SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[SJLee]

I guess if I only played one bass for all these years I'd have more actual 'player wear' to show. I do have wear on a number of basses I play but mostly little dings and chips from hitting cymbals etc. Quite boring examples for this thread.

True, I have a number of basses I've had 20 years that hardly have any wear on them. Though they do have the headstock nicks, etc. One of the things I love about relics is you never have to worry about putting a ding on your bass because it just blends in.

 

[SJLee]

woh! check this out! Fender Jazz Bass Alder body with Maple Fretboard 4bolt 1974 - Sunburst | Reverb

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That one was ridin' hard.

 

[JIO]

True, I have a number of basses I've had 20 years that hardly have any wear on them. Though they do have the headstock nicks, etc. One of the things I love about relics is you never have to worry about putting a ding on your bass because it just blends in.

I think the relic-ing on Fender Road Worn basses leaves much to be desired as far as looking authentic, but it was a genius move for that very reason. New or used - it looks the same. And it didn't hurt that they feel, play and sound great! Fender probably made a lot of money with that line.

 

[SJLee]

I think the relic-ing on Fender Road Worn basses leaves much to be desired as far as looking authentic, but it was a genius move for that very reason. New or used - it looks the same. And it didn't hurt that they feel, play and sound great! Fender probably made a lot of money with that line.

Agreed. The relic jobs were not meant to replace the FCS, but they were a starting point so any further dings would simply enhance what was already there.
The Road Worn necks are the best. Very comfy and broken in.

 

[JIO]

Agreed. The relic jobs were not meant to replace the FCS, but they were a starting point so any further dings would simply enhance what was already there.
The Road Worn necks are the best. Very comfy and broken in.

I nearly bought a RW J years ago. I played it in a music store and really liked the way it felt, played and sounded. It was on sale but I have e few J's/J-like basses so I passed on it. If I ever got one I'd go farther with the relic'ing.

 

[SJLee]

I nearly bought a RW J years ago. I played it in a music store and really liked the way it felt, played and sounded. It was on sale but I have e few J's/J-like basses so I passed on it. If I ever got one I'd go farther with the relic'ing.

I had a similar experience with the RW P bass. Great tone and the neck was so smooth and worn in. I passed on it as I already had several precision basses. It still haunts if I made the right decision.

 

[JIO]

"Nels Cline’s new Spitfire Tortoiseshell pickguard. Wow - lots of pic's of pick-guards and some famous players! My '66 J is in the mix.

Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michelson, Great Big World, Greg Holden Band) turned me on to Mark at Spitfire 10yrs ago when I was gilding his custom Gary Fried bass w/custom-cut Spitfire pg.

 

[JIO]

Birth year bass - 1953 P - only $34,950.00...

 

[JIO]

'66 Mustang - Lake Placid Blue

 

[SJLee]

'66 Mustang - Lake Placid Blue

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Looks like Daphne Blue.

 

[SJLee]

"Nels Cline’s new Spitfire Tortoiseshell pickguard. Wow - lots of pic's of pick-guards and some famous players! My '66 J is in the mix.

View attachment 5430138
Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michelson, Great Big World, Greg Holden Band) turned me on to Mark at Spitfire 10yrs ago when I was gilding his custom Gary Fried bass w/custom-cut Spitfire pg.
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The Spitfire guard looks great!

 

[JIO]

Looks like Daphne Blue.

Yah, probably is - LPB is what the ad said.

 

[SJLee]

Birth year bass - 1953 P - only $34,950.00...

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I should have got a pre CBS Fender back in the early 2000s when I had the chance. At today’s prices it’s impossible.

 

[JIO]

The Spitfire guard looks great!

It was the 2nd one he made for me when he sourced the thin black layer material. I sold the 1st one to a tb member.

 

[JIO]

I should have got a pre CBS Fender back in the early 2000s when I had the chance. At today’s prices it’s impossible.

Mind-boggling to say the least. I gamed the system and ended up with the ultimate P-bass 10 yrs ago, my Sept '66 CBS/Fender P-bass. CBS acquired Fender in July of '65. A '66 P-bass is EXACTLY the same P-bass as a "pre-CBS" P-bass in every way. Same factory, same parts, same workers - only now owned by CBS. Fender's "vintage value/worth" is purely assessed based on that corporate division. So my well-played and AWESOME looking, playing and sounding Sept '66 P was relatively affordable. It was the most I ever spent on a bass, but I have absolutely no regrets. It's my only P-bass and have no GAS for another.

 

[SJLee]

Mind-boggling to say the least. I gamed the system and ended up with the ultimate P-bass, my Sept '66 CBS/Fender P-bass. CBS acquired Fender in July of '65. A '66 P-bass is EXACTLY the same P-bass as a "pre-CBS" P-bass in every way. Same factory, same parts, same workers - only now owned by CBS. Fender's "vintage value/worth" is purely assessed based on that corporate division. So my well-played and AWESOME looking, playing and sounding Sept '66 P was relatively affordable. It was the most I ever spent on a bass, but I have absolutely no regrets. It's my only P-bass and have no GAS for another.

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Great score and with all that lovely wear.

 

[Sternodox]

Here's another story of a distressed old guitar with twists.

This black '64 Strat Rodger Waters has been known to play is commonly credited as belonging to Gus Seyffert but it really belongs to Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks, The Weirdoes, Joe Stummer, Repo Man (played on the soundtrack and acted in), Sid and Nancy soundtrack, etc, etc, etc).

Zander Schloss lent it to Gus Seyffert and Seyffert lent it to Waters. Schloss has worked with Seyffert as has Waters--thus the connection.

When Schloss was playing with Joe Strummer, Strummer bought this Strat for him.

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Before that, this '64 black Strat had belonged to the other Syd--Sid Vicious--, according to Schloss.

BTW, To anyone who says you can't play punk rock with flatwounds. Glenn Matlock, the original and true functioning bassist of the Sex Pistols used Rotosound 77 Jazz flats. Phil Lynott, who Steve Jones and Paul Cook, had also played with used Roto 77 flats as well. Oh, and so has Rodger Waters.

Zander Schloss has been playing flatwounds on his basses since the '90s, including with The Weirdoes and currently with the Circle Jerks. The Circle Jerks are back together and currently touring with the Descendents.

Man, I love history like this. Perhaps because my job is historian. Thanks!!

 

[JIO]

Great score and with all that lovely wear.

It was at a used guitar/amp consignment shop I visit regularly. I saw it and was drawn to it visually. I asked to plug it in and was obliged. Once I started playing it - I was immediately engaged with it. I had assumed a bass that looked like that would need a fret-job, but one had been done recently in the cash-register - and a seamless fret-job at that. I thought about it for a week - couldn't get it out of my mind. I came back with an offer and the owner accepted. It came with a new Fender HSC. I found a '60s Fender bent-plate bridge for $150 (Fender '70s slotted bridge was on it when I got it) and a '66 Fender case on eBay for $100 (!) so all along the way the stars were lining up for me. I now see '66 P's going for close to $10K - crazy.

I'm also an advocate of a bass that's been actively played for years/decades sounding good because of that. I learned only so much about the owner of my '66 P but he was a Portland musician who recorded and played it live since he bought it new until passing away about 11-12 yrs ago.

Period specific case was destined to be with this bass - well road-worn like the bass but no smells & all latches working -

Serious 'B flat' fb wear - obviously 'digging in' with a horn-section band -

 

[Grinderman]

I think the relic-ing on Fender Road Worn basses leaves much to be desired as far as looking authentic, but it was a genius move for that very reason. New or used - it looks the same. And it didn't hurt that they feel, play and sound great! Fender probably made a lot of money with that line.

The upshot is that they have loads of potential to improve with age.

 

[JIO]

The upshot is that they have loads of potential to improve with age.

Oh, I'm 100% pro Fender Road Worn basses - I have a set of the PV '64 pu's they loaded in the J - great sounding pu's. I'm currently using the PV '74's which are also great sounding.

And unlike people interested in purchasing a used bass haggling over a ding, nick or scratch to reduce the asking price of a once factory shiny-new finish - poof - out the window! Instead of cosmetic OCD concerns - they are known for being players.