Bass Wielder Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 Picked up a cheapie that I like and have been slowly (and against what I thought I’d do with it) upgrading/modding. Thinking about refinishing the body as it’s a bit…untidy. Just seeing if it can be done reasonably well without getting silly financially. So starting here on the homegrown! 🤔💡 All ideas welcome.👍🏾 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 No one does re-finishing🤔! That bad/hard a job that I get silence🤐?……😖 🫨 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 Oil Finish... loads easier than paint, and looks way better What ya got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 3 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Oil Finish... loads easier than paint, and looks way better What ya got? It’s a Jazz style body (with a Polyester or polyurethane finish I’m guessing). I suppose for oil finish it’s a case of stripping and if paint, maybe some sanding and repainting over the top? Total guesswork by me here… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 There are a number of ways to refinish - and there are many examples on these pages (Repairs & Technical and Build Diaries) if you scroll back through the history. The good thing is that many folks cover in the threads quite a bit of detail for their methods and the results so its well worth your while to pour yourself a beer/make yourself a flask of cocoa and spend an evening perusing through. In very broad terms, you can: Strip and varnish Strip and oil Strip, stain and varnish Strip, stain and oil Strip and paint Sand and over-paint Strip/semi strip and veneer And in terms of methods you can: Spray Airbrush Wipe Brush It's well worth having a look through the past threads, choose the look or method that appeals and, between us, I'm sure we can give you the 'tips / techniques / pros / cons / successes / disasters' stuff towards something you are going to be ultimately happy with 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Turgh Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Could save yourself a little hassle and try to flatten/buff up the existing finish? Looks like a nice colour! My first refinish looks ok from a distance, but man was it a lot of sanding to get there! The bass came to me with spray can finish over 50yr old poly - probably still have some remnants in my lungs. Stripped back to bare wood and stained, then used a wipe on water-based coating. Both from Crimson Guitars. The wipe on stuff I found a little tricky. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said: There are a number of ways to refinish - and there are many examples on these pages (Repairs & Technical and Build Diaries) if you scroll back through the history. The good thing is that many folks cover in the threads quite a bit of detail for their methods and the results so its well worth your while to pour yourself a beer/make yourself a flask of cocoa and spend an evening perusing through. In very broad terms, you can: Strip and varnish Strip and oil Strip, stain and varnish Strip, stain and oil Strip and paint Sand and over-paint Strip/semi strip and veneer And in terms of methods you can: Spray Airbrush Wipe Brush It's well worth having a look through the past threads, choose the look or method that appeals and, between us, I'm sure we can give you the 'tips / techniques / pros / cons / successes / disasters' stuff towards something you are going to be ultimately happy with Great words there sir! Much thanks. I’m going to start the brew as we speak!👍🏾 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 (edited) 4 hours ago, Pea Turgh said: Could save yourself a little hassle and try to flatten/buff up the existing finish? Looks like a nice colour! My first refinish looks ok from a distance, but man was it a lot of sanding to get there! The bass came to me with spray can finish over 50yr old poly - probably still have some remnants in my lungs. Stripped back to bare wood and stained, then used a wipe on water-based coating. Both from Crimson Guitars. The wipe on stuff I found a little tricky. That’s a good idea…but that’s the photo is flattering. At the back and along the sides is quite tatty and there are spots where the paint has come off to show the bare wood. Stripping the finish sounds dangerous (or at least very difficult) from reading about it. I’m leaning towards the ‘Sand and over-paint’ option. 😖🤞🏾 Edited August 15 by Bass Wielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 I don't believe we have had many refinishers on here, over the years. It's a slow task so it is expensive. A few years ago, on the advice of my local guitar repair shop, I did two of my old Fender basses. I had good results but there were one or two people on here who said there were better ways to do it. He advised I get some Nitro Mors and remove the finish that way. I spent a couple of days in the garden doing it but it got it back to the wood and then I used wax to make the wood look nice - so a natural wood finish. Upon reflection, I wish I had used a wood dye but the Nitro Mors did the job, in a very chemically kind of way. Obviously, I removed the body and sanded it down once the Nitro Mors had done the job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 (edited) Flatten off what ya got, and quick make-over with a new pickguard? Cheapy from Ali Express, I went PJ Jazz with my Aria Edited August 15 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Here's a fairly recent example of a spray-over-finish: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Here's a strip and refinish: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 A strip and stain: Most of the refinishing threads seem to be in Build Diaries rather than the Repair and Technical. There's 83 pages of history so you may need a few more cups of coffee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 Or, of course, you could cover it with gaffa tape 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 (edited) Wowza!!! Starting to look beyond my pay grade! Some labour of love going on in the above posts! Still thinking that the ‘sand and over-paint is the best option (considering time/cost/my skill level). But nice to see the bravery and skill of the fellows on here! No ‘one-trick ponies’ here on Basschat! 😎 Edited August 15 by Bass Wielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 1 hour ago, Bass Wielder said: Still thinking that the ‘sand and over-paint is the best option (considering time/cost/my skill level). Well, you can get some good results and, if it doesn't work right first time you can always sand off and try again... Remember to either do it outside or to have PLENTY of ventilation and use of a proper spec'd face mask 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: Well, you can get some good results and, if it doesn't work right first time you can always sand off and try again... Remember to either do it outside or to have PLENTY of ventilation and use of a proper spec'd face mask Good advice! Gonna give it a go soon. Any recommendations for spray paint and is it a case of using lacquer after (or the paint itself is protective enough)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 (edited) Another option that might be worth considering is to use automotive vinyl wrap like the stuff tossers use on their BMWs to make them irridescent purple. There are a few videos on youtube covering this and it looks a lot more straightforward than refinishing with paint. The only tools needed are an x-acto knife (about a fiver on amazon) and a heat gun (about £15 on amazon) I'm considering trying this on one of my guitars or basses. edit — Just googled for suppliers to get a ballpark price for wrap and came across a company called MDP supplies (I doubt it's him though) it seems the film is between £10-£25 for a piece about 1m x 1.5m depending on how fancy it is. Edited August 15 by Jean-Luc Pickguard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 21 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said: Another option that might be worth considering is to use automotive vinyl wrap like the stuff tossers use on their BMWs to make them irridescent purple. There are a few videos on youtube covering this and it looks a lot more straightforward than refinishing with paint. The only tools needed are an x-acto knife (about a fiver on amazon) and a heat gun (about £15 on amazon) I'm considering trying this on one of my guitars or basses. edit — Just googled for suppliers to get a ballpark price for wrap and came across a company called MDP supplies (I doubt it's him though) it seems the film is between £10-£25 for a piece about 1m x 1.5m depending on how fancy it is. Anyone tried this? One of our neighbours has a car wrap business but AFAICS wrapping a car is easier than a bass because it's done panel by panel. For a bass body there would probably need to be a join between the front and the back which has the potential to not look very elegant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 19 minutes ago, BigRedX said: Anyone tried this? One of our neighbours has a car wrap business but AFAICS wrapping a car is easier than a bass because it's done panel by panel. For a bass body there would probably need to be a join between the front and the back which has the potential to not look very elegant. Never tried it but I think that I remember a few years back seeing someone online who did. But I agree - I can't quite remember or see how that can work with the shape of a guitar or bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said: Never tried it but I think that I remember a few years back seeing someone online who did. But I agree - I can't quite remember or see how that can work with the shape of a guitar or bass... Yup - there's a number of Youtube videos around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 If I do get around to trying this, I'll probably do it to my telecaster bitzer, so there should be fewer sticky-outy bits to worry about, and the join could possibly around the outline of the back. There's a rig rundown of ZZ Top when Elwood was the guitar & bass tech, and he showed Billy & Dusty's 'Peelers' which look like they were left in a barn, but they're actually a custom bolin tele & precision with a custom printed vinyl wrap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Wielder Posted August 22 Author Share Posted August 22 Had a cunning plan…will update with results! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 On 15/08/2024 at 11:54, Cat Burrito said: I don't believe we have had many refinishers on here, over the years. It's a slow task so it is expensive. A few years ago, on the advice of my local guitar repair shop, I did two of my old Fender basses. I had good results but there were one or two people on here who said there were better ways to do it. He advised I get some Nitro Mors and remove the finish that way. I spent a couple of days in the garden doing it but it got it back to the wood and then I used wax to make the wood look nice - so a natural wood finish. Upon reflection, I wish I had used a wood dye but the Nitro Mors did the job, in a very chemically kind of way. Obviously, I removed the body and sanded it down once the Nitro Mors had done the job. Pretty sure Nitro Mors is not available to the general public any more. The stuff that they can sell in places like B&Q are less than useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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