SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[JIO]

My 66 Jazz I bought 34 years ago when I was 18. You do the math on how old I am.

That's my favorite Fender J. (early '66 dot/bound w/pop's) Yours has really unique wear - could you post a full shot of the front?

Here's mine - '66 Fender J body refinished in Oly white w/custom neck made to early '66 specs.

 

[JIO]

Well done! Sounds like you have some great memories from that time. Do you mind me asking how you ended up in CA?

Like I said - even back then I felt very luck and yes, I had a very unique life experience playing with Eddie. (the stories I can tell!) The bass-player I replaced is also on tb. He is a teacher and was relocated to the east coast for a teaching gig. He's still an active blues bassist there. I've yet to meet him but I'm sure he has some great stories about his time with Eddie's band also.

One short story; we played (late '79) at a small bar called B.L.U.E.S on Halsted St early on a Monday night (Blues Monday) and 4 guys looking very Euro took a table to the side of the small platform/stage and ordered a couple pitchers of beer. Being early the place was mostly empty. It was common to see European tourists in Chicago - especially blues fans. This was at a time when Rap first started being big and black youth thought 'the blues' was old-people music. So our audience usually was made up of some older blacks, but was mostly young college-age whites. This joint is on the North side of Chicago. We played a set and right before taking our first break, the foursome finished their beer and left. The bartender was all excited and we asked what was up. The 'Euro dudes' were Eric Clapton and his band who were in town for a show. EC had a beard and long-coat and I didn't recognize him. Of course EC knew about Eddie being a blues-hound, Eddie may have known who EC was, but seemed nonplussed. I recall we played well in that set.

I visited friends here for my first time in CA in '88 (from Chicago where I lived for 10 years) and was one of those people you hear about that once I stepped out of the plane and was under the CA sun I said to myself - I want to live here! It took a couple years to make it happen ('90) and can't imagine living anywhere else now.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

My 66 Jazz I bought 34 years ago when I was 18. You do the math on how old I am.

That's amazingly beautiful...all the cool boxes checked feature-wise. You have been a great custodian.

 

[SJLee]

Like I said - even back then I felt very luck and yes, I had a very unique life experience playing with Eddie. (the storiesI can tell!) The bass-player I replaced is also on tb. He is a teacher and was relocated to the east coast for a teaching gig. He's still an active blues bassist there. I've yet to meet him but I'm sure he has some great stories about his time with Eddie's band also.

One short story; we played (late '79) at a small bar called B.L.U.E.S on Halsted St early on a Monday night (Blues Monday) and 4 guys looking very Euro took a table to the side of the small platform/stage and ordered a couple pitchers of beer. Being early the place was mostly empty. It was common to see European tourists in Chicago - especially blues fans. This was at a time when Rap first started being big and black youth thought 'the blues' was old-people music. So our audience usually was made up of some older blacks, but was mostly young college-age whites. This joint is on the North side of Chicago. We played a set and right before taking our first break, the foursome finished their beer and left. The bartender was all excited and we asked what was up. The 'Euro dudes' were Eric Clapton and his band who were in town for a show. EC had a beard and long-coat and I didn't recognize him. Of course EC knew about Eddie being a blues-hound, Eddie may have known who EC was, but seemed nonplussed. I recall we played well in that set.

I visited friends here for my first time in CA in '88 (from Chicago where I lived for 10 years) and was one of those people you hear about that once I stepped out of the plane and was under the CA sun I said to myself - I want to live here! It took a couple years to make it happen ('90) and can't imagine living anywhere else now.

Great story and not surprised in the least considering the influence blues had on the British music scene.

CA seems to have that effect on people. I miss the temperate weather, the lack of mosquitoes, and the lack of humidity during the summer. I grew up in NOCAL but moved to the East Coast for work in 1999. Was only planning to be here 2 years, but met my wife and then family slowly started to migrate. Last time back was 2014 and took friends to SF, Tahoe, and Santa Rosa. Fun times!

 

[SJLee]

That's my favorite Fender J. (early '66 dot/bound w/pop's) Yours has really unique wear - could you post a full shot of the front?

Here's mine - '66 Fender J body refinished in Oly white w/custom neck made to early '66 specs.

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Never tire of seeing this one.

 

[JIO]

Never tire of seeing this one.

It was my Bond Girl bass - that band is on hiatus so the bass is here at home and always within reach!

 

[4andnomore]

I guess some people would consider that "player distressed"

Do you mean me, or the bass? Ha ha...

 

[4andnomore]

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That looks the business. NICE!

 

[Microbass]

I don't have anything against smokers in general, my drummer smokes but only outside. I'm just glad I can hear and play music in clubs/bars here without having to deal with it. I played in a blues band with Eddie Taylor in Chicago in the late '70s/early '80s in smoky bars and had to deal with it like it or not. Loved the experience but hated the nicotine that went with it. Luckily my '64 T-bird and case doesn't smell like an ashtray as a result - after Eddie passed away in '85 I didn't use it in the smoky bars anymore.

I played on this LP - recorded on the same strip of old buildings where the legendary bluesmen and women recorded. Odie Payne on drums, Sunnyland Slim on piano, Cary Bell on harp, Steve Beal on rhythm guitar, Eddie on lead guitar. It was a brutally cold Chicago January day that day. Studio was on the sub-par side, we were all in one big old room w/no cans and we couldn't hear Eddies vocals and would have to watch his lips to know when he was singing. The blues.

This was the cover to the original LP which I still have my copy of - the one above was the cover on the CD re-issue.
View attachment 3678391
The man - a total sweetheart. Did smoke and while he played but never saw him take a drink of alcohol. Liked coffee with lots of cream & sugar that I would bring for him in a thermos at gigs for break-time. I was a lucky young man having the opportunity to play in his band. One of those being at the right place at the right time sort of deals. Eddie was Jimmy Reeds right-hand man before he drank himself to death in the early '60s. Eddie played guitar and bass on a number of Jimmy Reeds early landmark blues recordings.
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1955 - Eddies signature song - he was occasionally referred to as Eddie Taylor "Big Town Playboy" Quite the funny moniker as he was a very soft-spoken gentle, religious and respectful to women man and no "playboy".

Awesome story and sweet tracks!

 

[SJLee]

That looks the business. NICE!

Oh, not mine. But yes, she sure looks the business.

 

[JIO]

Do you mean me, or the bass? Ha ha...

the bass

 

[JIO]

Found this on Reverb. Don't want to dis the seller by posting the link, just wanted to point out why artificial relic-ing/distressing gets a bad rap. Copy described it glowingly in every way but interestingly didn't mention the finish "treatment" at all. I can't recall its lineage but it was priced pretty high and may have been worth considered if not for the "treatment". The back was even worse. This is a very bad example of an artificial relic finish, obviously done using a electric hand sander. Considering how it was done, the only upside is that a refinish wouldn't be too hard. I would have posted more pics but Reverb has a firewall to prevent grabbing pics from the sales post.

 

[Dynacord]

A January '65 with some remnants of '64 (clay dots, '64 pots) - one of the last pre-CBS Fenders. (from an eBay auction - no affiliation... actually a pretty decent price - under 6K)

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The body (black) is an old refin - wouldn't kick it out outta bed for eating crackers... (can I say that Paul?)
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This same bass was in the classifieds here on TB (maybe a year ago?) from a seller out of NY IIRC.

 

[lowphatbass]

Found this on Reverb. Don't want to dis the seller by posting the link, just wanted to point out why artificial relic-ing/distressing gets a bad rap. Copy described it glowingly in every way but interestingly didn't mention the finish "treatment" at all. I can't recall its lineage but it was priced pretty high and may have been worth considered if not for the "treatment". The back was even worse. This is a very bad example of an artificial relic finish, obviously done using a electric hand sander. Considering how it was done, the only upside is that a refinish wouldn't be too hard. I would have posted more pics but Reverb has a firewall to prevent grabbing pics from the sales post.

View attachment 3682867

This is the “beach relic”, the finish was gently worn away by gently lapping waves after leaving the bass too close to the water.

 

[lowphatbass]

Hope I don’t get thrown off the thread for posting this.
I recently went down from 3-4 gigs a week to 2-3 gigs a month. Since I downsized my rig I switched up gig bags. It belonged to a relative that passed away recently, an “executive” or “accountant” briefcase from the 60’s maybe. Fits the amp, cables, etc.

 

[JIO]

This is the “beach relic”, the finish was gently worn away by gently lapping waves after leaving the bass too close to the water.

I'm imagining the bass player was an avaunt guard performance artist playing it with an orbital sander while keeping 12 plates spinning on thin wooden dowels singing "raindrops keep falling on my head" (in French) .., and if that is true then it is in fact "player wear".

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Found this on Reverb. Don't want to dis the seller by posting the link, just wanted to point out why artificial relic-ing/distressing gets a bad rap. Copy described it glowingly in every way but interestingly didn't mention the finish "treatment" at all. I can't recall its lineage but it was priced pretty high and may have been worth considered if not for the "treatment". The back was even worse. This is a very bad example of an artificial relic finish, obviously done using a electric hand sander. Considering how it was done, the only upside is that a refinish wouldn't be too hard. I would have posted more pics but Reverb has a firewall to prevent grabbing pics from the sales post.

View attachment 3682867

Call Bass Protective Services immediately.

 

[JIO]

Call Bass Protective Services immediately.

Unnecessary cruelty to bass finishes?

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Unnecessary cruelty to bass finishes?

My wife works at the Women's shelter ( true) and I know that bass will say "I ran into a door/cabinet." or blame itself for the aforementioned abuse. Probably even hiding a cigarette burn somewhere. No bass deserves a power sander taken to them like that.

 

[JIO]

Another entry in the "faux distressed finishes that give faux distressed finishes a bad name" category... a (new) Vintage ICON V74MRJP (vaguely a Jaco "Bass of Doom" tribute, sorta, kinda) I'm posting such examples as a guide on what to avoid if attempting your own DIY 'relic'd/distressed" finish. This one makes Fenders Road Worn finishes look believable...

My guess is that they print a 'mask' (resist) on the body, (where the exposed wood is) shoot the finish over it, let it cure, and rub away the masked parts. The 'mask'/resist is a milky clear coating that only partially hardens, but blocks the finish coating. Sorta like rubber cement, it rubs off into a ball of goo that cleanly exposes what was shielded. It's how they can reproduce the exact same 'wear' on multiple bodies. The removing of the mask is probably done by hand and really wouldn't take too long for each.