SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[JIO]

I think I may have over-relic'd. This looks a little more than "natural wear"...
View attachment 4931264

Did you use a heat-gun and flat-blade?

 

[rojo412]

Did you use a heat-gun and flat-blade?

...yeah.

But I'm sure you know, I was just messing around. This was a silly looking, bad paint job on a cheap bass.
It's not gonna be mint or purposely distressed in the end, just better than stupid looking. Here it is sanded and oiled:



This was just horrendous:


Unless you like awful work that feels like 80-grit sandpaper, in which case, it was magnificent.

 

[JIO]

...yeah.

But I'm sure you know, I was just messing around. This was a silly looking, bad paint job on a cheap bass.
It's not gonna be mint or purposely distressed in the end, just better than stupid looking. Here it is sanded and oiled:

View attachment 4931556 View attachment 4931557

This was just horrendous:

View attachment 4931564
Unless you like awful work that feels like 80-grit sandpaper, in which case, it was magnificent.

Big improvement.

 

[rojo412]

THANKS! Nowhere to go but up, honestly

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Owning my very played '66 P - I understand and appreciate these ''road warriors' visually, but also sonically. I know there are decades of stories locked inside the wood we'll never know - but I am a firm believer of woods' 'memory', being organic and naturally resonate. After the pu's/electronics - the neck/fb is the next in line reason for how a bass sounds. And you being a 'Kubicki Fan' knows (should know) that Phil felt this way. I trust a luthier of his caliber to know what makes a bass/guitar sound good - and I agree with his opinion.

View attachment 4930981 View attachment 4930984 View attachment 4930988

I haven't plugged a bass in that I'm looking at in years. I've just noodled them unplugged. If it sounds crappy unplugged it's likely going to be crappy plugged in but louder. Just my thing. I'm no rocket applianceist but I don't think any pickup swap will make it any better than just meh at best. I play unplugged every day and I couldn't suffer a dead hunk of wood.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

...yeah.

But I'm sure you know, I was just messing around. This was a silly looking, bad paint job on a cheap bass.
It's not gonna be mint or purposely distressed in the end, just better than stupid looking. Here it is sanded and oiled:

View attachment 4931556 View attachment 4931557

This was just horrendous:

View attachment 4931564
Unless you like awful work that feels like 80-grit sandpaper, in which case, it was magnificent.

Much better . I can feel the "before" from here.

 

[JIO]

I haven't plugged a bass in that I'm looking at in years. I've just noodled them unplugged. If it sounds crappy unplugged it's likely going to be crappy plugged in but louder. Just my thing. I'm no rocket applianceist but I don't think any pickup swap will make it any better than just meh at best. I play unplugged every day and I couldn't suffer a dead hunk of wood.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

View attachment 4932155

maybe...but my lunacy hasn't failed me since I went down that rabbit hole.

 

[JIO]

maybe...but my lunacy hasn't failed me since I went down that rabbit hole.

As always here - TETO - as Spock would say, I find such... interesting.

 

[rojo412]

It now looks just distressed enough (in case anyone wanted to see it):



Way better than:



IMHO, at least.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

It now looks just distressed enough (in case anyone wanted to see it):

View attachment 4933467 View attachment 4933468 View attachment 4933470 View attachment 4933471

Way better than:

View attachment 4933472 View attachment 4933473

IMHO, at least.

Nice save there. Much better.

 

[Glennbassmann]

My 81' G&L L1000...

 

[Glennbassmann]

81' G&L L1000

 

[Bleecker]

81' G&L L1000 View attachment 4936622

That's a real beauty!

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

My sunn 200s and riggio P as of 5 mins ago. Wear on the sunn is real, riggio is a relic. Speaking of riggio, this is the only bass to make me legitimately question if I still have the “vintage fender bug”. I do, right, but this riggio is spectacular. Stainless frets nitro finish and it weighs 7.4 lbs????? Uh yes please. However one thing is the neck is too stable, cant get enough relief. It’s getting labella jamersons on Wednesday to hopefully get some bend in the neck.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

 

[Thud Staff]

View attachment 4940763View attachment 4940763View attachment 4940767View attachment 4940768View attachment 4940769

To me, this is beautiful.

So, a tiltback headstock from the 50’s or 60’s doesn’t have to be broken…? Hmmm, guess Gibson thought otherwise…hey oh!

 

[Engle]

My Jolana Discobass:

 

[JIO]

To me, this is beautiful.

So, a tiltback headstock from the 50’s or 60’s doesn’t have to be broken…? Hmmm, guess Gibson thought otherwise…hey oh!

A "Gibson style" tilt-back hs is a better design. They come in many different degrees of angle. Some are one-piece and most are two-pieces. No need for a 'string-tree', ideal string-break and even if grafted from two pieces - is more stable than if from one. Also less waisted wood. (if a one-piece) Leo Fenders one-piece straight neck/hs w/string-tree was a manufacturing cost-cutting design, especially being a bolt-on neck.

 

[JIO]

My Jolana Discobass:
View attachment 4940777 View attachment 4940779 View attachment 4940780