Those craze-y 70's finishes

[Slapfest]

I've got one of those '70's natural finish 'rays, with a bad case of the 'crazed all over' finish....... pretty common story with that era.
I originally thought that it must have got on the original owner's nerves a bit, because he scraped it all away from wherever he had contact with it....
arm rest...gut....and none at all on the back of the neck (re-fret fixed that).
But recently I'm thinking that maybe he wasnt so dumb, after all.
There is a 'leading edge' of finish remaining at the edge of the arm rest bare patch, that has been slowly driving me up the wall.
I thought I was getting neurotic about it.... untill the rash on my forearm appeared...
Now, after some close inspection, it appears that about 10 mins playing will soften the edge of that finish into a sticky rubberised pain in the butt.
Spoke to the luthier that did the refret and neck refinish...and he is familiar with this condition.... says there is no cure....re-finish the body...$600
Now thats an expensive rash cream!
I could do it...and some day I might... but....I basically like the vintage look of it.
Its got charcter...plenty of miles on the clock.
So here I am (and it feels really wrong)....digging my nail into the finish and scraping any more of the offending stuff away from where my arm should be.
5 mins later (this lacquer is putty) and there IS no immediate problem.
Sure, I've got a new bald patch on the 'ray.... who cares?
Saved $600 in the short term .... and I suspect thats how this bass became the bald eagle that it is.
What's the thing with those mid-70's clear lacquer finishes?
Seems like someone got a bad batch.
Dont suppose anyone else has had similar with early pre-eb?

 

[Caca de Kick]

I've got 3 pre's. Two of them are minty with little player wear, they only look to be a couple years old, defintely don't look several decades old.
But the 3rd one, my white Ray has a ton of finish checking, and a small bare beltbuckle patch, and a forearm bare patch. But my finish is not gooey or sticky at all, and I can't feel any of it when I play. It's very hard, and does not soften like your does. It's just dinged and chipped and weather checked. The finish was obviously sprayed on more thin back then. I think care -or lack of care- affects how a finish ages, especially with temperature swings.

 

[Slapfest]

mmm.....
Thats still a pretty sweet looking bass, Mike.
'Rays look great in "vintage white".
The other 2 must be in great shape.

As for the finish....its only when its played that it softens...and only where my arm rests... And while it doesnt exactly go gooey...its not great....
The '76 that I originally owned had a great finish. No cracking at all.
But they were probably trying extra hard to get it right at the time.
Given that it was #B001013,(first batch) and started life as the Aussie MM distributor's demonstrator/sponsorship bass, it was an absolute gem.
While we're here...any pics of your other 2?
Might as well show 'em off to someone that cares!
(I dont think its going to get too crowded in here)

 

[Caca de Kick]

it was #B001013,(first batch) and started life as the Aussie MM distributor's demonstrator/sponsorship bass, it was an absolute gem.
While we're here...any pics of your other 2?
Might as well show 'em off to someone that cares!
(I dont think its going to get too crowded in here)

Ah, so you owned the infamous B001013, I've seen it on Gavs' site...very nice early piece.

You may as well show a pic of yours.
Yeah I don't think it will get crowded in here either....

 

[oli@bass]

WOW!!!
Now, those are two lovely pieces of bass history!

 

[Slapfest]

Aren't they just?
Wow!
They're in fantastic conditon!
I dont think I've seen better.
And I dont have any pics of mine, but lets just say right now,
that if I DID, I would keep them in my pocket!

Ok... I need some details here...
What years are they?
and, which is the one you gig with, or your preferred Stingray?
I'm impressed.... that was good shopping around.

-re B001013..... I always knew it was the best bass I had ever played.
But due to local ignorance on the facts, (and I didnt do any research about it),
I was mostly unaware of what I was toting around most nights of the week for 18 years. And I dont know what I was thinking when I sold it.
I thought that (because I had a couple of Fancy Foderas and it was sitting at home in its case) it would probably just get stolen some day when I was out, and it was too good a bass to be just kicking around.... ..Someone else should be playing it and enjoying it! (what an idiot)
Anyway, the rest is History... It sits on a wall...unplayed
And of course, 2 years later I'm running around trying to find another '76!
Which I finally did, of course.....the bald eagle
But enough of that....how did you come across such fine specimens?
You must have been pretty patient and cashed up.

 

[kdsi44]

man that cream bass looks awesome!

here is a couple pics of mine....tons of wear but man it sounds sweet

1978 Stingray

 

[Aussie Mark]

The finish was obviously sprayed on more thin back then.

The main reason for the checking and rubbing wear is the nitrocellulose finish used back then rather than the poly that has been used in more recent times.

Here's my "white" '76 ....

 

[Slapfest]

That is a beauty, isnt it?
I bet that Todd Hunter rues the day he parted with that.
It almost takes the "blonde" look to a new level.
Do you still gig with it, Mark?

 

[Caca de Kick]

the nitrocellulose finish used back then rather than the poly

It was nitro on the bodies? really?
I always though it was old skool thin polyester finishes, like my other brands of basses from that era.

 

[nashman]

Just a thought - believe me, I'm no luthier ...

If the finish is basically history, looks bad, is causing you grief - and a complete/profesional refinish is too costly, what about an interim step ... sand off what's left of the finish yourself, make it a "natural" and put on a clear top coat of something appropriate until the day you decide to professionally refinish it or sell it etc. At least it will look nice and be playable.

 

[bassmancb]

Fine looking Basses guys!!! Thanks for the pics.

 

[drTStingray]

The sunburst Stingray and the Sabre are really superb - best I've seen (since the 70s!).

I had a 79/80 era sunburst Stingray from new (4 bolt neck/strings through bridge) and within 3 or 4 years the finish had worn down to a cream undercoat in two areas - on the top edge and also where the strap rubbed against the body - also I never had a bass which contracted such bad belt buckle rash (as did one or two used examples I looked at back then) - the finish really must have been very soft compared to today's production which are robust to say the least! I sold the Stingray in 1987 cos I was broke - I regretted it ever since.

 

[Aussie Mark]

That is a beauty, isnt it?
I bet that Todd Hunter rues the day he parted with that.
It almost takes the "blonde" look to a new level.
Do you still gig with it, Mark?

Todd told me the bass had a fretted neck when he owned it, so the '76 dated fretless neck was added later yb persons unknown. Later on, the bass somehow ended up with Ange Tsutoudis (sp?), who played guitar for Dragon during the 90s. Ange later put it up for sale on consignment in a music store around the corner from where I was living at the time. I was in the right place at the right time, just having dropped into the store to buy some strings. I put down a deposit that day, and went back the next day with the balance.

And yes, I still break it out for a gig occasionally, when I'm in a fretless mood ....

 

[Slapfest]

I never had a bass which contracted such bad belt buckle rash (as did one or two used examples I looked at back then) - the finish really must have been very soft compared to today's production which are robust to say the least! I sold the Stingray in 1987 cos I was broke - I regretted it ever since.

sounds similar to mine...I havent got pics, but I've got buckle rash covering the entire width of the body and from the top of the neck plate down to the battery cover.... They must have had some serious belt buckles in the 70's!

Bur no amount of bad looks would ever convince me to sell a bass that sounds great .... tone rules