Owen Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) I bought one of these by accident. I was playing Ebay Roulette with comedy offers and the seller accepted. I like it but the whole industrial textured pain thing is not for me. So I am stripping it back to wood (or possibly just primer) and having it done in Metal Flake Blue. With matching headstock, obv. I took it to the local repair bod this morning to strip out the electrics. I know my limits. I was discussing using Nitromors on it and he squirmed a little and said that it dried the wood. He whipped out a bottle of acetate, rubbed some in and scraped with a razor. The textured coat came off nicely. I am hoping that painting bod will be happy to paint on the primer coat. If so I will get stuck in. My one question is this. I saw the razor blade working but thought perhaps a cabinet scraper would do the job equally well. Am I correct? I will have to buy one or the other of them anyway. I will have a forearm cut, a tummy cut and possibly some weight removed from under the scratchplate. Life is too short for heavy and uncomfortable basses. I am getting curvier and want my basses to be the same. TIA Edited February 10, 2021 by owen 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I had the 4 string version and whilst it was weighty (just like every MM I’ve owned) it was perfectly balanced on the strap. With this in mind, I’d probably shy away from weight reduction behind the p/g (contour that bad boy for sure though), especially given the additional headstock weight of a fiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 If you can remove the textured coat but leave whatever's underneath intact then I'd go for. Going right back to wood is time consuming and you risk taking bits out of the wood, but will then need a load more work to grain fill etc, to get to a point where you can paint it. If it weren't textured I'd say just a very light sanding (800grit) would do you but I'd try and get all the textured finish off as you don't know what it is. Quite often an odd finish like that will react with the finished you will be applying, it might not but you don't want to risk it. As for cabinet scraper or razor, I don't know that one will be better than the other. A small razor might be easier is certain area but a larger cabinet scraper better on the bigger flat areas. A scraper with some convex and concave curves as well as a flat edge would be good as you could get pretty much everywhere with it. I don't really know what's available though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTool Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Have you tried a heat gun and scraper? My BlazerRay original finish came straight off pretty quickly with a standard wallpaper scraper and a Dewalt heatgun, and not a gouge anywhere. I may have got lucky of course, but worth a try 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Thanks for the idea, but I do not own a heat gun so that would be more expense! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 The good news for me is that painting bloke has said that he does not actually want me to strip it because he spends more time sorting out dogdy home sanding jobs than actually sanding them. He is obviously aware of my crafting abilities. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 5 hours ago, owen said: I bought one of these by accident. I was playing Ebay Roulette with comedy offers and the seller accepted. 🤣🤣🤣. A great start!!! 🤣🤣🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) I've got one of these basses and I really like it except for the awful checker-plate scratchplate. I replaced that with a normal one from a four string that I modified at the neck and pickup to make fit neatly. Chuffed with how it looks now. Metal flake blue sounds lovely! Edited February 10, 2021 by Jabba_the_gut 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 I am glad to know a standard MM plate will work with a bit of encouragement because I will be needing a W/B/W one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 8 hours ago, owen said: I am glad to know a standard MM plate will work with a bit of encouragement because I will be needing a W/B/W one Let me know if I can help when you get round to that stage. Cheers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I was considering a buying some leather for a scratchplate for mine. Then I looked at embossing it - that led to considering buying tools....and learning how to do it.. Easier and cheaper not to bother. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 14 hours ago, TheGreek said: Easier and cheaper not to bother. Welcome to my luthiering career! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) Touched by the hand of our very own Andyjr1515. The textured stuff above the pickup came of with acetone and a razor blade. I am merely logging this because I do google searches to see how people do things. Edited May 7, 2021 by owen because spelling. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 I'll be looking forward to see how the finish on this turns out. I've modified a standard MM style 4 string scratchplate for Owen so it will fit this 5 string using the template I'd made when I did the same thing to my own bass. Much cheaper than trying to source a 5 string one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 I prefer the 4 string MM plate to the 5ers...good choice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted May 7, 2021 Share Posted May 7, 2021 31 minutes ago, TheGreek said: I prefer the 4 string MM plate to the 5ers...good choice. Agreed, it’s part of the iconic, ‘Ray look. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 Bits of it have less paint on it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 And this will be the sparkle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 (edited) Edited May 10, 2021 by Jakester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 1 minute ago, Jakester said: I could not have put it better myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 Ta-daaaaaaa! Witness the fitness. 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 I have a white scratchplate ready for it. It is not here yet. I am quite excited. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 Schwing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 24, 2021 Author Share Posted May 24, 2021 Ceri the painter is quite particular about what he will and will not do. "..... like I told you before though, I won’t do any old job, I have to be interested in the finish myself, all those white or surf green guitars can do one 🤣" 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 Oooh!!! That is very sparkly nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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