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fender road worn vs. custom relics

PilbaraBass

PilbaraBass

Jul 19, 2004
8,714
173
61
Gladstone, QLD, Australia
#1
to start with...moderator Ryan has already closed a thread about road worns stating this...

This subject is really getting tired. Seriously, if some of you don't like relic'd basses, don't buy them. There's no need to constantly make jabs, whether directly or indirectly, at folks who do like them.

OK...so if you're going to discuss relics and why you don't like them, don't do it here...ok?

I want to discuss how the Fender "road worn" appears to be an overdone, cookie-cut relic job vs. decent relic jobs like those done by the likes of TB's Ibanezcollector and others...

the road worns i've seen (and only photos at this point) do not appear all that appealing in that the fingerboards look like they've been through world war II tied to the rudder of submarine...and the bodies exhibit worn spots of exact shape and dimension in the same spots...

discuss...:)
 
#12
allexcosta said:
Oh man, nothing beats a natural relic. I've got a 69 Jazz here that's in good condition for the year. It plays and feels so nice...
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My oldest bass is a 72 Ric that I (foolishly) refinished back in the mid-80s (because I wanted to turn my Fire Glo into Maple Glo).

But I'll say this -- the brand new '57 Fender AV P-bass I've had for just a little over a year is already looking like a "closet classic" and I could see it looking "reliced" on its own in probably just a few more years as often as I play it.
 
#15
Jefenator said:
I'm holding out for the "bad refin" series, 'cause that's what I always wind up with! :D
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I've done that for years on some of my DIYs. I call it my RatRod finish. It's in the style of a late '60s/early '70s backyard refinishes I've seen around here for decades. It's really easy, just slap on shellac or varnish on a raw or previously stripped body without regard to precise application techniques. It wears very naturally with use.

Here's one when fresh:

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#16
For me, the worst example of "cookie-cutter" relic jobs is the Jaco Pastorius relic model from Fender. The wear looks ridiculously fake, like wear templates have been taped to the bass before painting. And to then charge three thousands dollars for it is a travesty, the guys at the Custom Shop should be ashamed of it. In fact, I think they might be, because it doesn't seem to exist on Fender's website any more.

I don't care if it's the best playing bass ever, the relic job absolutely sucks!!

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#17
allexcosta said:
Believe me, it is... I've done it... Some steel wool, sand paper, a cigarette, a knife, muriatic acid and you're done in about an hour...

It can take more time if you decide to do drastic temperature changes to crack the finish or maybe use some staining techniques.
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I believe you did it and hell...I believe that a relic job can be done in 15 minutes if you like.

But just because you did it doesn't mean it looked good or at all believable. There is a talent to it and 95% of the home relic jobs you see on ebay are absolute garbage.

Now I am not saying yours was garbage because I never saw it...I am jsut saying that it is very very hard to do a relic job and have it look real. Fender custom shop does not get it right all of the time either.

I really think the key is minor wear. The more wear that is put on the larger chance of it looking fake. But that is why I believe if you like the relic look it pays to get it done right.

I don't think the wear on these really looks fake as much as it looks like they are all the same. Does anyone have any other pictures showing different wear? The ones on Musicians Friend all have the same wear pattern.
 
#19
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#20
PilbaraBass said:
...and the bodies exhibit worn spots of exact shape and dimension in the same spots...

discuss...:)
Click to expand...
The alternating pictures above would indicate this is not the case. The "wear" is definitley similar between the two, but not identical. I imagine this opened up an issue for Fender anyway. How do you maintain consistency with a product and yet not make it identical? So, you get what we have, very close approximations of the same idea, without being exact. I'm not sure how else they were expected to do it.

Mike
 

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