P-bass build #4

[yepmop]

I've just bought an alder sunburst SX P-Bass body off Fleabay for my next build (57 P-Bass in Fiesta Red).

On a previous build, I stripped the bass down to the wood and re-painted but was a real PIA and time consuming, my thoughts this time, is to just strip off the lacquer sand smooth and then apply the undercoat/paint/lacquer etc.

Has anyone done one this way, recommended?

Cheers

[6v6]

I know you said you've bought a body, but if you know you want to refinish it, wouldn't it make more sense to just buy an unfinished body, e.g MightyMite, or one of those kits from Thomman?

[Grangur]

I've used a blow lamp. Job done in 30 mins.

[yepmop]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1377089199' post='2183184']
I know you said you've bought a body, but if you know you want to refinish it, wouldn't it make more sense to just buy an unfinished body, e.g MightyMite, or one of those kits from Thomman?
[/quote]

it's mainly down to cost, the cost of the body and the paint required should cost me around £70 tops. A mighty Mite Body for example would be £120+ shipping costs from the US plus any tax fees (I've never seen these bodies for sale in the UK).

You then have the argument of the extra cost v labour but I think there is more enjoyment in doing the paint job yourself be it a pain to do so, plus you could spray it a colour you like.

[miles'tone]

I've done it to a poly Fender neck so I don't see why a body would be any different.
I just gave it a good rub ovet with 600 grit wet and dry to give the new coating a good key (picked up the tip on either here or talkbass, can't remember which) and shot a can of tinted nitro over the top and it worked great.
On a body though, I'd give it a once over with a white primer designed for instruments (Rothko and Frost do it - was talking to them about my own project yesterday)- heard some nightmare stories abour car primer not going off properly.

Edited August 21, 2013 by miles'tone

[DarkHeart]

Im going to watch this thread with interest as i too have just bought another p/bass body with a poly coat that im thinking of painting over, mine cost £6 so im not bothered if it goes too badly wrong

[Grangur]

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1377091940' post='2183233']
I've done it to a poly Fender neck so I don't see why a body would be any different.
I just gave it a good rub ovet with 600 grit wet and dry to give the new coating a good key (picked up the tip on either here or talkbass, can't remember which) and shot a can of tinted nitro over the top and it worked great.
On a body though, I'd give it a once over with a white primer designed for instruments (Rothko and Frost do it - was talking to them about my own project yesterday)- heard some nightmare stories abour car primer not going off properly.
[/quote]

Why would car primer not go off properly? I've used car primer and it's been ok. Provided you get a good surface that's clean and grease-free and you take your time and let it dry between coats I can't see what problems there could be.

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377264575' post='2185549']


Why would car primer not go off properly? I've used car primer and it's been ok. Provided you get a good surface that's clean and grease-free and you take your time and let it dry between coats I can't see what problems there could be.
[/quote]

Not sure why to be honest, just read a couple of times on various forums that it happens. Good to hear you've done it though. It's all in the prep I guess, plus maybe some folks built up the coats too quick. I dunno.
All we can do is our homework as best as we can and then take an educated guess.
If it is that easy to use modern auto paints and primers then that certainly increases everyone's colour options for their basses, plus it makes the products available in the guitar finishing industry seem a bit of an overpriced swizz doesn't it?

[Soloshchenko]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377090498' post='2183210']
I've used a blow lamp. Job done in 30 mins.
[/quote]

Seconded ALTHOUGH this works on some finishes and not on others. I once stripped a 70s Columbus jazz in a similar time but an unidentified PBass body didn't respond to this treatment. The route I normally take is heat gun/nitro moors/belt sander until one works!

Ps: it's better to fully strip the current finish. Never cut corners when refinishing IMHO , regardless of how much the basic body cost. You can make a cheap body look a custom shop job with lots of prep

Pps: let's see some pics!

Edited August 31, 2013 by Soloshchenko

[yepmop]

Well the body arrived yesterday



It's a 3 piece alder body from an SX bass that has not been brilliantly put together as you can feel a very slight ridge over the joins.

I've decided to try the heat gun to strip it down, so after a quick trip to B&Q I now have a gun and champing at the bit to get started.

Originally I was going to do a 57/58 replica build but not too sure now, I'm try to keep the cost down as my 62ish was almost £600. I'm thinking of doing what Miles'tones's done and do a [b] [b][size=4]Fender's Greatest Hits build[/size][/b][/b][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][color=#323232][size=4] with different bits from all over the decades. I've already bought a gold [/size][size=4]anodised 57 RI pick-guard and the colour I want to do for the body is red/Fiesta red but then I quite like Olympic White, I'll have to decide over the coming weeks. It will have a maple fretboard when I eventually get to buy one (Might Mite as I like them).[/size][/color][/font]

[font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][color=#323232][size=4]I was going[/size][size=4] to buy some Fender 57 RI pups but they will cost the same as a set of 62s' which I really like and don't want to get nobbled by customs duty if ordering from the states (my Mother in Law lives in the USA so I have the option to get them [/size][size=4]delivered[/size][size=4] to her and she can remove the packaging and send them as a used item with a value of just under the rate I would get hit for tax)[/size][/color][/font][b][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][color=#323232][size=4] .[/size][/color][/font][/b]


[color=#323232][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=4]As an update I have now bought some custom Pickups from here [/size][/font][/color][url="http://www.jlguitars.com/pbass.htm"]http://www.jlguitars.com/pbass.htm[/url] they sound quite intersting and the spec I went for was;
Output: 10.7 k
Wire: 42 AWG Heavy Formvar
Magnets: Alnico 5
Cover: Black(new)

He does offer a relic'd version as well that did look tempting, but for £41 including delivery I thought was a good price, but a bit of a risk as I don't know anyone who has ordered from him.

So tomorrow with gun in hand I will set about the body,no doubt there be a lot of sweating and swearing involved, but hopefully rewarding as well.

Cheers

[yepmop]

Well I spent a couple of hours heat gunning the body and most of it's now off just need to take the remaining wood sealer off so that will involve a bit of sanding.

I'll probably fill all the holes first, then sand it all down to an even level before applying a new wood sealer.

The glue has melted on the joints but nothing major, it's quite solid, so I think I may fill the gap with some wood filler rather than glue.

The body looks like it has burn marks in the photos but there isn't I think the Wood sealer turned dark brown in some places with the heat,

[yepmop]

Well I sanded down to a reasonable finish, I then filled the holes I didn't need and dings, finally, cleaned the body with some white spirit in preparation for the Wood sealing and primer.

I decided to give the Wood Sealer/primer mix a go that is available from [url="http://shop.rothkoandfrost.co.uk/White-Cellulose-Sanding-Sealer-Primer-Aerosol-p/fs5008.htm"]http://shop.rothkoan...ol-p/fs5008.htm[/url] and after using the entire can (about 7-8 complete coats over a day or so) I can say I was suitably unimpressed, would have thought it would go white all over but it did it only in strips despite applying an even coverage all over.

So out came the car primer and that seems to have done the job. A little sanding required here and there to get some rough spots out and a few patches that need a little more primer.

I decided to stick to my original colour - Red so after a trip to Halfords I now have a few cans of Ford Dakota Red, I'm just hoping the Red is not too dark.

I've also decided to give it an acrylic lacquer rather than a nitro one as I'm not fussed about it ageing over time etc.
I will also use a silk finish rather than gloss, as I think it will look better with the Anodised gold scratch plate i have rather than a shiny gloss finish.

Edited September 16, 2013 by yepmop

[Bigjas]

Just to add to the OP question, I have refinished a Squire P bass recently and I used a belt sander to remove the existing finish, but not all of it. In places it was back to the timber but most of it was taken back to the paint/primer coats. I used Automotive rattle cans from Halfords to apply the primer, top coat and lacquer and I got a reasonably good result. I think the trick is to build up the coats without rushing and allowing sufficient drying time before applying the next coat. I used lots of thin coats and flattened off with 1000 grit paper between all coats.. It took me approx 2 weeks to paint my guitar, and then another 3-4 weeks for the Lacquer to harden properly. I have used the bass quite a lot since I finished it (gigs and Practice) and it is wearing well.

More details of my build here

[url="http://jasebass.webs.com/jasebass-002-bass-guitar"]http://jasebass.webs.com/jasebass-002-bass-guitar[/url]

Jas

[yepmop]

Nice bass BigJas a job well done!!