SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[God's Favorite Bass]

Very cool. I own a couple 3 pu basses, a '63 Burns of London Vista Sonic med scale, and an ESP/Grass Roots Bass IV. The Bass IV can run with all 3 pu's together, or any combination with individual pu on-off switches. So 'all off' is like a kill switch, of which I am a fan. The Vista Sonic's; Wild Dog / Treble / Bass / Contra Bass is combination oriented ... Wild Dog was wired out of phase and sorta useless. I reversed the wires and it made it sound like a Jazz. (B & Mid-pu's) Treble is only B-pu, Bass is only Mid-pu (like a single coil P) and Contra Bass is only N-pu. (overly bassy) The Bass IV is a very versatile bass where as the Vista Sonic is less so. (as in, I usually only use a couple of the choices) I could see your set-up being good but if it were mine I'd include a 3-way pu switch like on my Bass IV to isolate or add pu's quickly w/o losing settings.

The Bass IV has one more switch (lowest in line) which by-passes the V/T pots adding a clean boost at the flick of a switch. Very cool/easy mod that could be added to any multi-pu bass.

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I always wondered, and maybe asked and didn't retain it (likely) what that 4th switch was. It's not the typical Jaguar 3 switch plate, but if you aren't looking....

 

[Dynacord]

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Factory refin. Known bass (was owned by Norm Harris). CAR wasn't available until 1963. Matching headstocks became stock in mid/late '62. I've never seen a fully legit original stack with matching headstock.
Similarly, white/'green' guards were very unusual before '62 on the custom color basses. This one has a white PVC guard contemporary to the '65ish refin.

 

[JIO]

I always wondered, and maybe asked and didn't retain it (likely) what that 4th switch was. It's not the typical Jaguar 3 switch plate, but if you aren't looking....

The ESP Bass IV was referencing the Fender Bass VI. (E-A-D-G-B-E, but many players strung it B-E-A-D-G-C) an octave below a standard guitar. The introductory 1961 Fender Bass VI had a 3 switch plate, and in 1962, a fourth switch was added; a "tone modification" "strangle switch" which added a deep tone.

 

[JIO]

Factory refin. Known bass (was owned by Norm Harris). CAR wasn't available until 1963. Matching headstocks became stock in mid/late '62. I've never seen a fully legit original stack with matching headstock.
Similarly, white/'green' guards were very unusual before '62 on the custom color basses. This one has a white PVC guard contemporary to the '65ish refin.

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I thought it was unusual in a few ways...

 

[Dynacord]

I thought it was unusual in a few ways...

Current owner is in SF. Was previously owned by a guy in Florida. Norm Harris has it in his book. If it was fully legit it would be $50K. It also had the mute holes filled and the ground strip removed and replaced with drilled ground wire - it was typical that when Fender did factory refins that they 'updated' to then current specs. This one would have been done between late '64 at the earliest and early '68 at the latest.

 

[enormungus]

Here's a cool article with Masakuza Hara of "The Band Apart" talking about his ESP Amaze bass as well as his perspective on basses in general.
TL;DR (or for those who can't translate it) He asked ESP to relic a bass to the point where his mother would throw it away. He has a skateboarder "use it, thrash it, break it... oh well" sort of approach to his basses which, coming from a long time punk fan who used to be an avid skateboarder, I see as more punk than anything else.

https://amp.natalie.mu/music/column/356785

Video with him and the bass in action:

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Here's a cool article with Masakuza Hara of "The Band Apart" talking about his ESP Amaze bass as well as his perspective on basses in general.
TL;DR (or for those who can't translate it) He asked ESP to relic a bass to the point where his mother would throw it away. He has a skateboarder "use it, thrash it, break it... oh well" sort of approach to his basses which, coming from a long time punk fan who used to be an avid skateboarder, I see as more punk than anything else.

https://amp.natalie.mu/music/column/356785

Video with him and the bass in action:


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I quite like that myself. They do some cool stuff. I would like a Tommy Stinson sig that they did. It was also somewhat reliced.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Stuff I found.

 

[JIO]

Stuff I found.View attachment 4807799 View attachment 4807800 View attachment 4807801 View attachment 4807802 View attachment 4807803 View attachment 4807804 View attachment 4807805 View attachment 4807806 View attachment 4807807 View attachment 4807808

Someday I'll makeover a Mustang Bass with a Novak Darkstar like that - Nice checking on the bakelite pg & tug-bar and early '70s Oly white J. But... what's up with the chocolate brown knobs on that late '60s Silvertone Hornet! (gag me through the double-doors!)

It's either the original aluminum knobs...

...or...

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Someday I'll makeover a Mustang Bass with a Novak Darkstar like that - Nice checking on the bakelite pg & tug-bar and early '70s Oly white J. But... what's up with the chocolate brown knobs on that late '60s Silvertone Hornet! (gag me through the double-doors!)

It's either the original aluminum knobs...
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...or...
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I thought they were malted milk balls or Junior Mints.

 

[JIO]

I thought they were malted milk balls or Junior Mints.

Definitely malted milk balls!

 

[SJLee]

Not sure if this has been posted before.

 

[Bleecker]

Not sure if this has been posted before.


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Those are absolutely beautiful!

 

[SJLee]

Those are absolutely beautiful!

Not mine, but yes, what a looker.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Not sure if this has been posted before.


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Oh snap!

 

[JIO]

Not sure if this has been posted before.


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Outstanding pictorial. Thanks for posting!

 

[SJLee]

Outstanding pictorial. Thanks for posting!

My pleasure. I found a massive archive of vintage guitars and basses of a European dealer on FB and before I had a chance to bookmark the url, I accidentally shut the browser thinking the main site was still open in another tab in another window. If I can find the site again, I’ll share the url. I did however save some of my favorites from the site before closing the browser so I’ll post more. Maybe the someone will recognize some of the instruments and can identify the dealer.

 

[SJLee]

Some light wear on this Sonic Blue (?) jazz. Reminds me a bit of the early Cunetto relics of the mid-late 90s.

Unusual case. Not sure what the story is with the cases outside of the states. Loving this early 66 jazz.

 

[SJLee]

God's Favorite Bass, do you know the story with the matching headstock P? That thing is amazing and rare as hen's teeth!

 

[Andy Marshman]

Wow, a thread with a 7 year life. I'm into distressed finishes but only if they happen naturally (on my own stuff) i.e. not a relic job. I've removed glossy finishes from a USA Tele and my Sting bass but not to relic them. I was making the necks play faster with the sticky goop gone. The bodies looked nice (to me) without the showroom shine on them. If one of my instruments gets a ding or a chip, I leave that alone. But...on topic, I like the distressed look others have on their stuff.