sshorepunk Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Good morning! Some some bass trading this week, felt like a change, one out, two in, not done that for a long time, forgot what NBD feels like! Musicman caprice has arrived and It’s a great bass, got a jazz arriving which should be back end of the week! My trusty MM sterling is still with me, was a relatively cheap purchase a few years back, it dates from 1998 and has a few knocks, is also a bit of a heavy weight! So I’m thinking of doing a refinish job on it! I did a stingray a few years back, I bought that bass from “The Greek” I believe it was a previous owner who had attempted A “relic” job on it? So it got stripped and respirated. It was done in nitro, using some paint I had left over from a 1971 VW camper van that I was restoring! Colour is niagra blue (L53D is code for anyone who is interested!) Turned our really nice with a tort’ pickgaurd fitted! Photos of the bus and bass below! I did see classic sterling in a very similar colour, but not sure what name MM give it So, when the jazz arrives at the end of week, I’m going to strip it down and then it’s out with heat gun and scraper to remove the poly! Tony 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 Photos upload in a random order, but that’s the bus I did (now up for sale) the sterling and the refinish on the stingray! can’t remember where the ray went, it was a nice early bass with mutes and got gigged a fair bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 Glad to see that there's still Sterling love on here. I came back into the fold last year after 10 years or so without one. Ironically took it in trade for a Caprice which I really didn't get on with. Had the neck refinished in vintage gloss on mine which transformed it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 I like this bass, hence the effort, it’s a bit on the heavy side, might shed a few ounces after the refin’ i just got a caprice this week, I’m getting on very well with it! The sterling, the caprice and a jazz covers just about everything for me Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 Let’s get going! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 I think changing this to the blue of your van and 'Ray will be a very nice improvement. Looking forward to the updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 21 minutes ago, ezbass said: I think changing this to the blue of your van and 'Ray will be a very nice improvement. Looking forward to the updates. Plus, there’s a few knocks and chips in the current finish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 No going back now! Didn't take long with heat gun, scraper and small chisel for those little corners 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 They sure don’t bother with book matching on the solids do they 😂. I guess mine would look pretty much the same under the paint. It’ll look great in Niagara Blue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, martthebass said: They sure don’t bother with book matching on the solids do they 😂. I guess mine would look pretty much the same under the paint. It’ll look great in Niagara Blue. As a time served wood machinist, I can appreciate the accuracy of the tooling used to machine the boards for jointing, knowing how much they wear after time. I suspect they machine these at a fairly slow rate! its all about the prep’ now, lots of sanding to get it smooooooth! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Those plastic boxes you get your chicken madras in are very useful when doing a job like this! 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grenadillabama Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 I had a 1971 VW van that color. Is the heater enough warmth for a UK winter ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 12 hours ago, grenadillabama said: I had a 1971 VW van that color. Is the heater enough warmth for a UK winter ? No, it’s rubbish! i have another 71 bus and that has a proper heater in it. Plus all holes where fresh air comes in are blocked up! Still not ideal but all part of owning an old VW The colour is niagara blue, but I’m thinking of going lighter now. I like the diamond blue which was used in caprice and cutlass bases, which I guess is MM take on sonic blue? Photo attached! Can anyone compare to a real sonic blue? Gives me the option of black, white, off white and tort pick guards! Tony 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 (edited) The MM version of Sonic Blue was called Powder Blue and used on Stingray Classics in 2010, and was an option on regular Stingrays for a while a few years back. Not sure if the diamond blue is the same buy I would doubt it. The prototype Stingray Classics were issued with the same colour name as the original Fender custom colours - including sonic blue. They were renamed for the production basses - although the pastel colours were only available for a year or less. Edited May 26, 2020 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Thanks for the info DrT! i was aware of the powder blue on the classics, diamond blue seems a bit more blue? Need to go speak to a local paint shop when they are open, I have code for sonic blue, going to see if I can find diamond blue, may have to go to the EB forum! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted May 26, 2020 Share Posted May 26, 2020 I think the diamond blue may have a light metal flake in it - not certain though. There is also sky blue - which has more blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 26, 2020 Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Diamond blue exists in the car industry as standard colours for a few of the big hitters, but with some variation My partner is going to help try match what codes we have with what I want as she isn’t colour blind. But it’s all relative I guess, what I see is what I see etc, just need a second opinion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 28, 2020 Author Share Posted May 28, 2020 Looking like it’s going to be a mid sixties, ford diamond blue, which is lighter than the VW niagra blue, just checking I got the code I need prior to ordering Was used on 60’s ford thunderbirds amongst others! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) Update - should have probably put this in repairs and technical! I started to spray this, eventually, not gone as well as expected! certainly not as well as the stingray Plenty of prep done, lots of sanding and filling, I have missed a few tiny holes, but nothing major. Masking it took a while Couple of coats of sanding filler followed by a few coats of white primer, then on went the sonic blue The spray is fine, problem is the grain in the wood which is showing through and it’s three pieces that have been jointed so it’s not consistent across the body it’s had a fair bit of paint and some of it has been covered but a lot is still there, should have used grain filler I can see why poly is used to cover the grain up! It looks ok though, just contemplating more paint, but the way nitro works, the slight unevenness caused by the grain will still show, although more paint will allow me to flat it off some more Just giving it a light rub down with 800 grit, it doesn’t need much as the spray is good Edited July 20, 2020 by sshorepunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 likes the grain thru paint look... but that neck?!?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: likes the grain thru paint look... but that neck?!?... It is a perfect fit, new take on fretless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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