I'm considering committing an obscenity .......

[Angel]

Basses come and go. One has stuck with me and has always been my favourite ever to play. I've bought others that I thought I liked better, but I always come back to the best. What's the problem you say? well, its sunburst, and I really hate sunburst.

So here's the obscenity: I'm considering stripping the finish and giving it a relic-type black finish. I spent months looking for a 5 string jazz bass body on eBay (for that is what it is) to use as a replacement. Nothing ever turned up. I looked into getting one made and it was like £300, more than I have spare these days. This is why I am considering it, I can give it a finish that would be very appealing to me for just £30.

None of this would be so bad, but it is actually a very expensive bass, a Fender Reggie Hamilton custom shop model.

What I need right now is people to slap me down and tell me how dumb this would be. I have two projects on the go right now, and I pencilled this in as no 3 in some months time, so there is still time to rethink!!!!!

Edited August 23, 2013 by Angel

[Graham]

Well, you'll kill the re-sale value, but if it's the one you've always kept and probably always will, does that matter?

[ChickenKiev]

I say go for it :B.

The Reggie Hamilton will have custom specs, but it isn't anything special in the looks department. 3-tone and a tort pickguard is sweet, but you can get mexican Jazzes with this scheme. If it had a custom colour or a graphic on it I'd hesitate.

If you want to improve the looks of the bass then don't let anyone stop you . Ignore all comments telling you not to do it .

Edited August 23, 2013 by ChickenKiev

[bertbass]

Go for it.

[Ghosts Over Japan]

go for it, if your happy with that bass and you can't find anything else to beat it then stick with it and make it even more suitable for yourself!

[Myke]

Do it

[Geek99]

Talk to the bass doc and see if he can make / adapt a body like that ?

If not, it's your bass - you do what you want

[MB1]

MB1.
Buy another one?
Continue the search for another body?

[Happy Jack]

Just monkey curiosity, but can a re-fin change the sound of a bass?

[Ou7shined]

Don't do it.
Write on a wee piece of paper "remember when I was going to paint you black" and slip it under the pickguard. It'll bring you much merriment in the years to come.

... besides black is a really tough finish to do well at home

[Horizontalste]

I know exactly how you feel. I have a thing for natural Yamaha's, but the Bb1024 doesn't come with that option so I have a white one as my keeper.
I'd have it refinished in a heartbeat if I knew the wood underneath was worth it.

[flyfisher]

It's your bass, do whatever you want with it. If you feel the need to ask anonymous people for advice, I'd suggest leaving it alone as you clearly don't have strong feelings either way, so why waste your time?

Do many people spend much time admiring the look of their basses? Mine spends most of its time in a hard case and only comes out to play, when I can't see it anyway. Or do people spend their time playing in front of a mirror?

[MB1]

'Happy Jack'
Just monkey curiosity, but can a re-fin change the sound of a bass?

MB1.
Have heard this mentioned previously...
Refurbished instruments never quite sounding the same.

[6v6]

Have you refinished lots of basses before?

If not I'd definitely start with something cheaper than a 3.5k custom shop one..

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_reggie_Hamilton_CS.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_reggie_Hamilton_CS.html[/url]

Personally I think you're mad, but it's your bass so go for it!

Have you considered some of the peelable paints you can get for cars? Not sure how/if they'll work over nitro, but in theory they'd allow you to test the new look without ruining the existing finish, stuff like this:

[url="http://www.alsacorp.com/paint_wrap/paint_wrap.html"]http://www.alsacorp.com/paint_wrap/paint_wrap.html[/url]

[Angel]

Well, as mentioned, I prefer the aged/worn type finish so it wouldn't be a case of trying to get perfection - quite the opposite. Generally, people on this forum (and several others) were pretty impressed with the worn feel that I created for my mad frankentele (thread some weeks ago).

I actually thought that 95% of people here would tell me I was mad! Shows what I know .....

[Damonjames]

I recently modded my mike dirnt signature and absolutely love it, so I understand where you are coming from. At the end of the day, it's YOUR bass and you need to be happy with it. If that means spraying it then go right ahead.
Having said that, my bass was worth £400, so I would fancy I've not lost too much on the value if anything. Yours sounds like its worth considerably more, and that's the catch. I've seen a brand new top of the line range rover re sprayed in matte black, personally I think it looks good, but put it in a for sale lot along side the exact same model in factory finish and see what the resale is. You will no doubt create something pretty dang sweet, but chances are you will significantly reduce your potential market and therefore the value.
There are countless threads and opinions on the sound/tone quality of acrylic vs nitro finishes so tread carefully or you may end up losing what you love so much about your go to bass. Also if you were planing to spray over the existing finish, your beloved sunburst might start peaking through!
Personally I'd say sell reggie on, and buy something cheaper and mod that. I'm tipping there can't be anything too special on a fender that you couldn't re create on something else.
Good luck!

[Jack]

You can refinish it, just as long as it's done by a professional. :-)

[Lozz196]

I think everyone can tell when a bass is just right for them when playing. If the only thing that you don`t like about a bass is the colour scheme, and it`s the bass you go to above all others for the playability, get a refin and be 100% happy with it.

[jezzaboy]

Go for it. It`s only some bits of wood and metal.

If you love the bass and have no intention of selling, what are you worried about?

[wateroftyne]

I'd love a sunburst CS RH.

I'd learn to love sunburst.

If I didn't already.

[Angel]

[b]Actually, I've just had a thought [/b]........ I assumed that a 5 string bass body would be bigger than a 4, but a quick photoshop test looks pretty darned similar, in which case I could get a standard body blank and rout it myself! Sounds like a better plan, I think I'll look into that.

[Truckstop]

Yeah don't do it mate. Either get it done professionally or just leave it and learn to deal with the sunburst. Honestly, just don't bother.

Truckstop

[GrammeFriday]

Yeah, do it.

[GrammeFriday]

[quote name='Angel' timestamp='1377291590' post='2186024']
[b]Actually, I've just had a thought [/b]........ I assumed that a 5 string bass body would be bigger than a 4, but a quick photoshop test looks pretty darned similar, in which case I could get a standard body blank and rout it myself! Sounds like a better plan, I think I'll look into that.
[/quote]

But then you will run the risk of ending up with a very different sound, which you may not like as much as the sound you get from the current body.