54 Precision Attic Find

[Smooth_bass88]

I think most people like the looks of a beat up bass. I believe the question is often whether it's through a relicing process or honest wear.

what's better...a bass that's "artificially aged" or a bass that's very obviously re-finished? What if the body looks brand-new but the neck and headstock look 60 years old? Which will affect the value more given the fact that it's so old and rare? Does it even really matter as long as it plays and sounds good?

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Wow!! This is a very interesting thread! What a great find and nice way to a restored slab body!
My thoughts on the finish: by now it would be Butterscotch after so many years. I would choose that so it will be recognized as a vintage bass.

Here's my newly finished 51RI:

View attachment 2843206

Right here. This is perfect.

 

[Fender_Bender]

what's better...a bass that's "artificially aged" or a bass that's very obviously re-finished? What if the body looks brand-new but the neck and headstock look 60 years old? Which will affect the value more given the fact that it's so old and rare? Does it even really matter as long as it plays and sounds good?

Yeah, sort of like being a little pregnant. Probably the best that can be done is to finish it in nitro lacquer, knowing that it’s going to age much faster than a modern finish.

 

[DavidBassista]

what's better...a bass that's "artificially aged" or a bass that's very obviously re-finished? What if the body looks brand-new but the neck and headstock look 60 years old? Which will affect the value more given the fact that it's so old and rare? Does it even really matter as long as it plays and sounds good?

I bought a very beat up 63 P bass and had it refined and didn't get it reliced. There are parts of the bass that are worn looking and yet the finish is new. You can see through the clear parts in the lacquer that gouges and dings in the wood remain where the former player dug his fingernail into the area above the pick guard. I don't think it looks incongruent. If anything it tells the story of the instrument. By relicing an instrument you mask the temporal journey of the instrument, its different owners, eras etc. You accelerate it to a pre-determined state of being that is completely out of touch with its actual lived experience. To me that is uninteresting. My bass is old with a new finish because I bought an old worn bass and put a new finish on it, period. It's a unique look. Relicing that new finish would simply make it look pastiche and deny the instrument the opportunity to tell its story in the years unfolding. Hope I'm not getting too philosophical here

 

[Arizona Jones]

I bought a very beat up 63 P bass and had it refined and didn't get it reliced. There are parts of the bass that are worn looking and yet the finish is new. You can see through the clear parts in the lacquer that gouges and dings in the wood remain where the former player dug his fingernail into the area above the pick guard. I don't think it looks incongruent. If anything it tells the story of the instrument. By relicing an instrument you mask the temporal journey of the instrument, its different owners, eras etc. You accelerate it to a pre-determined state of being that is completely out of touch with its actual lived experience. To me that is uninteresting. My bass is old with a new finish because I bought an old worn bass and put a new finish on it, period. It's a unique look. Relicing that new finish would simply make it look pastiche and deny the instrument the opportunity to tell its story in the years unfolding. Hope I'm not getting too philosophical here

Well, then why paint it at all? That aside, go ahead and post a pic.

 

[Bthebassplayer]

Yeah, sort of like being a little pregnant. Probably the best that can be done is to finish it in nitro lacquer, knowing that it’s going to age much faster than a modern finish.

I agree!!

 

[DavidBassista]

Well, then why paint it at all? That aside, go ahead and post a pic.

Ha, cause it had a "hillbilly paint job"

You can see it in this thread Fixing up 1963 Precision Bass

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

What method did you use to get the dark gunk off the fretboard? Just a damp cloth?

00000 grade steel wool and naphtha.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

00000 grade steel wool and naphtha.

Are you going to put a new coat of nitro on the fretboard?

 

[Flamingo21]

Well, then why paint it at all?

Because that's a good idea for anyone who wants to seriously play it.

 

[Arizona Jones]

Ha, cause it had a "hillbilly paint job"

You can see it in this thread Fixing up 1963 Precision Bass

Turned out really nice, congrats.

Because that's a good idea for anyone who wants to seriously play it.

Huh?

 

[Mark Desmo]

Hope I'm not getting too philosophical here

Not at all mate, it's a spiffing bit of prose. I particularly like the use of the word 'incongruent' - top word that.
Joking apart though, that was extremely succinctly (another top word - two can play at that game lol) put.

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

Are you going to put a new coat of nitro on the fretboard?

No, i'm not. It is in really nice shape, and I don't want to fix anything that isn't broken..the body was severely molested, so I don't feel bad restoring it back to a presentable state. The neck looks to be 100% original, so I just cleaned it up.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Here's my un-refinished, naturally worn 1962 (slab board). There's no way I'dre-finish it. However, if it was poorly re-finished, I would have MJT finish it and give it a mildly worn look. This is perfectly acceptable these days since 'relic' is actually a type of finish.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

View attachment 2845112 Here's my un-refinished, naturally worn 1962 (slab board). There's no way I'dre-finish it. However, if it was poorly re-finished, I would have MJT finish it and give it a mildly worn look. This is perfectly acceptable these days since 'relic' is actually a type of finish.

That's what my '62 slab board P-bass would look like if it wasn't painted by the previous owner's drummer in 1968.... with house paint nonetheless. But I got it for the price I did because of it, so I can't complain.
There's a deep groove above the pickguard, the last two frets are flat (had a partial refret in the 70's), and the tone and volume knob have a groove nearly an 1/8th deep from heavy use.
I might get it refinished in black nitro, just so it's not crappy paint

 

[Tim Rinkerman]

Filling,drying ,sanding,filling,drying,sanding,filling,drying,sanding........In a few more days I'll know if this is the end of the filling process..Just needed a temporary prop up to document a mark on the time line. Finish wet sanded with 600 paper. No color yet...

 

[Arrow]

Nice!! That pickguard looks so gooood!

 

[Mark Desmo]

Looking good Tim.
The body really is a gorgeous piece of timber.
Yes that pickguard looks great.

 

[reverendrally]

There's something very "Model T Ford" about this. I don't hanker for Fenders in any way shape or form, but this is different. It's like electric bass in it's purest form. You've done a great job on it.

 

[DavidBassista]

That nut looks pretty worn down, esp on the G string. Will you have to replace it?