When do flaws/fades/wear/chips in a finish become mojo

[Cuzzie]

I think the relic vs non relic vs mojo/fake mojo has been done to death - so please nothing on that.

But......at what point does wear and tear on a bass go from a potential price deduction on a second/third hand bass to a piece holding/enhancing feature.

Evidently there are classic era’s of basses and they will hold value no matter what, but essentially we know these marks in no way affect the quality of the instrument or how it plays, but there has to be a turning point where people call it mojo.

Just interested really

[Lozz196]

For me if there are a few knocks it’s mojo, probably more likely to entice me to buy, but where it looks like it’s been tied to the back of the pickup truck and dragged around town that’s me bailing out.

Both of my gigging basses have a few knocks, down to the wood. This was def a feature in me buying them.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Lozz196

[Woodinblack]

I don't think there is a point is there? Some basses with a lot of damage look good, and some look bad. Some chips add character and some look like damage, so like anything asthetic, some of it is good and some of it is bad. Which is why it is hard to do a 'roadworn' bass well, one persons mojo is another persons damage.

[skidder652003]

1982

[Delberthot]

For me it would be the point that it stopped annoying me that I had damaged my bass in the first place and accepted that it now looked like cr@p

There's a huge difference between natural wear and tear like finish checking and just being a clumsy oaf (or having oaf like friends if they caused the damage)

[Bassassin]

20 years of regular roughhouse gigs should do it...

Funny - I'm absolutely fine with used basses that have signs of a well-gigged life, in fact I think it does give "character" (or summat) and I quite like it on an old instrument.

However if I buy a new instrument, I hate it to get damaged or worn-looking in any way. It's like I don't mind someone else having kicked the crap out of a bass, but I'd feel like a monster to treat it that way myself.

[floFC]

I think it’s when you’re trying to sell your bass.

Lots of mojo 🤓

[gjones]

I dislike seeing lumps and bumps on a new bass. It gives the impression that it hasn't been looked after or that the owner is accident prone.

I wouldn't personally buy a bass like that unless it was seriously cheap, because if I needed to sell it at a future date it would be difficult.

An older bass will probably have some signs of use and it wouldn't bother me if it looked a bit roadworn.

[hooky_lowdown]

Mojo = Character

Beat up = Roadworn

 

[Hobbayne]

I took a big gouge out of my brand new Mexican Standard P Bass on its first ever gig. 😢

It was a lovely sparkly Lake Placid Blue.

Luckily enough, it was just behind the forearm cutaway so its not immediatly visible to anyone who cares.

[Paul S]

I'm pretty upbeat about it myself.  If I ever damage a new or pristine bass it is purely by accident.  Stuff happens.  Part of the instrument's history.  For me it isn't anything to get precious over.  

The only time I had a refin done was one time when I bought a bass cheap and it was a colour I couldn't live with.  I tried to refin myself, made it look even worse, ended up with Andyjr1515 bailing me out   

[Cato]

I reckon a bass has to be at least 25-30 years old before you can get away with describing wear and tear as 'mojo'. Even then it depends on the bass.

i've got a 26 year old headless Washburn Status that I've had since my 18th birthday. It's been well looked after but it's got the chips and dings you'd expect from an instrument of that age that's seen a lot of use.

i can't imagine anyone ever describing it as having 'mojo' or a situation where more serious cosmetic damage wouldn't devalue it. It's just not the kind of bass that would look good knackered.

Anyway it's all moot now. I reckon the 'road worn' thing is on it's last legs.

Fancy wood tops and extreme 'natural' finishes on non boutique basses are the new marmite.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Cato

[fleabag]

You can buy Mojo straight off the shelf these days. Bleuugggghhhhh

[Rikki_Sixx]

It's not really answering the question but I got a used metallic red Pacifica last year that had a chip knocked out of the thick polyurethane paint layers. The previous (otherwise very careful) owner had covered it with red nail polish.

I still toy with the idea of sanding that chipped patch back so that it's smooth (the paint layers are thick). Its a cheap beater so nothing to lose, but it does feel a bit like"fake mojo"

[Norris]

56 minutes ago, Rikki_Sixx said:

It's not really answering the question but I got a used metallic red Pacifica last year that had a chip knocked out of the thick polyurethane paint layers. The previous (otherwise very careful) owner had covered it with red nail polish.

I still toy with the idea of sanding that chipped patch back so that it's smooth (the paint layers are thick). Its a cheap beater so nothing to lose, but it does feel a bit like"fake mojo"

Use some nail varnish remover