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Scratches = Character?

#61
It should be all about the music you are giving your audience.
I don't own the high end stuff because I don't worry about scratches and dings. We don't cause these things to happen.
They just do. All my basses have dings. I play the hell out of them and if I owned something like a series II Alembic or whatever, I wouldn't sweat the resale value.
I don't buy for resale.
Case in point.... two days ago I picked up a new "tung oiled"
bass and on accident, banged it pretty good on the coffee table. Two really big notches on it now. Big deal. It is broken in now and I am playing the hell out of it.

I will never sell it and it has a Hipshot tremelo which I am finding out real quick, is not that usable with cover tunes.

Let 'em get dinged and scratched... It doesn't build character,
it will reveal character.
 
#63
I keep my instruments as nice as I can. The exception is, of course, normal wear and tear from usage. My main (Stingray 5) shows some wear on the fretboard, and there is a slightly discolored dimple on the pickguard by the pickup where I rest my thumb. My backup is developing some shiny spots like a comfortably broken in steering wheel. The only real dings my instruments have are leftovers from the previous owners... a tiny ding on the headstock of my 'ray and a dimple on the back of the neck of my jazz fretless.

I don't have a problem with gear that gets naturally worn, I think musical instruments are meant to be played. An old, heavily played axe has subtle beauty in it's wear much like an old pair of comfortable shoes.
 
#64
Bryan R. Tyler said:
As this seems to occur far too often, I will reiterate that there is NO RELIC OR RELIC OWNER BASHING allowed. A reliced finish is just as "fake" as a black or red paintjob. There's no need to "earn" a worn finish if that's what you want just as there's no need to "earn" a black finish.
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As a moderator, it's essentially your sandbox, so there's no arguing that we can take our little shovels and pails elsewhere for "bashing" (what an appropriate term for this thread) so called "relic" finishes, but respectfully, please don't piss on our backs and call it rain. It's disingenuous, at best.

A "relic" finish is as fake as a three dollar bill with a photo of Dick Cheney in the center. It's an artificially distressed new finish that attempts to imitate something old and genuinely abused over time. As such, it's phony/artificial/faux/counterfeit/bogus/forged/sham.

Relic:
1. Something that has survived the passage of time, especially an object or custom whose original culture has disappeared.
2. Something cherished for its age or historic interest.
3. An object kept for its association with the past; a memento.
 
#66
Debased said:
A "relic" finish is as fake as a three dollar bill with a photo of Dick Cheney in the center. It's an artificially distressed new finish that attempts to imitate something old and genuinely abused over time. As such, it's phony/artificial/faux/counterfeit/bogus/forged/sham.
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And a candy apple red or black finish is "real" how? They are false finishes- they ain't coming out of the tree looking like that. A relic simply has all its wear put on it at once rather than over the years. It's as "real" as a bass dinged up over the years- just as a broken leg is as real if it snaps at once or after years of being worn at. And someone shouldn't have to wait multiple years or deal with criticism for simply wanting a finish they like the look of. If you want a (fake) black paintjob, you're not expected to only apply a couple flecks of black paint per gig until, after years go by, the bass is finally black. It's ludicrous for people to expect that of folks who like the looks of a worn bass.

I expect no more negative comments on relics or relic owners from this thread.
 
#70
Debased said:
Red or black finishes are exactly what they appear to be. A "relic" finish is counterfeit ageing that attempts to imitate something old and distressed through genuine playing wear over an extended period time.
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So a red bass is naturally red? I had a redwood bass that was naturally red- it came out of the tree like that. Unless you've got some evidence that a candy apple red finish is "real"- as in happened naturally, then your point doesn't work. The funny thing is that the aging on any decent relic isn't fake at all. You can rust hardware without needing years to do it. You can ding up and wear away the finish on a bass in a short amount of time if you work at it, etc. Nothing fake about it. It's just fast. The only "sham" it could have at all is if someone claimed it was old when it really wasn't. But that has nothing to do with the bass- that's the owner being false.

The rule remains the same- onward with the thread.
 
#71
Greevus said:
I was picky about protecting mine when I began playing in my bedroom. As soon as I got out into dive clubs that began to change. I protect my bass best I can, but after a few other people drop them, you run into your other guitards, etc, you learn to live with it.
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now this sounds most reasonable to me
Greevus said:
I always disliked the anal guys who wipe it down every 5 secs.
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the other thing, I disliked myself when I was doing that. That disturbs, embarasses, and distracts away from music

JackANSI said:
IMO, if you care so little about what music you are playing that keeping your instrument scratch free is first on your mind, you shouldn't be on a stage (or at least no one should be paying to see you play).
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I couldn't put it better
 
#72
envy1400 said:
There may be a thread on this but i didn't see any.
Do you think a beat up bass is cooler than one that looks new? My guitarist says scratches give it character but I like mine to look nice.
How does TB feel?
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A guy who takes care of his gear is cooler than a guy that doesn't. A bass that has real wear is cooler than faux wear. Character comes from the soul of the musician, not scratches. IMO
 
#74
Muaguana said:
Hmm, I don't quite follow... could you throw in a few more thesaurus entries to clarify your point? Thanks.
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One could add a made up word, verschtinkin...:D

I keed, I keed!

Seriously, I don't get the reliced bit myself and don't think I'd deliberately do that to a bass, unless in the case of a tribute bass or some such thing to be a wall piece...as I have said, to me the way to relic a bass is to play the snot out of it for 30 years.

But then I have come to see my not caring for reliced instruments to be nothing more than my not liking certain color finishes etc... to each their own.
 
#75
I bought my bass new over 15 years ago and as far as taking care of it it's pampered. Wipe downs after gigs, particularly sweaty ones to reduce oxidation on metal parts, stays in the gig bag between sets on most gigs, never left in the car, etc, etc....
..... Now, as far as playing it, it's a tool. I play it on almost every gig, I'm not concerned with buttons scratching the back and I don't alter my technique in the name of preservation, I'm also pretty heavy handed so my bass shows heavy playing wear. I guess some players use a light touch and keep a bass looking pristine through many hours of playing, I don't use a pick but I imagine a pick-guard probably helps as well, but I'm just not one of those players. Because I never plan on selling it it doesn't concern me, even though most people feel that a natural bass with figured woods looks a lot better without "mojo"
 
#76
AKthunderFUNK said:
Used to throw bass down at end of set, but a funny thing happened one night, guitar player in my band threw his down on top of mine and his guitar broke into 3 pieces. Was hilarious to everyone but him!!!
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I can't imagine why that would be hilarious to anyone...throwing an instrument down is silly and ridiculous abuse of an instrument. It would make as much sense to smack a fender or window with a hammer every time you walked up to your car.

I was in high school and college while Pete Townshend and The Who were smashing instruments on stage. Never saw the point, although I knew they could afford to do it.
 
#77
it depends for me. my main bass is an OLP stingray. it is beat to hell, and i love it that way.

if i had something with a really fancy top on it or something, id make sure to keep it in a hard case and not drop it off of stages or smack the ceiling taking it off in a basement..
 
#78
Pilgrim said:
I can't imagine why that would be hilarious to anyone...throwing an instrument down is silly and ridiculous abuse of an instrument. It would make as much sense to smack a fender or window with a hammer every time you walked up to your car.

I was in high school and college while Pete Townshend and The Who were smashing instruments on stage. Never saw the point, although I knew they could afford to do it.
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you make a good point. i once was at a large local show and the kid on stage was purposefully dropped his guitar then proceeded to take a mallet and bash a cymbal with it. the other situation is kinda funny in a messed up way. had i been there it wouldn't have been funny at the time. later it would've
 
#79
Okay just for perspective, there was this guy, the single most influential electric guitar player ever, who set fire to his guitar in one of the most beautiful and celebrated moments of rock and roll history. Please don't try to tell me that Jimi didn't respect his instrument. I'm sorry if you don't understand performance art.
 
#80
HollowSound95 said:
Okay just for perspective, there was this guy, the single most influential electric guitar player ever, who set fire to his guitar in one of the most beautiful and celebrated moments of rock and roll history. Please don't try to tell me that Jimi didn't respect his instrument. I'm sorry if you don't understand performance art.
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I've been on the stage in Monterey and stood in the exact spot where JH had a little BBQ. There's power there.
 

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