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Possible to keep Nitro looking pristine…?

R

revd

Guest
Apr 11, 2020
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3,644
#1
I got an AVRI 63 Precision. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

It’s a few years old, played a lot and you know, it’s got a few marks on it. Paint is a bit distressed in places.

I like how it looks. I try to be careful but the Nitro really is pretty sensitive. Is it possible to keep a Nitro bass like this looking pristine?

For me the answer is no.
 
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#2
This is what mine looks like after nine years and many, many gigs and rehearsals. I’ve tried to keep it nice looking, but the nitro on these is just too fragile.

B8ECF757-1F2A-4A47-B63C-34CC56E6C09E.jpeg
 
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#4
I'm not saying this to be a wiseass,
but, I thought the whole appeal of using nitro these days was because it was never really a great finish that lasted long and people liked it because their bass would look "road warn" and "vintage" rather quickly. Which seems desirable to many folks.
It's not very durable. It yellows, cracks, chips and wears off quickly. Which, was fine in the the 50s, for a bass that was mass produced and likely expected to be replaced every few years. With all the modern and more durable finishes available for instruments now, I would assume the main reason to use nitro now would be because having it yellow and wear quickly is the desired effect (?)
 
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#5
That's a double edged sword there.... I have a couple with the flaking paint dings (call it patina). Once ya have your first few dings though the worry over preserving it is done with and you realize it does kinda look cool. So half of me says to do nothing and enjoy your bass. The other (OCD) half says I need to find a smart guy who can tell me what type of protective coating that could be applied over-top.... I'd probably research into a wipe-on poly clear coat maybe .... hopefully somebody experienced will be along here shortly.
 
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#6
For the AVRI it depends on the era. but the last series 58/63/64 were purposely made with thin skin finishes to they wear like the old original. I received a letter from some Fender exec when I had a 58RI and I emailed Fender about it, he went to length explaining they did this flash coating so it distresses quickly like originals.

I've had 90s and early 2000s 62RI's that had very thick finishes that never seemed to wear or check no matter how much I played them. One of them, I kept purposely putting in my garage during the cold winter and then bring inside repeatedly trying to get the finish to weather check, and it NEVER did.
 
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#9
RichterScale said:
I'm not saying this to be a wiseass,
but, I thought the whole appeal of using nitro these days was because it was never really a great finish that lasted long and people liked it because their bass would look "road warn" and "vintage" rather quickly. Which seems desirable to many folks.
It's not very durable. It yellows, cracks, chips and wears off quickly. Which, was fine in the the 50s, for a bass that was mass produced and likely expected to be replaced every few years. With all the modern and more durable finishes available for instruments now, I would assume the main reason to use nitro now would be because having it yellow and wear quickly is the desired effect (?)
Click to expand...

Celebrate imperfection and become a killer player at the same time! :bassist:

SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!
 
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#11
OP here, thanks for the discussion :)

lemme clarify couple things.

My AVRI is 2016 so may well have quite a thin nitro layer.

Small confession: I bought it without knowing what nitro was, so was initially a bit perplexed about how easily it marked. I have now made my peace with it, love the bass and accept the aging.

The thread is basically a deep dive for me into nitro and a discussion for other nitro owners, rather than a plea for tips on how to preserve my bass’s finish.

Bit of natural road worn is cool!
 
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#13
revd said:
OP here, thanks for the discussion :)

lemme clarify couple things.

My AVRI is 2016 so may well have quite a thin nitro layer.

Small confession: I bought it without knowing what nitro was, so was initially a bit perplexed about how easily it marked. I have now made my peace with it, love the bass and accept the aging.

The thread is basically a deep dive for me into nitro and a discussion for other nitro owners, rather than a plea for tips on how to preserve my bass’s finish.

Bit of natural road worn is cool!
Click to expand...

A lot of exaggeration has been infused into the nitro vs poly-acrylic debate. (please, don't break out the popcorn - I'm not wanting to start anything here, just attempting to shed light on the OP's finish concern) As long as a poly finish is correctly done (not too thick) it will last longer, looks great and unless your hearing is ultra sensitive, they both are good if the bass sounds good (new or aged) and most importantly - if the player sounds good.

Poly got a bad rap in the '70 (especially at Fender) as it was a 1970's formula and applied very heavily. CBS/Fender did this deliberately to address pro-players input for a more durable finish on their guitars/basses. The suits at CBS didn't have a clue how an instrument was supposed to sound. There might have been a few players then who cared about this detail then, but those instruments are heard on many of the classic songs recorded during that period.

At the end of the day it comes down to a personal finish choice, not a good-bad choice. I like both and have basses with both and they all look & sound great rehearsing, recording and playing live.
 
Last edited:
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#14
revd said:
Is it possible to keep a Nitro bass like this looking pristine?
Click to expand...

As a person who had five-plus years worth of experience finishing acoustic guitars in nitrocellulose lacquer (and not this weird thing Fender does with putting a coat of nitro on top of poly and calling it a nitro finish) I can tell you that yes, it’s absolutely possible, but it requires a level of care that most people are simply not willing to take with their instruments. But yes, it is doable.
 
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#15
Depends on the kind of paint and the thickness of it. MJT type of finish is formulated and sprayed to check, craze, chip and wear through. My Classic Series Lacquer 50s P Bass has a soft finish but there’s a lot sprayed on there and has no checking of any sort. I have read that the amount of plasticizers in a formula determines how durable it is.
 
#16
mikeswals said:
One of them, I kept purposely putting in my garage during the cold winter and then bring inside repeatedly trying to get the finish to weather check, and it NEVER did.
Click to expand...

Properly formulated and applied nitro lacquer should not weather check. I have seen Martins from the 1930s that haven’t checked. That kind of treatment is more likely to lead to the wood cracking, especially on an acoustic, than anything else.
 
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#18
revd said:
I got an AVRI 63 Precision. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

It’s a few years old, played a lot and you know, it’s got a few marks on it. Paint is a bit distressed in places.

I like how it looks. I try to be careful but the Nitro really is pretty sensitive. Is it possible to keep a Nitro bass like this looking pristine?

For me the answer is no.
Click to expand...
I thought the whole point of a nitro finish for 7enderFiles® is that it will become WellWorn® over time, the sooner the better? :confused:
 
#20
arbiterusa said:
As a person who had five-plus years worth of experience finishing acoustic guitars in nitrocellulose lacquer (and not this weird thing Fender does with putting a coat of nitro on top of poly and calling it a nitro finish) I can tell you that yes, it’s absolutely possible, but it requires a level of care that most people are simply not willing to take with their instruments. But yes, it is doable.
Click to expand...
No Poly on my Fender, just the thinnest of Nitro. You only have to look at it to leave a mark. I defy anyone to play it and not mark it.
 

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