Wear and tear, the double edge sword (axe?)

[asands]

A racehorse has got to run.

I recently bought an Alembic from the original owner, who had custom ordered it new in 1985. It was dead-mint as described, even still had the protective wax paper over the brass covers, not a scratch to be found on it... because he couldn't bring himself to play it out at gigs and risk a ding. 32 years in a case.

I did the same thing in 2015... ordered a custom fretless Alembic, but I can't imagine not playing it out at gigs. Of course I'm careful -extremely so- but these were never meant to sit in a case.

Take care of them, wipe down, deep clean, whatever you need to, but just remember to enjoy them in between.



View attachment 2911121

Is that a shedua top?

 

[Kmonk]

A lot of touring bass players are playing basses that are over 50 years old and look like they've been run over by a truck. If you enjoy the bass, keep playing it.

 

[Tori2013]

My Rick and my Lakland don't live in a case. They sit in a rack and I cover said rack to protect them from dust. That's about it. I have no plans to leave my future children any mint condition instruments that they might or might not cherish.

 

[funkinbottom]

If they're honest dings, they're like scars, crooked road maps of your life.

Well said OB, well said.

There are show ponies and work horses. Deep down which has more Mojo.

Not certain which has more mojo, but mine has definitely been a work horse all these years.

(purchased in '70)

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Is that a shedua top?

Good guess... I thought so too, but according to the build sheet, it's quilted bubinga, with matched back laminate.

 

[pie_man_25]

Basses, and people, are a lot less fragile than you think. The desire for control over things is natural, and seems to be manifesting itself in your semi-weekly bass cleaning schedule. Honestly, that's fine, whatever works for you is a beautiful thing, just like I'm sure your bass is. Maybe letting go of this schedule and practicing letting go of control a bit might help, maybe it won't - either way I'm probably looking into it too much and cleaning your bass really couldn't hurt it any more then the years already are, as you have noticed. Just remember that this bass you're playing is yours and in a weird way so are its scratches - and that's just awesome. It's kinda like a mandala in some weird way.

My favorite bass is still my first, made in 94, just 3 years younger than I am. It's got plenty of dings, most of which aren't even mine.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

LOL there is no deep cleaning allowed. You put a good set of strings on it, and play it hard, and grind that funk deep into it. You bash and scar it it freely without care. You give it the occasional wipe with your dirty T shirt. The more wear they acquire, the better they look. Nothing worse looking than a shiny new Fender bass. And nothing looks better, when beat up and worn, than a Fender bass.

Deep cleaning for me means are string are removed at once, the instrument is wide down, given a cot of wax and new strings installed.

Doesn't happen more than once a year usually, though it's always wide down after playing.

 

[eldoryder]

"Relic-ing" has got to start SOMEWHERE, after all.....don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[el murdoque]

The oldest bass I own AND bought new has just turned 22.
From ten feet off it looks brand spanking new. I don't understand the concept of letting a bass 'go' and turn into a workhorse. I keep my all of my basses out of harms way as good as I can. Sometimes they get scratched or dinged,
I guess that is in the nature of the thing.
I don't polish them to a shine every week or follow other rituals, but when they strike me as dirty, they get a nice cleanup, fresh strings and the fretboard gets a drop of oil after the finger muck i massaged in there is taken care of.
I've never given a new bass any extra attention because it is mint and I've never neglected an old one because it has scratches and dings, though.

 

[interp]

I bought a very expensive bass—a work of art—about three years ago and went through this same process. I play it constantly, just about everywhere. After a few months the first tiny dings began appearing; it took a while for me to get used to it. Now the only wear and tear that I worry about is any damage or dings on the back of the neck. I go to great lengths to prevent that.

 

[JRA]

Discuss...

wear and tear is not a "double-edged sword." common sense says that it's an expected outcome from the use of any reliable tool. right?

at what point does one emotionally let go of that mint condition baby and let it become the time served work horse it yearns to be?.

i'll play (all thoughts = +/- YMMV) ---

bedroom players: may never let go.

occasional playing with others: may take years.

gigs now and then: a year or so.

regular gigging: less than a year.

music as a vocation: 3 minutes.


IMO: more practice/gigs = fewer worries, less obsessiveness.

good luck getting over the dings and scratches!

 

[SmokinJoe992]

This is why I only buy used cars and basses.

 

[Smogcity]

I'm the opposite..

I get depressed playing mint/new basses thinking about all the time I'd have to put in them to get them to the worn/well-used vibe I prefer..

At this point I'd only buy/play used or vintage gear unless a manufacturer is giving me basses.

 

[tlc1976]

For me a deep cleaning means using a thin piece of rag to get the fuzz, hair, and junk around the bridge saddles mainly, but also around the pickups and tuners and nut. Other than that the basses pretty much stay clean.

wear and tear is not a "double-edged sword." common sense says that it's an expected outcome from the use of any reliable tool. right?

i'll play (all thoughts = +/- YMMV) ---

bedroom players: may never let go.

occasional playing with others: may take years.

gigs now and then: a year or so.

regular gigging: less than a year.

music as a vocation: 3 minutes.

IMO: more practice/gigs = fewer worries, less obsessiveness.

good luck getting over the dings and scratches!

For getting over it, I'd say the above is right on. The more music becomes your method of income, IMO your bass is usually thought of as more of a tool for the job, and less sentiment.

As far as actual damage, I think it might be the opposite, or at least different. At home in the bedroom you might have kids, pets, gf, yourself stumbling around half asleep every morning. Roughhousing, pillow fights, kitty's scratching post, kids messing with it. Things you typically wouldn't find on stage or in the studio. And when your bass is home from "work", it's probably in the case.

 

[_Some Dude]

I've relic'd a few walls with my headstock and a few stages with my bass.

 

[Manticore]

A racehorse has got to run.
I recently bought an Alembic from the original owner, who had custom ordered it new in 1985. It was dead-mint as described, even still had the protective wax paper over the brass covers, not a scratch to be found on it... because he couldn't bring himself to play it out at gigs and risk a ding. 32 years in a case.
Take care of them, wipe down, deep clean, whatever you need to, but just remember to enjoy them in between.

I had a similar experience. I bought my first Alembic new in '92. I've played it virtually every day since. The finish has almost completely worn off the back and it has a number of minor dings, but it is well-loved and tended to regularly. A couple of years ago I bought another of the same model as a backup. It is a '91 but was advertised as being in "Mint" condition. In conversations with the seller I discovered he was so worried about damaging it he never played it, which struck me as sad. They're meant to be played!

 

[glocke1]

Morning all, hope everyone is having a decent Sunday so far...

So, I was doing my usual weekly to fortnightly deep clean on my 2012 USA fender jazz this morning and noticed its really starting to pick up a fair few minor scratches and a couple of minor dings now, it's to be expected from an instrument that gets played daily both at home and the practice room but at what point does one emotionally let go of that mint condition baby and let it become the time served work horse it yearns to be?.

I've got kids and it feels like the same thing, you try and wrap them in cotton wool but it's inevitable that at some point they get hurt and grow as a result.

I envisioned when I bought my jazz that it was going to be kept mint forever but I'm starting to realise that this is virtually impossible, does one let go of the dream?

Discuss...

Getting back into playing more "seriously" after taking a half baked approach to it for several years means I've been on a bass buying binge.

My new Fender ELite in OT took a nice bang in the first week of ownership when I was being careless removing it from the case. That hurt..a lot. But I am over it now that I've gotten some gigs in with it.

What still bothers me is the mysterious dent in the back of the neck opposite the D string at the 5th fret. No idea how that got there and every time my thumb hits it I get pissed off. Eventually I'll get it drop filled.

Both of those dents are ironic considering I went ten years with an Alembic SCSD not getting a mark on it with at times weekly gigging/rehearsal.

In general I pride myself on taking meticulous care of my stuff, and I like to keep it looking new. The fender elite mentioned above? I guess thats become my workhorse and Im over the damage (except the neck ding), if something else happens to the finish I won't cry like I did at first.

My other new ? Im being much more careful with. They will get played, but only in environments that are not chaotic or crowded.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

I almost don’t care about protecting my main player, a 2011 Pbass.
It’s fallen over so many times, been whacked and swung around, and it doesn’t care.
It’s got gouges and scratches and finish flaking and it plays and sounds just as great as it did when i bought it.
It’s a tool.
I don’t worry about keeping my hammer mint, or not scratching my screwdriver. But I also don’t mess with tool misuse.

 

[glocke1]

I almost don’t care about protecting my main player, a 2011 Pbass.
It’s fallen over so many times, been whacked and swung around, and it doesn’t care.
It’s got gouges and scratches and finish flaking and it plays and sounds just as great as it did when i bought it.
It’s a tool.
I don’t worry about keeping my hammer mint, or not scratching my screwdriver. But I also don’t mess with tool misuse.

Hammers also don't cost 2k and don't look pretty

 

[JGbassman]

I'm not a collector of botique or vintage works of beauty, which I would try and keep nice if I could. My touring basses of my past and my weekend warrior basses get dinged and scratches just from playing. I guess the only one that really bothered my was the first few on my 2011 jazz in my sig shot. It's never been abused, but thousands of touring miles and gigs will take the new off in short order.