Should I refin my '68 jazz?

[roller]

If I owned a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette whose previous owner took it upon themselves to paint over the original Rally Red paint with British Racing Green (not a General Motors factory color) at a privately run body shop, I would probably want to take it back to a factory color offered in 1968.

When it was repainted British Racing Green, a large chunk of its value went out the window... never to return.

So it's not gonna hurt the value of the car if the British Racing Green is done away with. Having someone who specializes in vintage automotive finishes strip it and apply a fresh coat of General Motors Rally Red won't make it stock again... but it will get you as close as you're gonna get.

 

[Longwheelbass]

Man I would hazard a guess to say that you have the only British Racing Green Jazz bass on Earth. That in itself should be enough to keep it as is. It looks totally rad.

 

[Worldeeeter]

Relic'd sunburst Js are a dime a dozen. I'd refinish it in black and put a black or that tort pickguard on it. It'll look gorgeous.
If you don't buy jeans that come full of holes already, don't relic a bass!

 

[Cheez]

It's a good looking bass and the color is unusual. I would not change it.

 

[cnltb]

Do with it, whatever you like..
I'd leave it as is ,if it was mine.

 

[Burwabit]

Leave it for a while until you're sure you love the bass. Then decide. I personally like the colour but if you don't, you can always refin down the road.

 

[FranF]

British Racing Green. Damn! Leave it.

 

[mikeswals]

Leave it alone. It will be worth much more than if you refinish it.

Did you read his post? It was already refinished. The value is already compromised to that of a refinished Fender.

That green is unattractive. I'd refin it not relic'd, and play the crap out of it, the new finish will age naturally too.

 

[bherman]

If you don't like the color and have the $$, go ahead and make it yours. IMO fake relicing is stupid - play it for the next 50 yrs and every bump/bruise will be yours.

 

[Gougedeye]

I say, leave it alone!, however, it has already been refinished, so...

 

[mindwell]

LOVE that green, but since it's not original, do as you will. The new finish, by the way, will neither add nor lessen value.

 

[jamro217]

Hi stevej1982

will she play faster when you change the colour?

View attachment 2627124

Nothing is faster than racing- green

I vote for "leave it alone" (and put a white pickguard with a number on her )

greetings

Wise(b)ass

I didn't know John Deere made bikes.

And car colours where always associated to fenders!!!

View attachment 2627360

so why not racing green

Thank God they didn't pick that hideous Olive Gold for a color.

 

[eyoyo]

If you refin it the Candy Apple red with matching headstock

 

[jamro217]

Personally, I'd get all gold hardware, a gold anodized guard and control plate. That'd match the color and be unique. Obviously keep the original hardware and the mod is easily reversible. Leave the headstock alone, no matter what you decide to do with the body.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Agreed - do NOT refinish the headstock. Right now it is original - painting it would lessen the value even more.

 

[Turnaround]

It's a re-fin now. If you re-finish it, it will be a re-fin. Same difference. Go for whatever colour you like.

But if you stay with the green that's on it now, it would look a whole lot better with a different pick guard - parchment, mint, white or even black. The tort on green looks like someone threw up on the bass. I do like tort, but there are places where it looks hideous - this is one of them.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Jamro217

I didn't know John Deere made bikes.

let's have some fun

what about Porsche?

a real classic

greetings

Wise

 

[jamro217]

Hi Jamro217



let's have some fun

what about Porsche?

View attachment 2631554

a real classic

greetings

Wise

Hello, Wisebass. That's great. Hopefully nobody will pick Yamaha because that would take all day to go through all of their products.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Might not be original but the finish is still well aged, id be worried what a new finish might do with regard to affecting how well the bass resonates. If you like the tone, id say leave it be. With that color id say try a pearloid pickguard, will probably work better with the color.

Ut ohh ! The plastics used in pearloid pick guards have grain structures that run in random directions that may also dampen or enhance the resonance. Be sure to try out about a dozen different pick guards and listen to what sounds best. If there is one that looks good but sounds bad, try adding a dab or two of urethane to the back of the bass to stabilize the resonance. You could also drag a file across random surfaces to remove just enough nitro to bring the resonance back into harmony. You could even try loosening a few of the pick guard screws.

Personally, I'd just paint the bass.

 

[Hand slap]

Hi all, hoping I could get some opinions on here, I have a 1968 jazz bass all original parts and wiring, very playable condition, it has been refinished at some point in the 70's in nitro and was a pretty good job, apparently done by George Lowden a fairly well know guitar maker in Ireland, this stacks up as it's a local guitar.

The original colour was sunburst and it has the original tort pickguard. The finish has aged very nicely and has that light relic look with checking and great mojo.

However, I'm not sold on the colour but had to buy the bass because it's clearly awesome!!! The colour is not an original fender colour so should I

1. Leave it as it is, it's already vintage after all

2. Refinish it in orginal colour and if so should I relic it?

3. Pick a fender colour available in 1968 it's refinished anyway so value won't be affected much by another refinish

Make it Fire Engine Red! That's what it needs!