I need to re-finish my Squier JBass

[low note lee]

My first bass what a Squier California series Jazz Bass, which looked something like this when new:


I decided black was too common, so I would re-finish it. I took it apart, and sanded the thing down to the wood, so no it looks more like this;


I was going to cover it with Astro Boy cartoons, but I thought I'd put it to the community of Basschat to decide a new finish for it.

If you were to re-finish a bass, what would you do to it?

The person who comes up with the best idea will have their username put wherever they want it.

Go nuts!

Cheers,

Lee

[Super_Mario_Bass]

paste old yellowing manuscript paper over it, then lacquer it.

Personally I'd leave it natural though, wax it. then it ages and looks messed up and nice

Edited September 4, 2007 by Super_Mario_Bass

[jwbassman]

for a unique finish - rather than manuscript why not cover it with pages from the yellow pages or the phone book - 'got your number', 'got your number'

*note to self stop - making silly suggestions*

Edited September 4, 2007 by jwbassman

[aj5string]

[quote name='Super_Mario_Bass' post='55247' date='Sep 4 2007, 01:21 PM']paste old yellowing manuscript paper over it, then lacquer it.

Personally I'd leave it natural though, wax it. then it ages and looks messed up and nice [/quote]

Trouble with that is the exposed routing that isn't particularly nice....

[steve-soar]

Take a blow torch to it, then sand some of the blackened bits back to the wood. Fit a chrome steel scratch plate and get someone to engrave a picture of Astro Boy on it. Stain orange then some serious oiling or waxing to protect the finish. Get down with your bad self.

[Tait]

I'd get a toohbrush and lots of paint in lots of different colours, and just dip the toothbrush into the paint and flick lots of colours all over the bass!

EDIT: just make sure you take the neck and electrics off the bass first

Edited September 4, 2007 by lwtait

[Tait]

Or you could give it to some little kids and give them paint, i'm sure they'd come up with a unique design

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Its crying out for a thin coat of off-white car spray, then let it collect natural mojo.

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='aj5string' post='55285' date='Sep 4 2007, 02:25 PM']Trouble with that is the exposed routing that isn't particularly nice....[/quote]

which is why you then buy a black pickguard and a maple neck with black blocks. 70's jazz bass FTW!

[Paul Cooke]

[quote name='low note lee' post='55238' date='Sep 4 2007, 01:12 PM']My first bass what a Squier California series Jazz Bass, which looked something like this when new:


I decided black was too common, so I would re-finish it. I took it apart, and sanded the thing down to the wood, so no it looks more like this;
{image snipped}

I was going to cover it with Astro Boy cartoons, but I thought I'd put it to the community of Basschat to decide a new finish for it.

If you were to re-finish a bass, what would you do to it?

The person who comes up with the best idea will have their username put wherever they want it.

Go nuts!

Cheers,

Lee[/quote]

so what happened to the original pickguard?

As far as I can recall... only the good bodies get the natural or sunburst finish, the ones with poor grain or other blemishes or the failed sunbursts get the solid treatment...

I'd go for the white primer treatment as well... or a white satin finish... needs to be thin enough to let the existing grain just show through. Try and get it close to Olympic White...

[low note lee]

There are some good ideas coming through. Keep them coming!

When I took it apart, I gave the scratchplate to a mate's girlfriend to draw on. They broke up, and I haven't seen her since, so she's probably still got it. I was thinking of making a new scratchplate for my Fender anyway, so i'll use its which scratchplate on the Squier.

With the current suggestions, I'm thinking of doing the top half with paper (cartoons, manuscript, phone book pages), and the bottom half with the car spray paint.

@EdwardHimself; funny you say that, I was going to buy a maple neck with black block inlays

[Peaty]

Just a thought, you could finish it with a montage of those 'escort service buisness cards' that can be found in many of the phone boxes of london you know the sort of thing 'all tastes catered for'.

I once finished a p bass in black leather but that was 1978. I found that it tended to chafe rather too much for comfort.

Serriously though how about a really good paint job with flip paint check out paint job on Doods custom shuker to see just how good that can look.

Edited September 5, 2007 by Peaty

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='low note lee' post='55707' date='Sep 5 2007, 08:17 AM']@EdwardHimself; funny you say that, I was going to buy a maple neck with black block inlays [/quote]

well then here's why it should stay natural:



and now my keyboard is wet and i'm sure yours will be too. And i'm pretty sure once this is done you will also want to get rid of this basse's stand in favour of your bed!

[Basszilla]

Keep it natural ;-) Can't beat a good ol' wooden plinker.

[Tait]

after seeing that picture, I agree, keep it natural

[Mr. Foxen]

Got me a black SG to refinish, I'm steaming lables off Jack daniels bottles and gonna psate them on and varnish. Pick your poison.

[low note lee]

i would keep it natural if the wood looked any good, but it's fairly rubbish, and I don't really care about tone in it; it never had much to begin with anyway.

I suppose my goal isn't to make it look gorgeous in any way, but more to make it a piece of art. I won't be doing anything to it for a about 6 weeks (end-of-year exam revision ), so feel free to keep the ideas flowing. Thanks again for the input

[charic]

Find a way to get a tie-dye goin

Or chrome

Or stone effect spray paint

Or two tone

Hmm, im done for now... ill probably be bk later

Oh marble paint finish too (loads of paint in a pot. Dip n lift out haha)

Edited October 1, 2007 by charic

[steve-soar]

Strip all the hardware and then take it to a local martial arts club so they can beat the crap out of it.
Then you will have some mojo, ala JJ Burnell.

[rodl2005]

'nother vote for natural -black guard & maple neck w/ black blox!

[steve]

so what did you end up doing?

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Peaty' post='56036' date='Sep 5 2007, 03:18 PM']Just a thought, you could finish it with a montage of those 'escort service buisness cards' that can be found in many of the phone boxes of london you know the sort of thing 'all tastes catered for'.[/quote]

I read somewhere that Guy Pratt did exactly that to his Steinberger - 'busty black bitch' as I recall that he peeled from a phone box.