mr.sibs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 there was a post on this recently but i cant find it... ive just bought a new mighty mite and want to rub it down with some vintage sexiness, any easy/cheap ways of doing this? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Boot polish. The brown Kiwi stuff. Did it to a cheapo tele neck once, and it looked pretty good. Edited January 9, 2008 by wateroftyne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopthebass Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 You could spray some tinted lacquer to give that white maple a vintage look. DM Guitars in Rayleigh, Essex do spray cans with different tints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 You could play it for about 30 years in smokey pubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='Beedster' post='116974' date='Jan 9 2008, 01:22 PM']You could play it for about 30 years in smokey pubs [/quote] Smoky pubs - I remember them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='117077' date='Jan 9 2008, 03:51 PM']Smoky pubs - I remember them. [/quote] Hey, does this mean that white scratchplates are no longer going to turn yellow after 10 years playing pub gigs ? The "distressing" and "vintaging" experts will have to learn some new trciks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 [quote name='BOD2' post='117082' date='Jan 9 2008, 03:54 PM']The "distressing" and "vintaging" experts will have to learn some new trciks ![/quote] Are there any (experts that is)? If so, suggesting that they need to learn new tricks implies that they had some old ones. I've yet to see a 'relic' that looks anything like a old and played-in bass, and that's as true as FCS models at £3500 as it is of the ebay cowboys. There's a guy advertising his relicing service on the bay at the moment and the photos he presents, I assume, to demonstrate how good his work is, are laughable I'd let your neck age gracefully, it'll get dirty and jaded soon enough, don't you worry Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.sibs Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 you may be right beedster, i found some nitrocellulose spray, but its £20, and with the wrong application il just look like a tit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 As much as I realise there is a market for 'distressed' or reliced basses. Nothing looks as auathentic as one that has just been played for gozillions of years... Taking chips out and rashing nice new instrumnets should be banned..... They get beaten up quick enough if you use them; even if you look after them. Even my prized and beloved PRSs have dings on them, but I know where everyone came from and albethey stories normally of my clumsiness, each ding has a story......! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.sibs Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 oh i definately wouldnt do that to it, i just meant a lacquer or varnish that i could apply so it doesnt look so spanking new!! its going on a used 81 pbass elite body so might look strange for a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 What kind neck is it? Maple/maple or rosewood? and is it lacquered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.sibs Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 its maple throughout, and i havnt recieved the neck yet, but i dont think it is lacquered, if it is its certainly not a heavy lacquer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 You could lend the guitar to a sweaty bassist friend. The neck on my first bass is looking really worn in now (it's about 17 years old). [attachment=4819:squireneck.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 If it's a Mighty Mite then most of them are finished (although you'd not think they were to look at them) The problem with maple neck, maple board is not the neck but the fretboard, if you're gonna spray it. Maybe stick it under a sun lamp for a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanuki Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I was very against the idea of distressed or relicked basses till i ended up with my RS Bass, it just felt really good from the start and they seemed to have intelligently gone about the job rather than just hitting it a few times.. I was going to get a Lakland Glaub but in the end i just prefer a worn in wooden feel to high gloss or satin finishes i heard a lot of people when they do these kind of jobs fall short in attenton to detail on the neck which is wierd because it strikes me that having a worn in neck is one of the most practical reasons for having it done.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 As I understand it, relicing a neck by taking off some or all of the finish can cause problems with intonation and action. When a neck is played for years and the finish is worn as a consequence of this, that finish is effectively replaced by the oils and grease (and dirt) from the hands, and these bestow a degree of protection against the potentially negative effects of changes in humidity and other sources of moisture (e.g., sweat). However, simply removing finish from a neck without refinishing the wood with a moisture-proof agent could leave you with a neck that will require frequent adjustment to maintain correct intonation and action. Just in case you were tempted to get the sandpaper out Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.sibs Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 hmm, no i dont think i was going to go down the sandpaper option, only ever a spray or rub on job, but the fretboard on a maple would be the problem, as i definately wouldnt want to spray it, so it would stay like new. il see how it gets on with the first few gigs, im sure if i take my eyes off it for a few minutes somethings bound to hit it. like the look of your bass tanuki, the wear on the back of the neck looks quite genuine from the photo, who worked on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 [quote name='Beedster' post='119555' date='Jan 13 2008, 03:58 PM']As I understand it, relicing a neck by taking off some or all of the finish can cause problems with intonation and action. When a neck is played for years and the finish is worn as a consequence of this, that finish is effectively replaced by the oils and grease (and dirt) from the hands, and these bestow a degree of protection against the potentially negative effects of changes in humidity and other sources of moisture (e.g., sweat). However, simply removing finish from a neck without refinishing the wood with a moisture-proof agent could leave you with a neck that will require frequent adjustment to maintain correct intonation and action. Just in case you were tempted to get the sandpaper out Chris[/quote] Really? You'd think something so minor as removing the finish from the back of a neck wouldn't have any major consequences. You live and learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I put together a neck-thru from Brandoni which I left completely unfinished. I gigged it and abused it quite heavily for about a year and never had a single problem with it. It stayed in tune and the intonation was fine. Allowing for normal atmospheric changes, the action barely moved from the set up I gave it on day one. I can't guarantee that another bass would perform as well, but IMHO a bit of relicing should not affect performance in the slightest. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 [quote name='paul h' post='119991' date='Jan 14 2008, 11:15 AM']I put together a neck-thru from Brandoni which I left completely unfinished. I gigged it and abused it quite heavily for about a year and never had a single problem with it. It stayed in tune and the intonation was fine. Allowing for normal atmospheric changes, the action barely moved from the set up I gave it on day one. I can't guarantee that another bass would perform as well, but IMHO a bit of relicing should not affect performance in the slightest. P.[/quote] Precisely not what I was told by an experienced and well-respected luthier recently Hey, it worked for you Paul, so I certainly can't say he's right and you're wrong. I would certainly advise caution however. Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 [quote]I would certainly advise caution however.[/quote] I agree totally, I am certainly not advising action one way or the other here, just recounting my personal experience and opinion. I can't really comment further as I have no knowledge of "luthierism". What I can say is that I have had plenty of basses with the finish intact completely melt under the stage lights. That does lead me to suspect that there are many other factors in play. If in doubt...leave well alone. p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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