Wear-and-Tear: Good or Bad?

BassNoob1 · #1 01-08-2011, 09:53 AM

Sratches? Dents? Chips in the finish? Does wear-and-tear look good to you or not? Do you have stories behind any of the scratches and/or dents on your bass? Discuss!

My only bass, a Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass, has got it's fair share of scratches and dents. The story behind all of them: marching band.

TomA1234 · #2 01-08-2011, 10:05 AM

Depends, If it is only a couple on an otherwise chip free bass I hate it, but if it is a chip on an already beat up bass I don't mind and I like the look.

On my Ibanez there is only 1 ding I can actually recall putting in it. I had it on a strap and stood up, I misjudged how far away I was from a table. I smacked the top horn on the sharp metal corner of the desk. A part of me died inside.

On my old Aria I have (somehow) put around 21 dings in the body. I have got past the point of caring now.

Dangit · #3 01-08-2011, 10:15 AM

I love the look of a legitimately beat-up guitar/bass. I have a Stingray that I picked up used from a guy who used to play with a relatively well-known band called Death Angel. Toured all over the world with it, beat it to hell and back. It has more chips and dings in it than I can count and it looks wonderful. It's my #1 bass for live shows.

What I can't say I care for much are ones where they ship from the factory looking distressed like Fender's Road Worn stuff. To me the whole appeal of the worn look is that it had to experience pain directly in order to get there.

MaceTheBass · #4 01-08-2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangit

I love the look of a legitimately beat-up guitar/bass. I have a Stingray that I picked up used from a guy who used to play with a relatively well-known band called Death Angel. Toured all over the world with it, beat it to hell and back. It has more chips and dings in it than I can count and it looks wonderful. It's my #1 bass for live shows.

What I can't say I care for much are ones where they ship from the factory looking distressed like Fender's Road Worn stuff. To me the whole appeal of the worn look is that it had to experience pain directly in order to get there.

Pics?

xring · #5 01-08-2011, 12:37 PM

To me, it's the same as a scratched car, or faded paint. I don't like it. It's just damaged. The only way I'd prefer it is if I was given one of Geddy's basses. I'd be able to say Hey, Geddy's belt buckle did that! I think it's human nature to try to make the best of a situation. So they turn "damaged" into "mojo". I really don't like that word, and I'm not buying into it. Exceptions of course are the previously mentioned "appreciated bassist", or...say a family member's instrument who was the owner and is now gone.

Achtane · #6 01-08-2011, 12:43 PM

What Dangit said.

...well, minus the Stingray.

tangentmusic · #7 01-08-2011, 12:46 PM

I like to keep mine in as pristine condition as possible.
The older and more played out the bass the more wear 'n tear it will naturally incur.
I too do not like the Roadworn series or basses that are purposely "relic'd".
It's like buying a new pair of jeans that have holes in the knees already.
Show me your new bass after 30 years of gigging. I'll listen to your stories....

mdogs · #8 01-08-2011, 01:26 PM

I usually bring just 2 basses to gigs, my main bass is a Pedulla Thunderbolt it is babied but still has its share of road rash after 17 years of heavy gigging. The second is my Geddy, beat to hell, every time someone knocks it over they feel like crap and I get more charisma for the bass... as long as the headstock doesn't hit the ground too hard (I have a bad habit of just laying it on top of my amp). So, I guess the moral of the story is, you can have it both ways!

Phalex · #9 01-08-2011, 01:29 PM

Meh, I don't really care one way or the other. I'm usually on a dark stage, so the sound and feel of an instrument are a lot more important than dings and gouges. So long as the dings and gouges don't effect playability that is.

shoot-r · #10 01-08-2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassNoob1

Sratches? Dents? Chips in the finish? Does wear-and-tear look good to you or not? Do you have stories behind any of the scratches and/or dents on your bass? Discuss!

My only bass, a Squier Affinity Series Precision Bass, has got it's fair share of scratches and dents. The story behind all of them: marching band.

My folks helped me buy a used 1964 Jazz in 1972, it was my high school grad present.
It was pretty beat when I got it but in the following years of use I added my own beer stains, scratches from druken drummers, cymbal nicks, 12 years of under the tour bus bangs, ect., ect. It was my only bass for most of the 35 or so years I owned it!
In 2007 it was stolen, (along with several other Jazzes),...the as*hat that stole it was caught and I actually got the 64 back. My fretless Jazz and Marcus Miller Jazz wasn't found.
I always had a love/hate relationship with the 64, (it always had the neck bow problems of the early Jazzes), and when the police returned it the neck was the worst it had ever been. Story was it had laid uncased in the back of a open bed pick-up truck for atleast 4 weeks! In 2008 the opportunity to sell it came up and I let it go.
I picked-up a "08" American Standard Jazz and recently got a R.W. Jazz in sunburst.
The R.W. is very close to the sound, feel, and looks of my real 64, except it hasn't exhibited the neck bow problems of the real one. It's playability/action is one of the best of any bass I've ever played.
The R.W. has now become my go to bass.
To the players that flame the Roadworns finish...remember, ya pick a instrument with your ears...not your eyes.
I've had several compliments on the R.W.'s sound, no one has mentioned it's finish...
This is how it should be.

baddarryl · #11 01-08-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangit

I love the look of a legitimately beat-up guitar/bass. I have a Stingray that I picked up used from a guy who used to play with a relatively well-known band called Death Angel. Toured all over the world with it, beat it to hell and back. It has more chips and dings in it than I can count and it looks wonderful. It's my #1 bass for live shows.

What I can't say I care for much are ones where they ship from the factory looking distressed like Fender's Road Worn stuff. To me the whole appeal of the worn look is that it had to experience pain directly in order to get there.

Death Angel! I loved that band! Saw them live around 90 or so. Don't remember the bass though. Fender Road Worn = Stupid. Sorry, just my worthless opinion.

T-MOST · #12 01-08-2011, 03:50 PM

I know age will show eventually (slightly worn fretboard or light sweating on the neck) but no sratches and dings. I like to keep my gear as close to MINT as possible... But thats just me.

lobey · #13 01-08-2011, 04:00 PM

Neither of my basses are show pieces by any means, but they do have a few dings and scratches here and there. They're played, well played, and I've put all but 1 of the flaws in them. Kinda in part why I got my Schecter so cheap. Factory seconds are just fine to me!

They're like tools. I buy them to use them. To each his own.

slaps76 · #14 01-08-2011, 04:07 PM

I bought my Warwick corvette used from GC online...it came in worse condition cosmetically than they told me it was(shocker). But I loved the feel and the way it played so I kept it. I've added a bunch of my own nicks now, so I worry less about the finish...which I kind of like seeing it's my main player. My Fortress One is near mint, and I'd be pissed if I chipped that one up.

Dangit · #15 01-08-2011, 04:15 PM

Hard to capture all the wear.. there's a lot of dents that aren't coming through in the photos.. but here's a few.

And the case it came in.

If you're wondering why the pickup looks weird it's because it's an EMG with the 8 magnets painted onto the front (was like that when I bought it - pickup sounds pretty good so I've had no reason to take it back to stock.)

knumbskull · #16 01-08-2011, 04:21 PM

/\/\/\ very cool! since first heard them i've always had a soft spot for Death Angel.

i quite like a few dings on an instrument you know you've played hard and used well (not that i've had any of mine particularly long).

KsPiNeSh · #17 01-08-2011, 04:49 PM

I don't like it and do my absolute best to avoid damaging my gear, but own something long enough and it's inevitable

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #18 01-08-2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangentmusic

I like to keep mine in as pristine condition as possible.
The older and more played out the bass the more wear 'n tear it will naturally incur.
I too do not like the Roadworn series or basses that are purposely "relic'd".
It's like buying a new pair of jeans that have holes in the knees already.
Show me your new bass after 30 years of gigging. I'll listen to your stories....

Oy, not again

People buy Roadworns because they like the look and/or feel, sound, etc.

Should they buy a Roadworn now and be rewarded by getting something they like the look of immediately?

Or should they buy a bass they don't like the look of, and be rewarded by having to stick with a bass they don't like the look of for 30 years, just so they can tell YOU stories?

ehque · #19 01-08-2011, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangit

I love the look of a legitimately beat-up guitar/bass. I have a Stingray that I picked up used from a guy who used to play with a relatively well-known band called Death Angel. Toured all over the world with it, beat it to hell and back. It has more chips and dings in it than I can count and it looks wonderful. It's my #1 bass for live shows.

What I can't say I care for much are ones where they ship from the factory looking distressed like Fender's Road Worn stuff. To me the whole appeal of the worn look is that it had to experience pain directly in order to get there.

I don't see how having a rock star or the factory put the dings on my bass makes it more or less legitimate. I can't tell the story of the dings in either case. I would rather have put all the dings there myself.

I like the look of beaten up Fenders but boutiques don't look good beaten up to me. I don't play fenders and basses I've owned for years don't even scratch (I'm really careful), so it's unlikely that I'll own a really beat up bass.

Nev375 · #20 01-08-2011, 06:29 PM

I like a new bass to look new and a 60 year old bass to look, well..... 60 years old.

Dings and dents and rust are part of life just like wrinkles, warts and stretch marks.

To me, road-worn basses are the equivalent of taking a newborn and intentionally breaking its limbs and slashing its face.

A pristine vintage bass reminds me of a mental patient locked away his entire life in a padded cell. It's interesting, but sad that it never got to have a life.