Why is re-spraying a bass so expensive?

[Clarky]

I love the look of the Fender Pino and - as I will never be able to afford a new one - wondered how much it would cost to have a Fender P re-sprayed in aged Fiesta red.

To-respray a polyurethane painted P bass I was quoted £235 by a custom shop, which is just about bearable. But to re-spray a nitrocellulose painted Highway 1 P bass I was quoted £500-600 by a very well-known London bass shop. Thats just incredible. You can buy a bl**dy good bass for that money or even two!

[Linus27]

[quote name='Clarky' post='566855' date='Aug 12 2009, 03:33 PM']I love the look of the Fender Pino and - as I will never be able to afford a new one - wondered how much it would cost to have a Fender P re-sprayed in aged Fiesta red.

To-respray a polyurethane painted P bass I was quoted £235 by a custom shop, which is just about bearable. But to re-spray a nitrocellulose painted Highway 1 P bass I was quoted £500-600 by a very well-known London bass shop. Thats just incredible. You can buy a bl**dy good bass for that money or even two![/quote]

I was told a rather expensive price to get a 51 re-issue resprayed. Something like £400 which put me off doing it.

[Happy Jack]

Not incredible mate - a good nitro paint-job is one for the craftsman and you're talking hours of work. That's why this sort of work is usually associated with relic'ing and fakery.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='566863' date='Aug 12 2009, 03:38 PM']Not incredible mate - a good nitro paint-job is one for the craftsman and you're talking hours of work. That's why this sort of work is usually associated with relic'ing and fakery.[/quote]
But you can buy a brand new nitro-painted Highway 1 Jazz or P bass for the amount quoted for a re-spray

[Noisyjon]

Also I believe the labour involved in stripping the old finish and making the wood ready for the new finish is quite time consuming to do properly.

[JimBobTTD]

I stripped a Tele and did it in nitro. It took 14 months. I did it all by hand, mind - ie sanding off the thick poly, painting a shellac base coat and nitro topcoats. Lots of sanding. It takes a lot of time. A chemical stripper (ho ho) will only get you so far - still lots of sanding, spraying, sanding etc. and waiting for paint to cure too.

£500 does seem steep, though. You'd be better off speaking to [url="http://www.grguitars.com"]Gregg Rogers[/url], who does nitro bass bodies AND a nice relic job too for less than that. Not real Fenders.

[Beedster]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='566874' date='Aug 12 2009, 03:46 PM']Also I believe the labour involved in stripping the old finish and making the wood ready for the new finish is quite time consuming to do properly.[/quote]

+1

Martin Simms has done two basses for me at just under £300 each. The workmanship is WAY ahead of anything I've ever seen on a production bass, but you need to know two things:

1. The bass is a keeper
2. You REALLY like the colour

Clarky, you, like me, have a rather fickle relationship with your basses and most certainly shouldn't be thinking about resprays

Chris

[Clarky]

[quote]Clarky, you, like me, have a rather fickle relationship with your basses and most certainly shouldn't be thinking about resprays [/quote]
Yes, sorry Uncle Chris

Edit: I have indeed shelved all thoughts of a respray and will instead stick to buying basses and selling them a few weeks later at a loss

Edited August 12, 2009 by Clarky

[neepheid]

Labour costs mostly, just like getting your car fixed - pennies for the parts, pounds for the time it takes to dismantle your car/fit the part/reassemble your car.

[Noisyjon]

You been told Boy!

[Clarky]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='566901' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:05 PM']You been told Boy![/quote]
Clarky withdraws back into shell, shame-faced

[attachment=30732:hermit_crab_care.jpg]

[Beedster]

[quote name='Clarky' post='566891' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:00 PM']Yes, sorry Uncle Chris

Edit: I have indeed shelved all thoughts of a respray and will instead stick to buying basses and selling them a few weeks later at a loss [/quote]

That's my boy

[Beedster]

[quote name='Clarky' post='566891' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:00 PM']I have indeed shelved all thoughts of a respray and will instead stick to buying basses and selling them a few weeks later at a loss [/quote]

.... and please let me know if one of them is an Oly White Precision mate

[Clarky]

[quote name='Beedster' post='566920' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:16 PM'].... and please let me know if one of them is an Oly White Precision mate [/quote]
Sorry, already sold that one at a big loss to Deaver

[mrcrow]

my garage charges £87 per hour just to drain oil and put in filters
i guess a top craftsman doing labour as well may be just as much

personally i would go for tone first

[rslaing]

[quote name='mrcrow' post='566934' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:24 PM']my garage charges £87 per hour just to drain oil and put in filters
i guess a top craftsman doing labour as well may be just as much

personally i would go for tone first[/quote]

So an oil change and filter taking 15 mins to carry out, would only cost £23.00p?

Or is there a minimum 1 hour charge?

[phil_the_bassist]

[quote name='rslaing' post='567004' date='Aug 12 2009, 05:24 PM']So an oil change and filter taking [b]15 mins to carry out[/b], would only cost £23.00p?

Or is there a minimum 1 hour charge?[/quote]

unless they've got a drummer changing the parts

[Geek99]

why not sand it back yourself? That should make it cheaper

[Happy Jack]

Sand an oil filter?

[skankdelvar]

Or you could do it yourself for about £40-50 odd, primer, colour + clear finish. This guy sells the right lacquer:

[url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/lacquer.html"]http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/lacquer.html[/url]

made by these guys:

[url="http://www.reranch.com/"]http://www.reranch.com/[/url]

Lots of hints and tips.

Edited August 12, 2009 by skankdelvar

[Cat Burrito]

I too have looked into it and was put off by the price. I understand the time that goes into it. With some basses it's almost better to source a body on EBay and sell off your old one.

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='Clarky' post='566891' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:00 PM']Yes, sorry Uncle Chris

Edit: I have indeed shelved all thoughts of a respray and will instead stick to buying basses and selling them a few weeks later at a loss [/quote]


Clarky I think that you and I went to the same economic classes as that`s exactly what I do. Mabye we should start a support group, S.W.B.B.A.S.W.L.A.A.L.L.
This stands for: Sado`s Who Buy Basses And Sell Weeks Later At A Large Loss. Of course you could change the W to something else.....

Jez

[grumble]

[quote]This stands for: Sado`s Who Buy Basses And Sell Weeks Later At A Large Loss. Of course you could change the W to something else.....[/quote]

Sado`s Who Buy Basses And Sell Whelks Later At A Large Loss ???

[Marky L]

I favour Hammerite as an option. Well, it's easy to spray on and gives you a good strong coating in a selection of colours and looks unique!

Is it now I should "just get me coat-ing" /