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Is my '17 AVRI 63 PRecision real nitro?

Mike Vee

Mike Vee

Inactive
Oct 8, 2012
3,718
8,234
Los Angeles
#1
So, this year I got an American Vintage 63 Precision in sonic blue. She's really just a studio queen, so I wanted to have a LIGHT relic done in order to age it a bit so it feels more comfortable - strictly for comfort and play-ability. No intense paint missing and all that stuff, just some good wear on the body and neck and a little aged look, a few minor dings maybe and some light checking.

So I started pricing the process and have been told that my bass is probably just poly with a thin nitro top coat and that relicing cant' be done. REALLY? Is this true? I googled it and it opinions and "facts" seem to vary wildly. Some say yes but even original fenders were done that way? So how do those age then? Does that mean my bass won't even wear naturally?
 
#3
Just keep playing it and dont think too much about the finish, whatever it is. They may call it nitro or whatever, but it's definitely NOT the same as what they used to use way back in the 50's and 60's, that's for sure, so it's going to wear differently. That doesn't mean it wont "wear", it just means it will wear differently. Yo can do whatever you like obviously since it's your bass, but I'd skip paying for a relic job and just keep playing it.
 
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#4
Mike Vee said:
Also, if fender always does poly under their nitro - what about their own road worn series? Hoe do they relic that?
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I may be wrong, but the "older" AVRI's had a noticeable, fairly thick poly layer under the nitro. I had a 2008 52AVRI Tele and that finish sucked. Was think and brittle, and would flake off and chip very easily in chunks, and you could see that thick poly layer between the nitro and the wood, while the necks were straight up nitro. I think with the Roadworns they dont have that thick poly undercoat maybe?

Seriously though, dont let that discourage you. I've seen plenty of 70's Fenders that got played hard and naturally relic'd that looked great and naturally roadworn. Again, it's gonna age differently than the nitro used in the 50's and 60's, but doesn't mean it wont happen.
 
#5
Vinnie Boombatz said:
I may be wrong, but the "older" AVRI's had a noticeable, fairly thick poly layer under the nitro. I had a 2008 52AVRI Tele and that finish sucked. Was think and brittle, and would flake off and chip very easily in chunks, and you could see that thick poly layer between the nitro and the wood, while the necks were straight up nitro. I think with the Roadworns they dont have that thick poly undercoat maybe?

Seriously though, dont let that discourage you. I've seen plenty of 70's Fenders that got played hard and naturally relic'd that looked great and naturally roadworn. Again, it's gonna age differently than the nitro used in the 50's and 60's, but doesn't mean it wont happen.
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thanks for the reply but i really want something a little worn and now - i might keep this and do a roard worn p and then get the body refinished and relic'd in burgundy mist, then buy relic'd covers.
 
#7
Mike Vee said:
thanks for the reply but i really want something a little worn and now - i might keep this and do a roard worn p and then get the body refinished and relic'd in burgundy mist, then buy relic'd covers.
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Then just buy a body from MJT. Or just spend less time in TB and play that bass more. You should be naturally relic'ing that bass instead of relic'ing your computers keyboard, right?!
 
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#9
I have the same “problem” with my Maruszczyk Elwood. I’ve had a Fender Precision Highway one with a nitro finish that was of the kind that wears easily. I ordered my Maruszczyk with a nitro finish and thought that it was the same but it isn’t. I think such a finish is not called nitro. It’s only a very thin layer of lacquer with no protection layer I think.
 
#11
You can use a VERY soft sponge and just rub the areas where your body comes in contact. That nitro will come and you can distress to taste. I wouldn't recommend the checking or dings.
 
#12
I think they put a clear sealer under the nitro. Not sure if its the same as what was called 'fullerplast'. I noticed on my old reissues this poly looking coat in spots where the paint chipped. Was put there to fill the wood pores so it wont soak up so much paint and they dont have to spray as much. I do think they are using nitro but most likely its different from the '50s & '60s. So your bass should age faster than a bass coated in poly. Its usually the clear coat that yellows that causes the aged look. I read fender started using poly in the late '60s but they still sprayed nitro clear coat over the bodies and the headstocks so that would explain why '70s fenders headstocks got so orange. So I would say on your bass it is some kind of clear sealer (maybe poly) then a thin layer/flashcoat of nitro then a nitro clear coat. If you expose it to UV rays, smokey air or other environmental factors and simply play the crap out of the bass it will certainly age over time and faster than an all Poly bass but may not be fast enough for you.
 
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#13
Relic’d my ‘63 AVRI.
 

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#14
It's a low VOC poly underneath in part because of CARB (California Air Resources Board) who regulates emissions including paint evaporation. Due to Fender's high production volume in Corona, they cannot spray all of their guitars with just nitro and be under the VOC limits.

There's also the advantage of poly that can be sprayed with thicker coats, and dries much faster. Therefore, the labor cost per unit manufactured is much lower. An example is their mexican factory which does not have restricted VOC limits, but they still use poly for expense control.

Poly and poly with a nitro top coat don't relic like a older nitro guitar. Consequently, the relic job looks somewhat fake. I have two old basses, one nitro and the other poly. The natural wear on these are far different from each other. Poly is tougher and much more tenacious than nitro and it shows.
 
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#18
I have a 2013 AVR P in faded sonic blue. When I bought it, there was a small amount of buckle rash and a couple of chips here and there. I played it a lot last summer in extremely hot weather and the paint on that thing is so soft it almost fell off by itself. Maybe I don't know what "real" nitro is, but I do know what poly is and this is not that, Play it. It will relic itself!
 
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#20
Gougedeye said:
I have a 2013 AVR P in faded sonic blue. When I bought it, there was a small amount of buckle rash and a couple of chips here and there. I played it a lot last summer in extremely hot weather and the paint on that thing is so soft it almost fell off by itself. Maybe I don't know what "real" nitro is, but I do know what poly is and this is not that, Play it. It will relic itself!
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The finish on both my Franklins gets super soft where my forearm touches it after about an hour of play...and the older of the two is already starting to check on the back
 

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