And that's how they figured out they can upcharge for 'relicing'
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The value of a banged up instrument
- Thread starter BK Bass
- Start date
And that's how they figured out they can upcharge for 'relicing'
The bass is an object. Just play it whether it cost $100 or $3,000.
I know what u mean. I once bought a brand new Stingray Classic. Most expensive thing I ever bought that I could hold in my hands. I was afraid to take it out of the house. Everytime I played it I moved furniture out of the way so I wouldn't bang it on anything. Then I finally decided that I wasn't fully enjoying it and sold it at a loss with no regrets.
I say sell your two American Fenders and get a used MIJ
I say sell your two American Fenders and get a used MIJ
The Fender Road Worn series was brilliant for taking the pain away from a first nick to a thin finish. Notably, Jaco Pastorius's famously well beaten and de-fretted Jazz Bass is iconic. As the continuation Custom Shop copies attest to.
My 52-year old Tele Bass was once a pristine example factory. Now all of its stains, chips and gouges are evidence of a life well played. It's off at a spa now for badly needed work from nut to bridge and everything in between. But all of its timeworn marks will remain, including oxidized machine heads and a bent tuning peg.
It wasn't abused, but it was very well used.
My 52-year old Tele Bass was once a pristine example factory. Now all of its stains, chips and gouges are evidence of a life well played. It's off at a spa now for badly needed work from nut to bridge and everything in between. But all of its timeworn marks will remain, including oxidized machine heads and a bent tuning peg.
It wasn't abused, but it was very well used.
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yep! thats a beauty thanks for sharing a pic! ive been waiting for ''the one'' to cross my path ever since i tried one awhile back..Cheers!
Play it and enjoy it, every scar is a memory that only you will remember. If you want to really have some anxiety, show up with an alto and tenor sax, that's about $12,000 worth of the most fragile instrument you can imagine. lol
Exactly like one. Ha! And, because of my propensity to bring this one instrument to everything I do, and because Billy Sheehan was a very big influence, myself and others call my bass, the Wife. And tho I am unmarried in real life, this bass will stick wit me til the end. I hope.
I would suggest one thing here: The bass you prefer is a fretless. It could be the draw of that voice is more important than the casualness of its appearance.
I played the same Jazz bass for 40 years. When I got it it had a really bad varnish job(originally sunburst) When I refinished it with tung oil, it was beautiful. I sold it this year. The guy told me he was going to refinish it, but when he saw it, he decided that it was exactly right. Scratches, dents, and scrapes are just truth.
per the OP: after reading your POV and after seeing your fretless = i'm thinking that it's less about dings/bangs and more about the fact that you have more fun with your fretless. who knew? duh! 
Ultimately every bass guitar on the planet will eventually go into the scrapheap. Doesn't matter how precious or expensive. They are meant to be played and enjoyed.
I had this cheap Cort Action PJ for almost 10 years. It traveled by air with me, it survived a lot of gigs in the woods, it never had a proper protective case. Except for some opacity on the back when my belly touched it most, it did not have a single ding. Go figure...
I have always thought that when buying a used bass the more beat up it is meant that it must really be a great bass that people want to play.
Of course, anything involving water, blood, or soil is kind of too much.
There is great relief in not having to worry about that first ding or dent.
Of course, anything involving water, blood, or soil is kind of too much.
There is great relief in not having to worry about that first ding or dent.
I'm gonna disagree here. Basses aren't just tools. They also ARE works of art, and that is what sells most of them. It's part of what attracts me to them. I love the art of the build. Otherwise they would all be plywood bodied P basses and painted flat black. Lots of posts on here where people say "I just love how this bass looks!" Exotic woods, fancy paint jobs, MOP inlays are all part of the allure. No player ever bought a vintage bass and thought "Gee, I wish it was more beat up..." There is a market for relic'd basses, but that's a different discussion.
It's okay that you want to keep your basses looking nice, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them. I want to keep my truck looking nice, but I still have to drive it in traffic, and that's way more dangerous than what I would do with my bass.
It's okay that you want to keep your basses looking nice, but don't let that stop you from enjoying them. I want to keep my truck looking nice, but I still have to drive it in traffic, and that's way more dangerous than what I would do with my bass.
Same here. I went for one recently, though. My 2020 Ric 4003 MBL arrived to me dead mint from another TB member. Although I love playing the thing, I do find myself 'babying' it more than I do my beat up P-bass.
While I do agree with the majority of the sentiments of those who have replied thus far, your post most accurately reflects my mindset about the whole thing. Like your Stingray, these two basses are the most expensive single items that I own that could hold in my hands as well, which makes it that much more difficult to say "screw it, it's just a tool, just play it and whatever happens, happens!"
Probably, I will end up doing exactly what you suggest and sell them for something less expensive such as an MIJ. The fretless has given me a nice taste of that MIJ quality.
A pre-owned banged-up player with honest wear is a godsend. Those in my collection are among my favorites, because I'm not traumatized by every new nick or dent I inflict upon it. As long as the fingerboard isn't missing any chunks, the back of the neck is fairly smooth, and she sets up and plays/sounds good, I'm happy.
