Grooverjr

There is a best offer option. Anyone in the USA willing to offer him 50 bucks?

Oh, I have bought stuff when I was on a different continent and left it until I came back many months later so I know the dangers of GAS. However I can be fairly sure this time because a) I am now in La Paz Bolivia which is almost as 'a*se end of nowhere' as you can get and b) I am unemployed so there is no spare cash to be silly with. Of course, none of this is a guarantee and I fully expect to find a way to crumble at some point....

I'm in, although it's not going to be much of a challenge because I live somewhere that provides zero temptation. It will at least make me think before burdening anyone who decides to come and visit with things I don't need anyway.

If you genuinely need the money or the space the decision should really be made for you. If not, why consider it? They bring you pleasure, keep them.

Ooh, that might be a short term fix. Something to consider

The body shape is fine. It sits nicely on the lap to mostly balance the neck and the cutaway is just in the right place so I have no complaints there. It's purely a colour complaint.

That could be an option. It would look great in an off white. All the dings are surface chips of the finish so they could be filled in easily enough in prep. But I will likely come up against the same issue with finding someone who can do a decent job.

That is kind of my position. It's great because of the neck and the pups, not the body shape or colour and I think instruments are to be played and enjoyed. Also, I think the headstock is very attractive and the pups, bridge and knobs are all great so if the body can be a better colour I am doing the bass a favour, regardless of its vintage.

Points taken on the need for chemical assistance and the corrollary of professional assistance. Unfortunately attention to detail and high skill levels are not hallmarks of the trades in La Paz so I am not too keen on getting a random carpenter involved. There is a furniture restorer nearby and what's in his window looks ok so if I have a spare hour or two I'll strip the body of all the gubbins and take it down to him to see what he can do.

If I was in the UK I would probably think twice but I now (and presumably forever) live in a place where there is no chance of me ever getting anythig like what I paid for it, or anythig over about a hundred quid, so there is no point thinking about it in those terms.

I prefer to avoid heavy chemicals due to the lack of ventilation but the neighbous are away for a couple of weeks so the shared landing might be an option. I need to go and get some other painting and wood finishing bits anyway (1980s build flat, doors and skirting need a bit of sorting out) so I'll see what I can pick up. I'm not worried about resale value as Bolivia has no market for this kind of thing and I couldn't play it standing up for more than 5 minutes without giving myself a serious shoulder problem so even if I do make a mess of things noone will see it.

Lovely stuff! Reminds me of the old Viz Mud on Road, Sweet Trolley, The Pips single frame groaners.

That looks like nice stuff. I used mineral oil (stuff they use to help seal chopping boards, not the brake fluid!) and beeswax on a table with a rather uninspiring grain and colour and it does a great job of accentuating what is there without changing anything too much, so that may also be an option when the time comes, although it does need quite regular retouching.

Ah, I was dreading that kind of answer, but at the same time it was exactly why I asked the question so thanks for the warning. I can see from the area under the neck screw plate that the finish is very gloppy. I don't have a power sander or a well-ventilated space to work in (small flat, basic toolbox - good name for an experimental album 😁). Looks like I might need to just live with it being an ugly duck until we get going on a building project we have in mind for the next year or two and then I should have access to both. I have been warned about the surrounds and the whole pup fixing / height adjustment sensitivity so I will be very careful with that when the time comes.

Thanks @Beedster. I wasn't aware of wood wax, but that looks really nice. Agreed on the grain being a bit dull but it might be better once it is stripped and revealed and almost anything looks decent in black!