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Fender Custom Shop Club

#2,321
projectapollo said:
The Cunetto is not relic'd?
Click to expand...

It is, though the relic is light. You can see more detailed photos on post #2 of the “Show your red basses” thread.

Show your red basses!

Since Cunetto’s were the first production relics it was yet to be seen how that market would accept them. So I believe the relicing was to be about where you would want a collectors grade vintage instrument, with light wear, but nothing too crazy.

It’s been 25 years since Fender displayed two of Frank Cunetto’s relic guitars at the winter ‘95 NAMM show. Prior to that relicing was only used to match a newer part to an older vintage instrument. The public was not used to seeing a relic guitar come straight from the bench. It’s something that’s still hotly debated today.

So Cunetto relic’s are light by today’s standards. Unless more wear exists due to previous use, Cunetto relics look somewhere between MJT’s closet clean wear and their light relic, with no finish crackle like Fender’s Journeyman relic finish.
 
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#2,322
Here's Dusty, the Postmodern and a John Kallas for good measure.

IMG_6227.jpg
 
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#2,324
SJLee said:
Since Cunetto’s were the first production relics it was yet to be seen how that market would accept them. So I believe the relicing was to be about where you would want a collectors grade vintage instrument, with light wear, but nothing too crazy.
Click to expand...

Here is my '96 Cunetto with pretty heavy relic'ing. I think his relic jobs look better than anything the Custom Shop did after they ended their arrangement in about '99.

upload_2021-1-3_12-26-38.jpeg


upload_2021-1-3_12-28-12.jpeg
 
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#2,325
projectapollo said:
Here is my '96 Cunetto with pretty heavy relic'ing. I think his relic jobs look better than anything the Custom Shop did after they ended their arrangement in about '99.

View attachment 4113986

View attachment 4113988
Click to expand...

Yep, 1999 would have ended the run before moving the ageing process in house.

There's a vintage dealer in my area and I have had the fortune to play roughly 12 or13 Cunetto basses over the years. None of them had that much relicing on them accept two which were owned by touring musicians. They had more ageing similar to yours. I could be wrong, but if you are not the original owner the wear you see may be from the previous owner(s) and accumulated use over the past 20+ years. I'll see if I can't find a link to an interview with Frank Cunetto which had photos of the reliced bodies. Here are some links to see what most looked like when they left the bench.

Here's a rare Precision bass.

Link Removed

Link Removed

Sonic Blue jazz which has some none original wear such as the rectangular chipping on the front. Mainly light chipping around the edges.

1997 Fender Custom Shop '62 Jazz Bass Stack Knob Cunetto Relic Sonic Blue w/ Case, Tags | Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar | Reverb

Burgundy Mist jazz, again with light chipping around the edges.

Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass 1998 Burgundy Mist | On My Azure Table | Reverb

Another Fiesta Red jazz with more forearm wear. Otherwise light chips.

Fender Cunetto Custom Shop Jazz Bass 1996 Aged Fiesta Red | ShelG | Reverb

Here's the article which shows the bodies. Mainly nicks and small chips with some showing forearm wear.

The untold story of Fender’s relic guitars
 
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#2,326
SJLee said:
Yep, 1999 would have ended the run before moving the ageing process in house.

There's a vintage dealer in my area and I have had the fortune to play roughly 12 or13 Cunetto basses over the years. None of them had that much relicing on them accept two which were owned by touring musicians. They had more ageing similar to yours. I could be wrong, but if you are not the original owner the wear you see may be from the previous owner(s) and accumulated use over the past 20+ years. I'll see if I can't find a link to an interview with Vince Cunetto which had photos of the reliced bodies. Here are some links to see what most looked like when they left the bench.

Here's a rare Precision bass.

Link Removed

Link Removed

Sonic Blue jazz which has some none original wear such as the rectangular chipping on the front. Mainly light chipping around the edges.

1997 Fender Custom Shop '62 Jazz Bass Stack Knob Cunetto Relic Sonic Blue w/ Case, Tags | Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar | Reverb

Burgundy Mist jazz, again with light chipping around the edges.

Fender Custom Shop Jazz Bass 1998 Burgundy Mist | On My Azure Table | Reverb

Another Fiesta Red jazz with more forearm wear. Otherwise light chips.

Fender Cunetto Custom Shop Jazz Bass 1996 Aged Fiesta Red | ShelG | Reverb

Here's the article which shows the bodies. Mainly nicks and small chips with some showing forearm wear.

The untold story of Fender’s relic guitars
Click to expand...

Don't know why I said Frank. :)
 
#2,327
SJLee said:
It is, though the relic is light. You can see more detailed photos on post #2 of the “Show your red basses” thread.

Show your red basses!

Since Cunetto’s were the first production relics it was yet to be seen how that market would accept them. So I believe the relicing was to be about where you would want a collectors grade vintage instrument, with light wear, but nothing too crazy.

It’s been 25 years since Fender displayed two of Frank Cunetto’s relic guitars at the winter ‘95 NAMM show. Prior to that relicing was only used to match a newer part to an older vintage instrument. The public was not used to seeing a relic guitar come straight from the bench. It’s something that’s still hotly debated today.

So Cunetto relic’s are light by today’s standards. Unless more wear exists due to previous use, Cunetto relics look somewhere between MJT’s closet clean wear and their light relic, with no finish crackle like Fender’s Journeyman relic finish.
Click to expand...
You guys are killing me...
I wish I had kept my 97 relic jazz...I have some more pictures somewhere .... on paper

3090a.jpg
3090b.jpg
3090c.jpg
 
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