Roadworn

[Matthew_84]

My whole point here is that there is a difference between roadworn basses and a rare piece and where the line is.

To me, light scuffs and worn paint due to playing is roadworn. A chip from removing the neck is damaged. Sorry for being so blunt.

 

[leesbrushes]

Unfortunately Matthew I agree.

 

[Matthew_84]

Unfortunately Matthew I agree.

I must admit, I felt like a POS saying that, especially because I did the same thing to a Jazz I had in the same spot... It sucks. Especially with your bass being so nice.

If I were you, I'd try to find the right person to repair it. You'd be able to sell it for a bit more than if you didn't... You may not recoup all of the cost, but at least it will give you piece of mind.

 

[leesbrushes]

No reason to feel bad.
That is why I posted this.
Any other bass and I would not care.
I probably will have it fixed eventually but either way..its going nowhere...lol

 

[Matthew_84]

No reason to feel bad.
That is why I posted this.
Any other bass and I would not care.
I probably will have it fixed eventually but either way..its going nowhere...lol

Yeah she's a beaut in any regard... I don't think I'd be looking to sell anytime soon, if ever.

 

[leesbrushes]

Thanks Matt.
I was looking for a Fullerton when I stumbled into this... Could not not..

 

[barginkov]

I have considered fixing it but did not want to make it worse by doing so.
Did not know if it was better to leave it or not.

I had a mint 74 jazz bass couple of years ago , I left it on a stand ,when I got back home my 10 week old chow puppy had used the upper horn as a chewing toy. I was devastated, if I had it fixed It would probably loose as much value as if I left it alone..so I sold it that same week , I just could look at it like that.I had that puppy for 12 years. I miss her a lot more than the bass

 

[madbass6]

Dude there's a difference between
(A) road worn & (B) beat up to sh*t!
Sorry but yours is leaning more towards " B " ):

 

[SlimNeck]

I understand your frustration. However, to me it's a question why you bought it in the first place. Is it the fact that it's a collectible or is it a keeper to play and love? If it was me, I would play and enjoy and leave it as is.

When the day comes and you want to sell it, it might have more dings to fix. Then consider if it's worth the cost of a repair to the added value.

I'd vote for; don't worry. But that's me of course.

 

[DigitalMan]

To directly address the premise, I don't think a chip or scratch and roadworn are the same thing, and both are unrelated to relicing which is a third topic altogether.

Roadworn that accumulates over decades and shows normal signs of playing wear and tear is to be expected for a vintage bass. The wear and tear doesn't make it more valuable per se. It's simply the reality of an instrument with a long, rich history. The alternative would be a vintage instrument that has been refinished, which is a lot less valuable. This type of wear and tear may involve a few dings and dents, but often has a natural pattern where the finish has been rubbed off due to the act of playing the instrument.

If that paint chip occurred due to removing the neck I'd get in touch with Fender first and see what they can do about it.

 

[xroads]

If I were you, I'd try to find the right person to repair it. You'd be able to sell it for a bit more than if you didn't... You may not recoup all of the cost, but at least it will give you piece of mind.

What if you chip the paint when you adjust the neck next time?
Get it repaired again and again?

This makes no sense to me.

If you want to sell it though, you can think about getiing it fixed, but I doubt that you can increase the sale price by the amount you pay for the repair.

 

[gregouille23]

This is.the offending painy chip btw.View attachment 795741

This is spooky, I have a similar bass (mine is MIJ Classic 50s, not a CS) in the same color, with the same pg and the exact same chip in the finish... Weird stuff...
I did mine when I removed the neck in a hurry. I was pissed at myself when I did it (this is only the 2nd bass I bought new... grrrr), but now I never notice it anymore and I honestly don't give a **** as I will never sell this one. It has this classic P tone with a pick which is exactly what I was looking for when I bought it.

If you want to sell yours, it's just a bass with a chip in the finish which you may need to sell a bit below average price. In any case, I have troubles to sell any bass at all these days, so best just to keep it

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm not into the "road worn/reliced" lokk, but that not road worn. It's a chip - not wear from playing.

 

[Goatrope]

I draw the line between intentionally distressed finishes vs naturally occurring wear, regardless of the amount of wear.

Whenever I read "Road Worn" I think of intentional distress, so I think this term deserves clarification when/if trading occurs.

 

[MonetBass]

At the end of the day, it's an instrument. Just like a new car: if you drive it every day, it's going to get dings in the paint. You could freak out about it and fix it, or just come to the realization that it's transportation and nothing more. If you're not planning on selling it, what difference does it make?

If the bass plays well and sounds great and you're happy with it, play the heck out of it and move on.

 

[johnson79]

If it were my bass I'd look into getting it repaired professionally and address it so it won't happen again.
Of course it may be impossible to prevent a repeat, dunno.
I'd at least explore the repair options and go from there.

 

[Jim Carr]

Unfortunately Matthew I agree.

I learned the "how to remove a Fender Neck" lesson, too, long ago. After the strings, screws, and neck plate are removed with the bass lying on a towel "face down," the body must be lifted straight up, keeping it absolutely parallel to the workbench and the neck.

If you tilt the body and neck in relation to each other, you are 100% guaranteed to crack the finish around the pocket. This is due to the way the neck neck tapers in the pocket from the heel toward the nut.

Sorry you learned the hard way.

 

[dalkowski]

My whole point here is that there is a difference between roadworn basses and a rare piece and where the line is.

Mutually exclusive categorizations; there is no line.

"Rare" means there are few of them, which describes what you have.

Any bass, from a First Act to Fodera can be "roadworn," if you must use that word.

 

[WheatPenny]

If you plan on keeping it for a long time and the chip really bothers you, get it repaired. Or if you could live with the chip just leave it. That's what I love about loving my instruments, knowing that I didn't buy it to flip and I can do what I want to them without worrying about resale. Oh and beautiful bass by the way.
And now to try and give my .02 on your actual question. I think roadworn, like actually been out and about, instruments can look decent. I didn't use to but I'm coming around. However, I wouldn't really buy a relic bass, it's just not for me. Do I hate when others do? Not at all. For me the difference between roadworn and completely wrecked comes down to negligence. Playing a guitar adds character wear. Abusing a guitar does something else entirely

 

[leesbrushes]

Thanks everyone for your replys.
I say a thread a couple weeks ago about dings and drop fills and ever since I have gone back and forth about fixing it.
There has been tons of good ideas here and I thank you all.
I do not intend to sell.
It's my prize bass and I love playing it as well as starring at it..lol.
I will most likeley have it profesionally touch up and from now on be extra careful when adjusting things..I have done this many times before with no issue..I still don't feel that I was being careless at the time but either way it happened and I'll deal with it.
I bought it to play and cherish equally and I will continue to do both.its not a closet quenn..no pun intended ...but it is not something that I will just beat on either.
Thanks again.