SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[JIO]

Looking at the back of the neck is like lifting a girl's skirt
I am astounded when that particular shot is missing from a for sale gallery.

I don't know if a picture would disclose how it felt - just as nice as it could feel is the only way to describe playing it.

 

[lowphatbass]

Looking at the back of the neck is like lifting a girl's skirt
I am astounded when that particular shot is missing from a for sale gallery.

Yea.
Not to be dirty or anything but those square inches are literally where I’m most concerned about in terms of where I’ll be making contact whilst playing. Again, “where the rubber meets the road” as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Dynacord]

OK, not a bass but love how this shows the layering with Candy Apple Red:

I had a '65 CAR matching headstock which was similar but not so extreme. Could see the yellow dye, white primer, silver metallic coat (as was used before '65) then gold metallic coat ('65 on), transparent red and then clear. Headstock was just silver, trans red and clear.

 

[DJ '65]

Now that is seriously cool as f@&!

 

[Dynacord]

My previously owned CAR '65 which I mentioned in my last post - tried to edit it but the image doesn't show up:

 

[DJ '65]

Wow, very cool

 

[LennyJ]

Ok, I found this and thought it would go well with the Jazz bass body kayak since the guy who would have one would likely have both. It's off topic, it's distressing, I'm done. I'll focus now. View attachment 3780760

Maybe if you can find one - an Axesak would go well with the neck sock???????

Sorry now called AxeGlove.

 

[JIO]

OK, not a bass but love how this shows the layering with Candy Apple Red:

View attachment 3783468

I had a '65 CAR matching headstock which was similar but not so extreme. Could see the yellow dye, white primer, silver metallic coat (as was used before '65) then gold metallic coat ('65 on), transparent red and then clear. Headstock was just silver, trans red and clear.

Yep - when wanting the trans mica-blend red to be the most 'candy' it needs a semi-reflective base, and that silver or gold needs a white base to be its most vibrant. I don't think any yellow was involved - looks to me that the silver has amber'd over time. So, white - silver or gold - trans candy red. They wouldn't have put yellow over white and it's not under it either.

 

[JIO]

Maybe if you can find one - an Axesak would go well with the neck sock???????

Sorry now called AxeGlove.

View attachment 3783650

...because Body Glove has already been taken. AxeGlove is a bit Freddie Kruger...

 

[Dynacord]

Yep - when wanting the trans mica-blend red to be the most 'candy' it needs a semi-reflective base, and that silver or gold needs a white base to be its most vibrant. I don't think any yellow was involved - looks to me that the silver has amber'd over time. So, white - silver or gold - trans candy red. They wouldn't have put yellow over white and it's not under it either.

The one I had the body was dyed yellow first - it was visible where the finish had worn through to the wood - my understanding was this was just the default first step with alder bodies before the specific use/type of finish was determined as it was the first step in doing sunbursts which were far and away the most common. I can't say for sure on the Jaguar but the Jazz Bass I had was a weird transition. The earlier ones had a silver metallic and that was later switched to gold - where it was usually one or the other, mine had both silver first and then gold as two distinctly different coats (I saw one other in the flesh that was also like that). As mentioned, not the case on the headstock - that was just silver.

 

[JIO]

The one I had the body was dyed yellow first - it was visible where the finish had worn through to the wood - my understanding was this was just the default first step with alder bodies before the specific use/type of finish was determined as it was the first step in doing sunbursts which were far and away the most common. I can't say for sure on the Jaguar but the Jazz Bass I had was a weird transition. The earlier ones had a silver metallic and that was later switched to gold - where it was usually one or the other, mine had both silver first and then gold as two distinctly different coats (I saw one other in the flesh that was also like that). As mentioned, not the case on the headstock - that was just silver.

Ok, then the yellow was probably a sealer (like a sanding sealer) which I've done before a white (primer) base coat as there would be no need to 'homogenize' the wood due to the opaque white.

 

[Dynacord]

Ok, then the yellow was probably a sealer (like a sanding sealer) which I've done before a white (primer) base coat as there would be no need to 'homogenize' the wood due to the opaque white.

It's a bit complicated but I've gone over this with Tom Murphy and more recently John Elliott (Bravewood) and Carson Hess (excellent vintage restorer) - and similar on the guitarhq site - but the general understanding is alder bodies were first dyed/stained yellow (dipped or brushed) and this was followed by the sprayed clear sealer (Fullerplast starting approximately 1963, other products before that). When doing a burst, the black and red and then clear topcoats would be sprayed. It's further confused as starting around '64 there was a semi-opaque yellow (with some white added) used to cover lower grade wood though it was still also dyed first. This is one of the reasons the earlier sunbursts look different than the later ones - and still a bit later they even did some sunbursts with a white basecoast with faux wood grain. That's the way I understand it anyway - I could be wrong!
Ash is different and heavy on the sanding sealer/grain filler and no dye.

 

[Dynacord]

Here's another Jazz Bass I used to own and some of the layering can be seen:

 

[JIO]

It's a bit complicated but I've gone over this with Tom Murphy and more recently John Elliott (Bravewood) and Carson Hess (excellent vintage restorer) - and similar on the guitarhq site - but the general understanding is alder bodies were first dyed/stained yellow (dipped or brushed) and this was followed by the sprayed clear sealer (Fullerplast starting approximately 1963, other products before that). When doing a burst, the black and red and then clear topcoats would be sprayed. It's further confused as starting around '64 there was a semi-opaque yellow (with some white added) used to cover lower grade wood though it was still also dyed first. This is one of the reasons the earlier sunbursts look different than the later ones - and still a bit later they even did some sunbursts with a white basecoast with faux wood grain. That's the way I understand it anyway - I could be wrong!
Ash is different and heavy on the sanding sealer/grain filler and no dye.

Ok, so breaking it down like that is most logical; since they were doing mostly 3TSB - for efficiency-sake all alder bodies were 1st dipped in the yellow dye to give that background "wood" colour more 'warmth''. (as alder is pale tan) Then they do the other two burst colours (red and tobacco) and that's your 3TSB. The bodies not used for 3TSB (already yellowed) get any number of other colors on top. Sorted?

 

[Dynacord]

Ok, so breaking it down like that is most logical; since they were doing mostly 3TSB - for efficiency-sake all alder bodies were 1st dipped in the yellow dye to give that background "wood" colour more 'warmth''. (as alder is pale tan) Then they do the other two burst colours (red and tobacco) and that's your 3TSB. The bodies not used for 3TSB (already yellowed) get any number of other colors on top. Sorted?

Exactly

 

[Dynacord]

Though tobacco vs red fused with black and clear (as nitro all melts together) is still the topic of much debate! I've certainly seen edges which look brown to my eye. Same with 2 tone burst actually also using an intermediate brown as a third tone.

 

[Dynacord]

Also another bit of trivia, you're right about alder being a pale tan sort of color, the bodies were often bleached before dying. It can often be seen on stripped examples that the treble side 'horn' is darker as this part was generally not bleached as it would be under both opaque finish and the pickguard - similar to how red was not sprayed in that area on sunbursts.

 

[JIO]

Though tobacco vs red fused with black and clear (as nitro all melts together) is still the topic of much debate! I've certainly seen edges which look brown to my eye. Same with 2 tone burst actually also using an intermediate brown as a third tone.

I had Pat shoot tobacco and under moderate light it looks black - (sorry for non-distressed content)

and under (flash) bright light...

 

[Dynacord]

I had Pat shoot tobacco and under moderate light it looks black - (sorry for non-distressed content)

Great looking bass! I missed the build thread on that one.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Maybe if you can find one - an Axesak would go well with the neck sock???????

Sorry now called AxeGlove.

View attachment 3783650

So much nope to both!