How is your American Vintage II wearing?

[Kevin Hailey]

I've had my AVII P bass for a bit over 2 years. First nitro finished instrument I've owned. After about 100 gigs it has a half a dozen or so paint chips and a myriad of fine scratches. Should only be another 20 years or so till it looks like a "relic"

 

[kyral210]

I've had my AVII P bass for a bit over 2 years. First nitro finished instrument I've owned. After about 100 gigs it has a half a dozen or so paint chips and a myriad of fine scratches. Should only be another 20 years or so till it looks like a "relic"

First, the time frame checks out. A sixties bass didn't look reliced until the 80s.

Second, modern nitro has different plasticisers than the original paint so the wear will be different.

 

[NotColinGrigson]

To be honest - I misread the title as American vintage swearing dang nam it

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I would say that's more or less normal with a nitro finish after 100 gigs.

I can't say the same about the the early 2000s series of AVRIs that had the ultra thin "flash coat" finish. The finish on my '57 White Blonde P-bass started peeling off the first time I played it at a rehearsal. It looked like a 50 year old relic within 1-2 years of gigging. Of course, Fender's warranty didn't cover the finish... It's the best Fender bass I've ever played (although the neck is a little wide for my taste) but it looks horrible now.

These current AVRI II series, are they true nitro finish, or nitro over poly like the American Originals that preceded them? Does the finish "relic" all the way down too wood (like on proper vintage instruments and the original AVRIs) or just down to the poly layer? This will have a huge impact on how it ends up looking in a couple of years.

 

[zwiebackdude]

Got some pics? Would love to see what my bass could look like if I had 100 gigs.. which won't happen in the next 20 years ^^

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

I have about 50 gigs with a 14 month old AV II 1960's P that I bought brand new and it still looks brand new.

I've knocked it around a few stages but the finish has held up very well. There are some swirls and scratching from normal playing, unlike my blond AV 58 P and RW, where the finish falls off if you look at it the wrong way.

 

[darwin-bass]

I've had my AVII P bass for a bit over 2 years. First nitro finished instrument I've owned. After about 100 gigs it has a half a dozen or so paint chips and a myriad of fine scratches. Should only be another 20 years or so till it looks like a "relic"

I'm super careful with all my stuff. If my bass had half a dozen paint chips I'd consider myself reckless. I have 5 basses and have gigged once per month over 10 years. So, 100 gigs. I have one chip. And it bugs me that I have that!!

Like I said, I'm super (overly) careful with my instruments. You do you and enjoy our freedom.

(side note - I haven't lost a guitar pick in over 20 years. I haven't had a guitar cable fail in that same time period either. Have dropped my cell phone only twice in the last 5 years. I'm not sure I'm normal.)

 

[andymac]

or nitro over poly like the American Originals that preceded them?

Ah, that explains my American Original! Hearing all the stuff online about Nitro, when I bought the bass, I expected to look kind of reliced by now (five years in). But it's been wearing pretty much the same as my regular poly basses (which is to say hardly at all).

 

[DamirDart]

I've had my AVII P bass for a bit over 2 years. First nitro finished instrument I've owned. After about 100 gigs it has a half a dozen or so paint chips and a myriad of fine scratches. Should only be another 20 years or so till it looks like a "relic"

Very interesting question. Could you post some pics how the wear looks like? I was on the fence to buy a vintage II P. Thank you!

 

[godofthunder59]

First, the time frame checks out. A sixties bass didn't look reliced until the 80s.

Second, modern nitro has different plasticisers than the original paint so the wear will be different.

50s and 60s laquered guitars were showing major wear by the late 60s in part leading to the "hippie " refins

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Ah, that explains my American Original! Hearing all the stuff online about Nitro, when I bought the bass, I expected to look kind of reliced by now (five years in). But it's been wearing pretty much the same as my regular poly basses (which is to say hardly at all).

Yeah, they will never relic like a true nitro finish. I think maybe the AVRI II series are the same, but I'm not 100% sure. The original AVRIs were true nitro, and for some of the years/models it was even an exceptionally thin/fragile nitro finish, to the point where I would consider it a severely flawed finish. A properly done nitro finish won't be anywhere near as robust as a poly finish, but it shouldn't start to flake off within days either, like it did on some of the original AVRIs (which apart from the shockingly poor finish on some of them were probably the best production model basses Fender has ever made).