silentbob Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Right then, it seems that i have a new project bass on the way and i have an exact idea about how i want it to look, just don't know how to go about it. The link below shows the finish i'm after. Any ideas guys? [url="http://www.rondomusic.com/pbg2.html"]http://www.rondomusic.com/pbg2.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmsjabb Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Looks like ebony stain and either waxed or finishing oil to seal it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommorichards Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 That bass looks amazing!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Just rub back your body to the wood and don't fill the grain. Some woods have a more open grain than others I did one in vintage white earlier this year using a '78 P body... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 (edited) [quote name='jmsjabb' post='1338181' date='Aug 12 2011, 09:03 PM']Looks like ebony stain and either waxed or finishing oil to seal it.[/quote] This. Plus you don't need to bother with grain filler. I'd imagine that heavily grained finish is pretty much exclusive to wide-grained woods like ash. What's your project bass body made from? edit: Ou7shined got in before me, and says more or less the same thing but with better visual aids Edited August 12, 2011 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Wire brushing will deepen the grain pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentbob Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Thanks for the replies, if anybody can point me in the direction of an online step by step guide with some visuals, it would be much appreciated as i've never tackled a body re-finish before. I assume that with the stain, you just keep adding coats until you get to the desired colour level, then seal/wax. Without sounding daft, do you need to use a special sort of wire brush, as the only one i have is the sort you use to brush down iron work, ect before re-painting and looks like it would be a bit harsh on wood. The wood is ash, see here [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220828808298&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url] This is the donor bass. I already have one of these that i bought and restored, and it's my favourite bass. Trouble is i'd like one that looks a bit more, erm, metal, so this one is going to be my "none more black" bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 When I did mine, I sanded it as smooth as a baby's behind before painting. I never wire brushed it or anything. Just by not going through the grain filing process I got the desired effect. You just want to finish the bass as normal (minus the grain filler - tons of stuff on the web about it) except either finish it with matt black paint or normal black with a clear matt/satin lacquer. But to be honest that bass doesn't look like it has enough cross grain and therefore not a great candidate for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentbob Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='1338328' date='Aug 13 2011, 12:39 AM']When I did mine, I sanded it as smooth as a baby's behind before painting. I never wire brushed it or anything. Just by not going through the grain filing process I got the desired effect. You just want to finish the bass as normal (minus the grain filler - tons of stuff on the web about it) except either finish it with matt black paint or normal black with a clear matt/satin lacquer. But to be honest that bass doesn't look like it has enough cross grain and therefore not a great candidate for the job.[/quote] Thanks for the info and the heads up on the grain. Not done this before so don't really know what's what. I guess worst case scenario is that if i try it and it turns out crap, i can always paint over the top of it (or does staining do something to wood that makes it hard to paint over?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I think this open grain light sheen finish is superb. There is a thread somewhere that I can't find called something like 'spraying the neck'? where trying to get an ebony finish on a fretboard is discussed. There is some leather stain/polish that brings up the wood like ebony, apparently - and I was wondering if it might do this to the body of a bass? maybe with oil or wax coating. Be easier than spraying to a clutz like me. I guess, as it isn't expensive, the answer would be to buy some and try it out on a scrap of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Yeah that finish you like looks like ash that's been sanded smooth like any ordinary guitar body (not wire brushed as that will make the entire body look scratched under a black finish) but not grain filled. Basically sand your (guitar) body down to 400 grit or thereabouts, rub it over with fine wire wool to remove the dust from the grain then clean it up and spray it using something like this; [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/shop/category/nitrocellulose-lacquer/page/2/"]Cellulose Rattle Cans[/url]. This site has plenty of information and links to take you through the spraying up process. Don't forget to post it up in Build Diaries of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 My Ibby has a similar level of sheen but I didn't stain it, just Danish Oil (@ 20 coats) & then a couple of waxes. After I stripped the bass, I took some 40 grit to the body & also had a spray bottle of water to give it a misting all over. That opened the grain right up. Then I used 70g, then 110, & finally some P240. I then applied the oil with a cloth & sanded it in with the 240 many times over a period of @ 10 days & left the whole thing to dry until it didn't smell anymore. Then finished with a couple of coats of beeswax & voala! [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xgsjx/5840966188/"][/url] I had toyed with the idea of staining it, but decided on natural after seeing the grain in the ash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Different paints/stains have different reactions with one another. Some are fine, some crack (which could look cool), some peel off after a time & some just don't take at all. If you're using oil or an oil based stain, then to be on the safe side when painting you would want something like linseed oil paint. I'm not sure how other oil based paints would react. Ou7shined, I like that vintage white & also the hardware you've used is brilliant. Just something a bit different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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