Does Anyone Sell/Make a “Faux”worn Finished Bass

[bassrique]

Wait, you want someone else to age the bass, but you don't want nitro so you don't age the bass???

 

[Spectrum]

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Wow, you must be a moderator.

 

[Gaolee]

View attachment 4067670

ThunderP!

 

[JIO]

Ok, here's a working example. I have a '93 Fender A/S J. It was/is well played and over the years has developed 'player wear'. It was red (poly). I did a recent mod on it installing a Fender/Kubicki 9v pre requiring routing. The alder body was heavy so I chambered it under the pg which helped lighten it. While I was at it I decided to re-finish it. The hardware and hs are time/use-relic'd -"honest" player wear. (and I'm being facetious using this term as I'm personally not stigmatized by "dis-honest" relic'ing - to each their own) So actually appreciating a well done relic'd look, I decided to go with MJT as I've seen their impressive results and don't shoot nitro myself. Doing this type of finish is their forte'. I sent them detail pics of the worn hardware and dinged hs and requested a mild distressing in Burgundy Mist Metallic, including checking. (this is an option) A number of back-and-forth emails w/in-progress pics later - they nailed the look & feel I wanted. The bass will continue to be played, and will further develop 'player wear' that the thin lacquer finishes are prone to do.

 

[The Deep]

MJT will not disappoint! Great company and very customer oriented.

BTW, MJT uses 100% pure nitro finish. This is how you obtain the authentic wear over time, as stated previously in the thread. It’s a very time consuming process but the results are magnificent, both in feel and appearance (and I would even argue resonance).

Fender products these days (with the notable exception of a vintage pre CBS Fender) use a flash coat of nitro over the top of a poly finish. The results are noticeably different.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Not overpriced at all.
Fender Custom Shop Jaco Pastorius Relic Fretless Jazz Bass Guitar - 3-Color Sunburst

 

[ArtechnikA]

Roscoe will do that.
Only on the Traditionals series, I believe, but I could be wrong...

 

[Gaolee]

Countless relic'd basses made these days.
I'd stay away from the cookie-cutter Fender Roadworn basses and look elsewhere.
FENDER PRECISION or JAZZ Bass, TELE, STRAT "RELIC" SERVICE **LOOK!** | eBay
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Actually, a Fender RW is a little goofy looking at first, or at least i thought mine was. Ten years later, it has many more dents and scuffs and is some odd combination of factory fake and the real deal. It came home with me because it felt so good to play. That overcame my initial dislike of artificial wear. As a bonus, I do not worry about dropping it or hitting the cymbals by accident or disciplining singers or unruly audiences with the headstock. Plus, it sounds like a P. If your hands get along with the wide neck, it is a perfectly good option and less expensive than some alternatives.

 

[Jefenator]

The thread title might be a bit misleading - like it could be just another relic thread, except it really isn't.
Sounds like what the OP wants is an "eroded" sub-layer color accent, possibly but not necessarily mimicking gig wear, but sealed with a clear coat to avoid bare wood exposure.
So the real question is: do any of the known relic practitioners clear coat over their work, or offer the option? Or are those bare-looking sections always actually bare?
I would be curious to see the result of a custom process with sanded-then-sealed accent stripes - smooth and deliberately ornamental. (Veneer tops with transparent finishes do something like this, just with wood, not paint. Sometimes they even add an extra layer or two for a nifty accent. I like the concept, but it does bug me when they let the forearm cut expose a big, awkward hunk of the base wood. Better I think to just lose the "cut" and use a wide radius throughout - or at least tint the edges with a "burst" & make it less obvious!)

 

[lfmn16]

Twas a joke. I actually think they look cool.

Unfortunately there are too many idiots that say those things and mean them.

 

[Sean150]

Sounds like what the OP wants is an "eroded" sub-layer color accent, possibly but not necessarily mimicking gig wear, but sealed with a clear coat to avoid bare wood exposure.
So the real question is: do any of the known relic practitioners clear coat over their work, or offer the option? Or are those bare-looking sections always actually bare?

Yes, that is right along the lines that I am thinking.

 

[redstrand]

I have a Nash that I love dearly (it’s the white one) and the Roadworn Jazz(highly modded) which has the second best neck to the Nash.
Comfort and sound is all I worry about.

 

[SLPimp]

There seem to be more Sandberg dealers in Canada than the US (at least online). Some of the best relics out there.

Every Fender I have seen seems to have a Nitro finish; not that I trust Fender’s specs. I'll check out the others.

Part of my problem is that I live in Alberta Canada which is pretty much nowhere when it comes to the smaller American builders.

I have’s quite nailed down my ideal pickup or body shape which is why I am looking for ideas/GAS and not a specific model.

Also, to clarify, I am not looking for a vintage like guitar but one that has a “worn” finish.

The vision I have in my mind is a Urban Mural on a brick wall painted over by a newer mural with the old mural showing through just enough to add contex/character to the new. Modern vs. Old sort of thing. (Not a lot of help; I know)

 

[MobileHolmes]

I don't think you're going to find anything that is relic and not nitro, because poly is basically impossible to relic. That said, I don't think you need to baby nitro that much either. My #1 is a nitro finish, which I intended to naturally relic through honest playing wear and, 13 years later, it has a few chips and a little buckle rash (granted, I only gigged it for part of that time). I've got a 55 year old epiphone guitar that is nitro and its got nice looking checking, and a few dings, but isn't peeling or anything either.

 

[jd56hawk]

I'm not sure why you stay away from Road Worn. I've owned one, they are very nice basses and even nicer for the price. Even the stock pickup that was in my P sounded great. They are a great value for the money if that kind of thing works for you.

Sure, they're supposedly good for MIMs, maybe people can even make an argument that their high price...they're all over $1,000...at least give the buyer a nice neck, but the simple fact remains, they're relics that lack individuality.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Wow, you must be a moderator.

Or just someone who is capable of reading the rules of a forum no one was forcing him to join, and who knows how to button his lip when his opinion is not wanted.

 

[7dollarbologna]

My thoughts are this. I have not seen a vintage instrument with a finish in a condition that I like and I don’t want to baby my guitars so I am not interested in a Nitro finish. But there are some patters of wear that I like, specifically the smooth wear patterns you get on the upper part of the body where your arm is; especially on those basses with a older layer of pain underneath.

There is no way that I am ever going to wear through my Poly finished basses in that way and would have to get it re-coated anyways if I did. So I am wondering if anyone makes a production instrument of this style; or am I going to have to find a custom shop.

This is more about a specific look artistically than looking old. I am not worried whether the wear patterns are realistic or not.

You have to have a nitrocellulose lacquer finish for a realistic reliced look

 

[Gaolee]

The thread title might be a bit misleading - like it could be just another relic thread, except it really isn't.
Sounds like what the OP wants is an "eroded" sub-layer color accent, possibly but not necessarily mimicking gig wear, but sealed with a clear coat to avoid bare wood exposure.
So the real question is: do any of the known relic practitioners clear coat over their work, or offer the option? Or are those bare-looking sections always actually bare?
I would be curious to see the result of a custom process with sanded-then-sealed accent stripes - smooth and deliberately ornamental. (Veneer tops with transparent finishes do something like this, just with wood, not paint. Sometimes they even add an extra layer or two for a nifty accent. I like the concept, but it does bug me when they let the forearm cut expose a big, awkward hunk of the base wood. Better I think to just lose the "cut" and use a wide radius throughout - or at least tint the edges with a "burst" & make it less obvious!)

Later Fender Roadworn may be right then. Those have a clear coat over the relic bits.

 

[Gaolee]

I don't think you're going to find anything that is relic and not nitro, because poly is basically impossible to relic. That said, I don't think you need to baby nitro that much either. My #1 is a nitro finish, which I intended to naturally relic through honest playing wear and, 13 years later, it has a few chips and a little buckle rash (granted, I only gigged it for part of that time). I've got a 55 year old epiphone guitar that is nitro and its got nice looking checking, and a few dings, but isn't peeling or anything either.

Nitro is plenty tough. I have had an EB-2 since 1983. It has wear, but no holes in the finish. Same with my Thunderbirds. I do not know why Fender basses wear like they do, poly or nitro. Both seem to wear through faster than other makers' finishes.

 

[JIO]

The thread title might be a bit misleading - like it could be just another relic thread, except it really isn't.
Sounds like what the OP wants is an "eroded" sub-layer color accent, possibly but not necessarily mimicking gig wear, but sealed with a clear coat to avoid bare wood exposure.
So the real question is: do any of the known relic practitioners clear coat over their work, or offer the option? Or are those bare-looking sections always actually bare?
I would be curious to see the result of a custom process with sanded-then-sealed accent stripes - smooth and deliberately ornamental. (Veneer tops with transparent finishes do something like this, just with wood, not paint. Sometimes they even add an extra layer or two for a nifty accent. I like the concept, but it does bug me when they let the forearm cut expose a big, awkward hunk of the base wood. Better I think to just lose the "cut" and use a wide radius throughout - or at least tint the edges with a "burst" & make it less obvious!)

I'm not attempting to solicit work, but yes - I have done number of relic'd finishes with a final satin clear-coat. I expressly do it to make the bass feel good/smooth and preserve the effected finish. It's another way a 'relic' finish is like any other finish - once you have the desired look, it is 'sealed' to maintain that look. Some may want it to be 'open' (no final clear-coat) so it can continue to show 'player wear', and some may want to preserve the look as-is. These are choices one can make depending on personal preference.