all arguments for/against relicing. If the demand wasn't there...

I had a Nash mostly because I liked the way it sounded, and own a relic'd Danelectro 63 that's a blast to play. All in all, I personally am a "keep my instruments in pristine condition!" kind of player; not much for coffe-table wood boutique basses though.
Seems overdone; anyway play whatever you like!

Top the OP- relicing an instrument well is really quite an art form, done to the max by FCS, etc.
Not sure if there's a way to "speed-up" the process; from what I've read, there's lots of labor involved-That's why the relic'd versions cost considerably more than the NOS/Closet Classics.

Good luck with your efforts, and BTW- There are some REALLY funny posts here!

[Rip Topaz]

I'm surprised that this thread has gone this far and NOBODY has mentioned taking their bass to a tanning bed.

From what I understand, putting a nitro painted bass under a tanning bed accelerates the yellowing of the lacquer. I haven't tried it personally, but my nitro painted bass sits on a stand in the living room where it gets some sun every day, and it's starting to yellow a bit.

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

I'm surprised that this thread has gone this far and NOBODY has mentioned taking their bass to a tanning bed.

From what I understand, putting a nitro painted bass under a tanning bed accelerates the yellowing of the lacquer. I haven't tried it personally, but my nitro painted bass sits on a stand in the living room where it gets some sun every day, and it's starting to yellow a bit.

I've only heard of this recently and haven't seen any results from it (though I'd very much like to). Also, very few basses are finished in nitro.

[oldleftybass]

Originally Posted by Meddle

Modern guitars look like the old ones, only that are churned out by unflinching CNC machines in the far East somewhere.

How do you know those machines don't flinch???

[SolarMan]

Originally Posted by oldleftybass

How do you know those machines don't flinch???

Ha! Everything flinches. It is just "to what degree?"

Back on topic, I really like the relic (and "rat rod") look. But I also like the stuff to perform like modern equipment.

If you have to "earn" the wear the "honest" way - and I respect that point of view - then maybe the instrument as a whole is a little worn (more than just the looks?)

What if you want the best performance that modern manufacturing can offer, but happen to like the look of aged stuff? That is why relics are out there, and the market seems to be getting bigger.

I've "aged" the hardware on my CV 50's bass (and I love the way it came out) - and when someone comes up with a clever way to "relic" that thick paint I'll go for it.

[Ron G]

You need to check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hYFsHFliM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KxUzR7xUdI

[mellowgerman]

Originally Posted by Ron G

You need to check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hYFsHFliM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KxUzR7xUdI

awesome.

[Venom of God]

I bought my Tbird brand new around three years ago and love watching it age with me. I try and take care of my instruments but by no means "baby" them, and I just think it's super cool being able to see how I've played it. There is a pretty decent nick in the headstock from where I slammed it into a beam during a gig right after I got it, a bit of belt rash on the back, a very noticeable indent above the neck pick-up from where I keep my thumb, the neck pick-up is pretty grooved from the string bouncing off it as well as a couple of other random marks. I've started playing with a pick a bit lately too, so I'm interested to see how that's going to pan out.

It's a forever bass and I know all those marks will make me love it and remember it even more when I'm old and grey