Then you'd have free dinner...
Any pics from the results of this technique?
And shouldn't your signature say,
"The Internet. Where men are men, women are MEN, and kids are FBI agents."?
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How to make your Bass look worn?????
- Thread starter CLMSHQ
- Start date
Any pics from the results of this technique?
And shouldn't your signature say,
"The Internet. Where men are men, women are MEN, and kids are FBI agents."?
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
These are important insights about relics:
Ask yourself these questions:
How many "natural relics" are in the hands of those who did the wear vs. how many are being played by 2nd, 3rd, 4th, nth owners?
How many 60 year-old bassists do you see on stage with a relic in their hands? Can you imagine every relic being in the hands of the original owner? What about basses that have 10 peoples wear on their surfaces?
Let's just drop this empty criticism of "faux mojo" relics or road worn basses as implying some kind of failure of ones maturity or moral, aesthetic, musical, patriotic, or religious values. "Faux Mojo" relics are not a sign of loss of personal integrity. They are basses with a finish that imitates an old worn instrument. That is all they are.
I feel sad that some people believe that something holy is being desecrated. I can sympathize, but must say it is time to man up and move on. Purists inevitably impale themselves on the slender project of their fanatical dream.
Ask yourself these questions:
How many "natural relics" are in the hands of those who did the wear vs. how many are being played by 2nd, 3rd, 4th, nth owners?
How many 60 year-old bassists do you see on stage with a relic in their hands? Can you imagine every relic being in the hands of the original owner? What about basses that have 10 peoples wear on their surfaces?
Let's just drop this empty criticism of "faux mojo" relics or road worn basses as implying some kind of failure of ones maturity or moral, aesthetic, musical, patriotic, or religious values. "Faux Mojo" relics are not a sign of loss of personal integrity. They are basses with a finish that imitates an old worn instrument. That is all they are.
I feel sad that some people believe that something holy is being desecrated. I can sympathize, but must say it is time to man up and move on. Purists inevitably impale themselves on the slender project of their fanatical dream.
I have seen some real wear on relic look on MIJ basses . If people say a poly neck cant relic it sure can and looks pretty good, its just hard to find a bass that has been played that long. If you want a real relic buy a highway one on ebay in ten years i am.
You lost me, fanatical dream?These are important insights about relics:
Ask yourself these questions:
How many "natural relics" are in the hands of those who did the wear vs. how many are being played by 2nd, 3rd, 4th, nth owners?
They are still "natural" relics!
How many 60 year-old bassists do you see on stage with a relic in their hands? Can you imagine every relic being in the hands of the original owner? What about basses that have 10 peoples wear on their surfaces?
Again, they are still "natural" relics!
Let's just drop this empty criticism of "faux mojo" relics or road worn basses as implying some kind of failure of ones maturity or moral, aesthetic, musical, patriotic, or religious values. "Faux Mojo" relics are not a sign of loss of personal integrity. They are basses with a finish that imitates an old worn instrument. That is all they are.
Just your opinion Dr. Jim, how do you know what a persons true motivation is for owning one?
I feel sad that some people believe that something holy is being desecrated. I can sympathize, but must say it is time to man up and move on. Purists inevitably impale themselves on the slender project of their fanatical dream.
That's why I love these relic threads they always take an off ramp to who knows where.
In all seriousness to the OP, consider purchasing a Nash, a Fender Road Worn or a Hwy 1. If your budget doesn't allow, perhaps look for an AXL Badwater. I'm not sure how much luck you'd have looking used in this particular case.
If you must have your particular instrument reliced, look into having the service performed by a professional. A search should eventually turn up some positive leads.
Good luck and enjoy your bass how you best see fit.
If you must have your particular instrument reliced, look into having the service performed by a professional. A search should eventually turn up some positive leads.
Good luck and enjoy your bass how you best see fit.
I play in a classic rock band and want that worn look to a P-Bass.
Do you use a stripper or a certain grade of sand paper for worn spots? Then a laquer...I don't know.
Has anyone done this and can show me pics?
Thanks!
-Thanks to all!
-A joke is a joke which I can take, but thanks for going overboard to not get to the question at hand
. Some of you had good suggestions, thank-you. AND others try to act cool and be a follower.The reason for wanting a Vintage look is because I got rid of all my original basses that would of most likely have a small worn look to them. I am trying to make a bass look and feel how I would want a bass in the band situation at hand...Why do some you change the pickguards, or paint a scenery, or put stickers????? Because that is how you want it!
For those of you that were serious, thank-you, for those of you that joked, thanks...and for those that went overboad to waste space on this site and post...go screw.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
natural = pure = better = only acceptable way = fanatical dream.
What is so scary about a finish that looks old? It threatens something very important.
Dare I mention that we are talking about objects that by themselves do nothing?
It is the music that matters to me, not the bass finish or the supposed symbolism. All IMHO, of course.
Ps. Ray--Please be more careful about how you quote. I did not write most of the things you attribute to me (totallyfrozen wrote the post I quoted), I merely quoted them. IMHO, your text should appear outside of the quotations. It's not to hard to do, though it is an extra step or two. Thanks.
What is so scary about a finish that looks old? It threatens something very important.
Dare I mention that we are talking about objects that by themselves do nothing?
It is the music that matters to me, not the bass finish or the supposed symbolism. All IMHO, of course.
Ps. Ray--Please be more careful about how you quote. I did not write most of the things you attribute to me (totallyfrozen wrote the post I quoted), I merely quoted them. IMHO, your text should appear outside of the quotations. It's not to hard to do, though it is an extra step or two. Thanks.
Just play it A LOT! To be honest I don't get why people like to age their guitars and/or basses. No offense, but you don't need a worn out bass guitar in order to fit in with a classic rock band.
Just play it A LOT! To be honest I don't get why people like to age their guitars and/or basses. No offense, but you don't need a worn out bass guitar in order to fit in with a classic rock band.
Nope, a beat up guitar isn't needed but there's also nothing wrong with it. Or weren't you aware that Keith Richards was the person who first asked for the relic treatment from the Fender Custom Shop?
"An offshoot of Fender's forays into replicating the look of heavily worn instruments was the introduction of the Fender Relic series in the late 1990s. This idea came as guitarist Keith Richards of the British rock group The Rolling Stones told the Custom Shop that some replicas he commissioned for a Stones tour 'looked too new', stating: "Bash 'em up a bit and I'll play 'em". His statement catalyzed with the presence of Vince Cunetto and Jay W. Black at the start of the Custom Shop. Cunetto guitars have since become known for their high level of quality and artistry among the Custom Shop Relics. The Relic models aspire to perfectly replicate vintage instruments, both in terms of the parts, design and finishes used, as well in the varying degrees of wear that would usually be found on a 40-50 year old instrument. Fender tarnishes metal parts, purposely marks and scratches paintjobs, yellows and cracks plastic parts, and burns marks in the headstock (where it can be used to tell time during jam sessions and tripping, a cigarette might be about 8 minutes) in the process to faithfully replicate the overall look of a battered old original. This move caused a controversy among players who failed to see the logic in paying a premium for a deliberately damaged instrument. Fender offers grades of wear on the relic series, from light to very heavy 'wear', and has since introduced a line of 'NOS' (new old stock) and 'Closet Classic' instruments that employ the period-correct parts, designs and finishes but do not feature faux abuse, weathering or aging."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Custom_Shop
play it every waking hour and in 10~20 years it will be worn
take it to jams and let it be the house bass
play it some more
make anyone who visits you, play it
patience...there is complete satisfaction in wearing in your own bass for years...it's sexual I tell ya!
take it to jams and let it be the house bass
play it some more
make anyone who visits you, play it
patience...there is complete satisfaction in wearing in your own bass for years...it's sexual I tell ya!
my $00.02 ... I honestly don't see the purpose of purposely aging your guitar. In my opinion it just reflects how careless and clumsy you are. basses go for over a grand and I certainly will treat it that way. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, I saw this one Youtube vid where Jaco and a guitarist (name escapes me at this time) were playing together and this guitarist was just phenomenal! I was just completely astounded by this guys guitar skills. So I looked him up (his name was on the description - it still escapes me) on youtube and I found a much more recent vid and he was doing this concert in a stadium with at leat 20,000 in attendance. My point being is that at this concert his guitar on the back of the neck you can clearly see how worn it was because the guitar was black and he'd played it until its just wood. and i remeber thinking to myself wow!! this dude played over 20 years ago with jaco and he's still playing, I mean, LOOK AT HIS GUITAR!!! ITS SOOO WORN!!!.... But this look definetly goes with him cause if you were to compare both videos that I saw its like: the same guitar and the same man 20 years later. I totaly appreciate worn look. But a pseudo relic? give me a break... earn your stripes. ...
bring on the negative comments!!!
bring on the negative comments!!!
I notice you have a 1966 P bass on your G.A.S. list.
Why not just settle for a newer, cheaper instrument and give it the treatment? Same difference, right?
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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Gee, has everybody gotten their chance to ridicule the OP for something he personally "likes" , or would the Peanut Gallery like more time to make fun of his opinion?
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Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,613
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
I want a mint '66, of course. LOL
But seriously, it is the wide flat C neck that I want, so a '62 RI may be in my future. However, the Fender Road Worn basses I have played are very tempting, too.
Please don't get the idea I am advocating that people relic their basses. I am simply asking that they view a bass finish as a bass finish, not as a badge of honor.
A badge of honor is having a successful career as a performer for 20 years. No instrument can give you that.
I have an '04 American P-bass and after I had some electronics installed (Redeemer) I noticed that the installer had ripped out a chunk of finish when he was routing for the battery box. I probably should have raised hell, but it already had a ding. But after i got it home, I noticed two more dings that were filled in. I decided to take the opportunity and try some relicing. It's still a work in progress, but I'm having fun. Up close it's obviously a fake relic, but from a few feet away it looks "old". It's perfect because it gives me a bass that has some swagger in its looks but if someone were to walk off with it when I wasn't looking, I'm not out a prized collector's item.
Do do a proper relic, you need a nitro finish. I'm not going to refinish the bass, so I knocked off the gloss with some steel wool. But you have to be careful with a poly finish. Too much and you'll end up with a white haze instead of knocking off the gloss.
So far I've only scuffed up the chrome. Still need to take away all the shine. I saw someone mention soaking the chrome pieces in urine. I think I'll keep the shine over that.
Oh well, it's fun and I'm taking a bass that had some faults and turning those into "character". Oh yeah, and my neighbor thinks I'm nuts when I was trying to light a cigarette without inhaling -- not a smoker. Apparently cigarettes are now low smoldering and don't give you that cool burn mark behind the nut.
Do do a proper relic, you need a nitro finish. I'm not going to refinish the bass, so I knocked off the gloss with some steel wool. But you have to be careful with a poly finish. Too much and you'll end up with a white haze instead of knocking off the gloss.
So far I've only scuffed up the chrome. Still need to take away all the shine. I saw someone mention soaking the chrome pieces in urine. I think I'll keep the shine over that.
Oh well, it's fun and I'm taking a bass that had some faults and turning those into "character". Oh yeah, and my neighbor thinks I'm nuts when I was trying to light a cigarette without inhaling -- not a smoker. Apparently cigarettes are now low smoldering and don't give you that cool burn mark behind the nut.
