What would you have done?

[BassistNATE]

Alright, so I picked up this bass a little while ago and the story attached to it is always fun to hear people's thoughts on. This is a 97 American Deluxe 5 String bass with, as you can tell, a crazy funky flame paint job. Now the shop where I bought this also had a 2005 version, with the only difference being black paint with gold hardware and pickguard. This little flaming baby cost me 700, while the other bass was 1100. I played both and they played the exact same, there literally was no difference between them apart from the flames and the 400 dollars. The other bass was a really beautiful looking thing, but I couldn't part with the extra 400, just because it 'looked nicer'.

So what would you guys have done? I've got no regrets by buying this bass, it plays and sounds great, and it has a fun story attached to it. Obviously not the most professional looking, but I don't have need to 'look professional' right now.

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

1995-2001 were Fender's golden years, at least for my lifetime. Nice score, Congrats!

 

[Happynoj]

You could put the $400 you've saved into a sweet purple sparkle refin.

 

[devnulljp]

Buy some sandpaper with the $400 you saved and take the flames off. Don't know what to spend the remaining $395 on though.

 

[Argassab]

Depends on what type of music does your band play.

 

[Hamish MacCleod]

Just rock it!
Rondo

 

[BassistNATE]

Depends on what type of music does your band play.

At the moment I'm playing with a pretty alternative indie band and just playing pub gigs mainly so it works out alright!

 

[zontar]

If all things were equal or close, I would have done the same thing and bought the lower priced bass.
Lots of things you could do with the $400--save it or spend it.

 

[Robus]

So what was the story attached to it?

 

[Argassab]

At the moment I'm playing with a pretty alternative indie band and just playing pub gigs mainly so it works out alright!

As rondo had said, just rock it

 

[dukeandrews]

I would have bought it too. That is a pretty awful paint job though. You could relic it to get rid of the flames. Be careful. It is easy to do an unconvincing relic job.

 

[bullie76]

Pass. Just can't overcome the flames.

 

[OutToPlayJazz]

Personally, I'd have bought the one that played and sounded the best to me. Money shouldn't come into the decision unless you don't have the budget for the more expensive instrument.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I would have bought it too. That is a pretty awful paint job though. You could relic it to get rid of the flames. Be careful. It is easy to do an unconvincing relic job.

As far as faux flames go, this is actually a pretty nice rendering IMO and balances well with the original finish. IOW, I've seen worse, specifically the chrome fiasco adorning certain Traben models.

Riis

 

[russpurdy]

30-40 bucks worth of automotive rattlecan paint will give you any colour you want and look great. Either that or sand it down and pay an autobody shop a hundred bucks to spray it with whatever colour they have qued up in the spray gun that day.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I'd just rock it.
You can always refin later if you decide you just have to.

 

[OldCityBassman]

Maybe find somebody that airbrushes that can creatively modify the flames. Great bass though, I would have bought it.

 

[OldPlucker]

Buy some sandpaper with the $400 you saved and take the flames off. Don't know what to spend the remaining $395 on though.

I would have invested #600 or finer sandpaper and water. Then wet sanded most of that off and then use polishing compound for the finishing touches and shine. OR I may have said "Sheet, no one else has one like this" The flames could have been better without the grey outline. Blending the flames into the red would have been better.

 

[jmverdugo]

I would have done the same.

 

[mtdkingstonheir]

If it sounds good to you and you don't mind the flames, keep it as is. If not, I agree with happynoj - a purple sparklecaster paint job would look great (or sparklecaster green).