I think the present finish looks great and the wear adds character, so I'd probably leave it. But I would have no problem having it refinished either if the mood took me...
My 1975 mapleglo 4001 has much more wear than your bass (in fact it wasn't well looked after by previous owners) but a shiny newly refinished fretboard (done after re-fretting) actually looks really good and not out of place with the worn condition of the rest of the instrument. I'm comfortable with the scars my bass has earned over the years. It has character I suppose...
Refinish or leave as is.
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
Yep'per.armybass wrote:sloop_john_b wrote:LEAVE IT
The French concur mon amis!
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
Well, I will gladly be the contrarian. 
If it was mine, the subject wouldn't come up, because it would have gone for refinishing
as soon as I got it, and saw the condition it's in. I say that because, for one, none of that wear was put there by me, so it means
nothing. If I had done it, that's a different thing altogether. To me, the wear I put on an instrument is mojo; as it is now, that's just abuse-
especially the broken pickguard and the gouges.For another, resale value doesn't mean much to me; I buy what I want, because I want it.
Resale value is something for the executor of my will to worry about after I'm dead; I'm not planning to sell anything I have, so who cares?
And finally, and with apologies to Fireglow and Ruby lovers, I hate red, and won't have a red anything unless there's no choice. In fact,
my 4001 is going to be refinished this year, now that everything else that needed to be done, has been done. A nice shade of blue, I think....
but in the end, it's yours, not mine. Please yourself!
If it was mine, the subject wouldn't come up, because it would have gone for refinishingas soon as I got it, and saw the condition it's in. I say that because, for one, none of that wear was put there by me, so it means
nothing. If I had done it, that's a different thing altogether. To me, the wear I put on an instrument is mojo; as it is now, that's just abuse-
especially the broken pickguard and the gouges.For another, resale value doesn't mean much to me; I buy what I want, because I want it.
Resale value is something for the executor of my will to worry about after I'm dead; I'm not planning to sell anything I have, so who cares?
And finally, and with apologies to Fireglow and Ruby lovers, I hate red, and won't have a red anything unless there's no choice. In fact,
my 4001 is going to be refinished this year, now that everything else that needed to be done, has been done. A nice shade of blue, I think....
but in the end, it's yours, not mine. Please yourself!
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
... very rational pov., congratulations! Paul W. has excellent blue shadings with a bit of red sparkle in it, just awesome! Go for it, you will not be dissapointed!
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
I'd refinish it in a heartbeat - as long as PW was doing the work. I'm just not into the whole relic thing. If your bass shows wear from you actually playing it, that's one thing. My old Gibson bass has a couple notches on the back from leaning back on a too-small stage at Chicago's Earl Of Old Town during some stuff we played backing up Bob Gibson and hitting the hood of the fireplace. I'm lucky my pants didn't catch fire - but buying somebody elses "relic-ness" to make yourself look cool seems pretty phony to me. Reminds me of the spoiled rich kids during the hippy period. We always wondered who they paid to wear out their blue jeans for them. Of course these days, half the jeans in the stores come with that "dirty laundry" look already built-in.
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
Paul W. sounds like the man I need to talk to; how do I get in touch with him? And that color combination sounds intriguing,
but I'd have to see it first (the red thing, you see). And, please understand; I've got nothing against a little wear on my
stuff - or anybody else's. Since I'm a lefty, almost all my stuff was somebody else's once, but you have to draw the line
somewhere. I have a '78 Kramer 450B that was gigged constantly til the original owner switched to
studio guitar work in 2008. I kept it just as I got it, because it looks like what it is; a pro's bass that was always well taken
care of. And I probably wouldn't have my 4001 re-done, except that it's got what looks like dings from a ball-peen
hammer all over it, as well as what I can only describe as 'worm tracks' all over the back. Plus, some dweeb drilled a hole in the
lower horn so he could play it right handed (??!!). The few nicks in the finish and the paint chip or two I would gladly live with, but
the other stuff? No way.
but I'd have to see it first (the red thing, you see). And, please understand; I've got nothing against a little wear on my
stuff - or anybody else's. Since I'm a lefty, almost all my stuff was somebody else's once, but you have to draw the line
somewhere. I have a '78 Kramer 450B that was gigged constantly til the original owner switched to
studio guitar work in 2008. I kept it just as I got it, because it looks like what it is; a pro's bass that was always well taken
care of. And I probably wouldn't have my 4001 re-done, except that it's got what looks like dings from a ball-peen
hammer all over it, as well as what I can only describe as 'worm tracks' all over the back. Plus, some dweeb drilled a hole in the
lower horn so he could play it right handed (??!!). The few nicks in the finish and the paint chip or two I would gladly live with, but
the other stuff? No way.
Re: Refinish or leave as is.
...Paul W. nick here in the RRF is "jingle-jangle" and a 4001 refinished in his blue burst with the red sparkle belongs to a forumite (pls chime in)! 