dincz Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 My main bass has a satin finish (black too, which makes it worse) - except in spots where my thumb/hand rests where it's noticably shinier. Should I attack the entire body with some kind of polish and what result should I expect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 My Gibson SG chocolate brown was satin. I have used Briwax dark wax polish on it and it is now developing a nice (IMO) lustre rather like my Warwicks. I like it, is easy to keep looking nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) [quote name='3below' timestamp='1427837760' post='2734988'] My Gibson SG chocolate brown was satin. I have used Briwax dark wax polish on it and it is now developing a nice (IMO) lustre rather like my Warwicks. I like it, is easy to keep looking nice. [/quote] +1 on Briwax My Warwick Thumb was always done with Warwick Beeswax until few years ago when a local luthier with an excellent reputation was doing some electronic mods told me to use Briwax as it stops your hand sticking to back of the neck when sweating. The other big advantage is it allows the wood to breathe better than the beeswax and as mentioned by 3below it gives a really nice satin finish which is more natural on the bass. The bass doesn't have that greasy feel either just after polishing. My Overwater (avator pic) i was told to use furniture polish like Pledge which seems to work well on this type of smooth satin finish. Haven't tried the briwax on it yet but might Dave Edited April 1, 2015 by dmccombe7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1427898060' post='2735610'] +1 on Briwax My Warwick Thumb was always done with Warwick Beeswax until few years ago when a local luthier with an excellent reputation was doing some electronic mods told me to use Briwax as it stops your hand sticking to back of the neck when sweating. The other big advantage is it allows the wood to breathe better than the beeswax and as mentioned by 3below it gives a really nice satin finish which is more natural on the bass. The bass doesn't have that greasy feel either just after polishing. My Overwater (avator pic) i was told to use furniture polish like Pledge which seems to work well on this type of smooth satin finish. Haven't tried the briwax on it yet but might Dave [/quote] Pledge does bring the samll feature of making your bass totally impossible to spray with any kind of paint or lacquer at any time in the future. This is because the silicone in the spray will repel any spirit based finishes. You're not alone in advocating this approach, so each to their own. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dincz Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Thanks for the tips. I didn't make myself clear. I'm wondering if it's possible to polish the body to a full gloss finish so as to avoid the shiny spots that show up against a satin finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Don't smear goo all over it, it's not a sideboard! If your bass has a modern poly finish (which if it's the Cort in your sig, it amost certainly has), then T-Cut (or similar paint polishing compound) will make it glossier than a very glossy thing. Test a little bit in an inconspicuous area first, but I'm confident it'll give the effect you want. I've polished several satin-finish necks like this and you can get a factory, high-gloss finish. It is very labour-intensive though (and will possibly result in hand cramp!), but is worth it. I use cotton wool make-up pads to apply & polish, and wipe off the residue with a clean, soft cotton rag. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1427898466' post='2735619'] Pledge does bring the samll feature of making your bass totally impossible to spray with any kind of paint or lacquer at any time in the future. This is because the silicone in the spray will repel any spirit based finishes. You're not alone in advocating this approach, so each to their own. Good luck [/quote] i wasn't aware of that ? Mmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 [sup]You could use high grit wet sanding to polish it up then use cutting compound (t-cut and alternatives) to bring it up to it's final finish. Just like car bodywork. Or get a power buffer and some cutting compound and go to town. I wouldn't attempt cutting compound alone by hand or you'll be there a long long time.[/sup] [sup]The fact you've managed to polish it with the wear from your fingers should mean you can polish it with friction.[/sup] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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