rennie234 Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Hey All, Got a few different new builds on the go and just doing some reasearch into finishes. I came across this picture of a custom build and i love the finish on it but im not sure how to achive the same look to one of mine can anybody help? [attachment=89242:bass.jpg] Cheers for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorick Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I had John Diggins build me a mahogany bodied bass years ago, with pretty much that finish. All he used was a thin satin lacquer coat. It will shine up with use though...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Thats just an oil finish. Sand down then wipe on lots of very thin coats of tru-oil, you can use a scotchbrite pad to work it in so the wood is all sealed and you get that lovely natural soft lustre. You can also use Danish or teak oil. It needs a good coat of beeswax every year to top up. Just like a Warwick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 What he said - the simpler the oil the better. You could just use the Warwick wax - warm some up with water to get it liquid as a first coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 I stripped my bass of paint & finished it with Danish oil & Beeswax. Depending on how much you polish it will depend on how shiney it is. I went for the satin finish. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xgsjx/5864441787/"][/url] If you click on the pic it will take you to my Flickr to see pics from the whole process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 +1 to all that. Oil/wax will mellow and generally never look beaten up but you do need to give it the odd coat of wax whereas a satin lacquer will age and wear, but once it's on you don't need to do anything else with it. Also, if you decide you want to go back to a lacquered finish, you can't lacquer over a body that's been oiled and waxed as the oil sinks in and the paint won't stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1372796' date='Sep 14 2011, 08:19 AM']I stripped my bass of paint & finished it with Danish oil & Beeswax. Depending on how much you polish it will depend on how shiney it is. I went for the satin finish. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xgsjx/5864441787/"][/url] If you click on the pic it will take you to my Flickr to see pics from the whole process.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 You're lucky to find such a nice bit of ash under that black stuff. Very nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie234 Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 Cheers for the help guys, so just to se if I have got this right, use some sort of oil - dainish, teak etc. rub in a a lot of thin coates then rub in a beeswax coat for finish (but i would need to keep doing this over time)? If i was to do this I would not need the body lacquering? I'm also thinking of a maple & mahogany neck, could I use the same technique on this? Thanks very much guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 If you oil & wax the body you do not need to laquer it, just wax it every year or so, as and when needed. If you want to paint or varnish it later you could try sanding it down & rubbing it with something like turps (google has ideas on how to do this), or you could sand off the wax coating & paint/varnish with a linseed based paint/varnish. My original plan was going to be to paint the body & maybe leave a little wood if any was nice enough, but after sanding down what was below the crusty black stuff, I saw sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondeeman Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1372796' date='Sep 14 2011, 08:19 AM']I stripped my bass of paint & finished it with Danish oil & Beeswax. Depending on how much you polish it will depend on how shiney it is. I went for the satin finish. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xgsjx/5864441787/"][/url] If you click on the pic it will take you to my Flickr to see pics from the whole process.[/quote] Respect. What a wonderful job. Makes you wonder why Ibanez bothered painting it. +1 to the oil comments. I believe tung oil is more matte than Danish oil which is semi-gloss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Another nice finish for necks and/or bodies is Tru-oil.....its the stuff they use on gunstocks. This stuff is probably more durable than oil and wax and a bit more moisture proof (handy on a neck) it is afterall intended for shotguns etc so its got to be weatherproof, but it looks lovely especially on figured necks. Its like the finish on a musicman neck but it can be made quite glossy if you want it to be. Its cheap to buy form a gunshop or on e-bay etc and its quite easy to apply, no special kit or ventillation needed. this link will give you a bit more info and links to lots of tutorials. The TDPRI (telecaster) site has loads of info on their "home depot" section which is a home build section, its s very popular finish for home made tele's [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-241777.html"]http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-241777.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubis Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 (edited) ....forgot to add that you can apparantly spray nitro over the top of tru-oil without any issues, I haven't tried that myself yet but I intend to do a neck with it then apply a decal then spray nitro over the face of the headstock to seal the decal, which is a common practice. good luck Edited September 15, 2011 by rubis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.