In this age when distressing an instrument has become an art form, there are still some cool distressed instruments out there that are just plain old. Since I first posted pictures of my 74 Jazz Bass, there have been several fellow TalkBassers who just can't believe that it can actually be in it's current condition entirely from age. Don't hate, aprreciate. Here is the story;
I bought my 74 Jazz in the late 80s at a Detroit pawn shop for $250. It was already pretty beat up when I got it. In the 20 odd years that I have had it, more and more paint has fallen off of it (it is almost a process like rust, once it starts, you can't stop it). The only wear that I can point to and recall the instant that it happened is the pattern above the pickgaurd, along the top body contour. I took it to my luthier about two years ago to have some work done. For some reason he put tape on the body, and when he pulled the tape off a great deal of the finish came off with it. For a split second I contemplated getting angry, but I quickly figured that if the paint was that loose, it was bound to fall off anyway (and besides, it's not like the finish was immaculate in the first place). Everything else is strictly from age and use.
I gigged with it for about a year in the mid 90s, I suppose a good deal of wear happened in that time, but nothing that I can point to and say, "That is when that happened." I have had several necks on it, and for most of it's life it has had a 1977 fretless Precision neck on it. The current neck is from 1973. The pickguard is not original, I never had the original pickguard.
I don't much like taking it out of the house anymore. My playing aside, it is the sweetest sounding bass that I have ever heard. If I could only have one instrument, this would be the one.
Here it is with a 1976 fretted Precision neck that is currently on my 73 LPB Jazz
Here is the part that the tape took off. I can't remember how worn it was before that happened. None of the wear on the bass is worn to the wood, just to the undercoat (you might notice that the worn parts are still shiny). That is something that the reliced instruments always seem to get wrong.
There is much cool checking and cracking that is hard to capture on camera. Here is a try.
If you want to hear the bass (with the fretless neck), go to Link Removed (if I'm not supposed to do this, just let me know). The first 3 songs feature it.
Thanks for taking a look,
Peace
I bought my 74 Jazz in the late 80s at a Detroit pawn shop for $250. It was already pretty beat up when I got it. In the 20 odd years that I have had it, more and more paint has fallen off of it (it is almost a process like rust, once it starts, you can't stop it). The only wear that I can point to and recall the instant that it happened is the pattern above the pickgaurd, along the top body contour. I took it to my luthier about two years ago to have some work done. For some reason he put tape on the body, and when he pulled the tape off a great deal of the finish came off with it. For a split second I contemplated getting angry, but I quickly figured that if the paint was that loose, it was bound to fall off anyway (and besides, it's not like the finish was immaculate in the first place). Everything else is strictly from age and use.
I gigged with it for about a year in the mid 90s, I suppose a good deal of wear happened in that time, but nothing that I can point to and say, "That is when that happened." I have had several necks on it, and for most of it's life it has had a 1977 fretless Precision neck on it. The current neck is from 1973. The pickguard is not original, I never had the original pickguard.
I don't much like taking it out of the house anymore. My playing aside, it is the sweetest sounding bass that I have ever heard. If I could only have one instrument, this would be the one.
Here it is with a 1976 fretted Precision neck that is currently on my 73 LPB Jazz
Here is the part that the tape took off. I can't remember how worn it was before that happened. None of the wear on the bass is worn to the wood, just to the undercoat (you might notice that the worn parts are still shiny). That is something that the reliced instruments always seem to get wrong.
There is much cool checking and cracking that is hard to capture on camera. Here is a try.
If you want to hear the bass (with the fretless neck), go to Link Removed (if I'm not supposed to do this, just let me know). The first 3 songs feature it.
Thanks for taking a look,
Peace
enjoy playing her
