SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES!

[christopherogut]

 

[JIO]

 

[bh2]

Blimey... love your basses JIO, I'd like to see more of this one.

Ah... okay... not yours... too nice though!

 

[JIO]

Blimey... love your basses JIO, I'd like to see more of this one.

Ah... okay... not yours... too nice though!

I could go on posting... but you can see all the hi-def GP of this lovely '66 here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Vintag...L-/251374309746?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a87139172
Do you realize there are 4,967 listings for Fender Jazz Bass on ebay right now? Crazy.

I'm just posting pics of basses that I've found out there that are distressed - more of a cataloger for later reference. I do love the more personal stories and pics so keep posting your distressed basses! Here's another from ebay... it seems more ravaged by age than use and may be a wall hanger to enjoy looking at judging by the fragility of that finish.

 

[Petethebassman]

I love how old Fender custom colours morph into something else with time and exposure to light, player sweat and general wear & tear.. that Jazz Bass probably left the factory as Daphne Blue - there's still some blue, but the lacquer top coat yellowed and it turned green.

This is one of my favourites from a quick google image search:

 

[ICM]

Geo, you always start the coolest threads.

According to that wear spot, I am NOT the only one who anchors my pinki-finger under the G string while playing!

Subscribed.

I have a rather used and abused (mildly mojoed) hofner icon, but It is in peices right now, and I am out of the country so I can{t just assemble it back up and take some photos. It{s pretty beat though, in general.

 

[ICM]

And here is a nice skype screenshot of said bass:
This is MY bass, I love this instrument, sorry no better shots at the moment.

 

[JIO]

Really confusing shot Ivan - are you stripping your Hofner or adding colour to it or...? I can sense something is happening but not sure what - hope to see more clear pics of your progress later. (thanks for posting!)

 

[JIO]

not a bass, but all things considered...

 

[christopherogut]

I remember there being a thread here about this on eBay with a bunch of people wondering how that kind of finish damage is possible... I'm still wondering, too. It's one of the few 'distressed' older Fenders that I plain don't like. I remember one summer years ago our deck started peeling like that...

 

[Mastermold]

I'll play along. This is my MM 1988 Stingray 5.

Cool! Never seen one like that before.

 

[JIO]

I remember there being a thread here about this on eBay with a bunch of people wondering how that kind of finish damage is possible... I'm still wondering, too. It's one of the few 'distressed' older Fenders that I plain don't like. I remember one summer years ago our deck started peeling like that...

Exactly christpherogut - I can imagine heat and time had much to do with it looking like this. Stored in a dry hot place (an attic in the midwest or southwest?) - not played at all - sitting, years passing, the lacquer evaporating/gassing thinner and thinner to nothing - a sensitive microphone could have captured subtle crackling sounds as the sunburst "burst" apart. I would not play this bass - I would hang it under glass like the Titanic violin - a fragile beautiful artifact. This is the point where function evolves purely to aesthetics - antiquity. Don't get me wrong, I would love to play a same year J every day for the rest of my life, but this one is strictly for the eyes.

 

[ICM]

@JIO Yeah, the photo kind of sucks, but when I "restore" it I will most surely post a thread in luthiers corner.
This bass was just a giant learning experience. Learned how to play on it, learn how to do setups and intonation. Learned basic repairs, soldering. Through many trials and errors I did the occasional touch up job on the paint. And generally fiddled with it, a couple mods here and there.
I deglossed the whole finish with steel wool and it has plenty of scars to it.
The paint, I did with my friend, its a tribute to McCartney's rickenbacker in the magical mystery tour days. I like the paintjob, so thats how it will stay.
When I restore it, it needs a neck reset and plenty of other things.
My CT hofner is now my main player, it plays better, but this is my all time favorite bass.

 

[Gougedeye]

Here is my 1997 Lakland 55-94

 

[JIO]

'60 P bass

 

[absqua]

Here's my workhorse, a slightly distressed '72 jazzbass. Original color is white, yellow color is a thin "spray can refinish" from the eighties.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JIO]

Here's my workhorse, a slightly distressed '72 jazzbass. Original color is white, yellow color is a thin "spray can refinish" from the eighties.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Just revisited this thread and love the new-wave yellow being tastefully worn away! Every picture tells a story! Thanks for posting!

 

[vdub75]

awesome yellow-to-white-to-wood on that jazz

 

[tomersg]

this a maya bass. nicely distressed. btw, im selling this bass here right now..

 

[Matt R.]

My '78 Jazz. I've owned this one for about a year. Heavy as an anchor but I love it.