Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

refinishing (amateurishly) a Jazz bass body... Capri Orange!


mcnach
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1358604224' post='1942050']
halfords has a set of fine finishing wet and dry papers- i took that from 800 down to 2000, then T-cut on the top. Let it cure first before doing the fine sanding and buffing though

have a fun weekend cleaning the gf's kitchen btw!
[/quote]

aha, "T-cut" is what I was wanting to know, thanks! :)

I hope it gets shiny enough quickly, as I am not known for my patience, and I really want to play this thing soon.

yeah, cleaning is going to be fun. That dust got everywhere!!! You don´t see it, it looks clean... but you run your finger over the counter and you get a bit of orange dust on your fingertip. I was careful to not spray on walls or floor... but I did not think the dust would be sooooo fine. Ah, lesson learnt! Next time I need to enclose the spraying area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358623998' post='1942496']
You know what Im going to say dont you.................. WOOD. Nice bit of Burr veneer would set that orange off nicely. :D

Oh and I wouldnt work too hard on the cleaning up - she'll know and find it anyway. :( Fine wine, Belgian chocolates and a big bunch of flowers is the price you pay Im afraid. Oh and a few years of reminders when she needs to :lol:

A
[/quote]


ha ha, sorry, no fancy wood or gold on this bass :lol:

She knows, she gave me permission... she wants to paint the kitchen and the deal was if I sprayed the wall and made a mess... I´d have to paint the kitchen by myself. I was ok there... but the fine dust flying everywhere caught me by surprise... :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok, some pictures at last...

I can't find pictures at the moment of the bass, how it was... I know I have some somewhere so I will update this when I find them. But the body is what Fender calls "shoreline gold", and the neck pocket had a date, september 2002. I put a bit of tape over it so that it stays.

Anyway, here is my "Dexter" set up, with the golden body hanging...



after several white primer coats:


and the last one:


then I started with the orange, here is a first thin coat. I decided to apply many thin coats rather than fewer thicker ones, to avoid overspraying.


it's already much brighter than it looked without the white primer underneath. Without it, the shoreline gold was too dark and the orange looked dull.

And after a few more coats:



I have not yet sanded it or buffed it or anything, this is straight from spraying. I quite like the texture. Much finer than that of the original MusicMan SUBs, that's for sure.
THis is a quick mock reassembling, with the original white pickguard:


pretty, eh? :) :) :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so, help me choose a pickguard:



from left to right:

1) original white. I really like this one.
2) mint. meh
3) cream. meh
4) black, 3-ply. I think this one is a contender.
5) blue pearloid. Not really...
6) cyan/turquoise metal pickguard. Funky combination. So ugly that it's pretty.

This bass is probably going to see a fair bit of action in the new project I'm involved in, funk with a decent amount of effects... octavers, synth/distortion and envelope filters... So I kind of like option 6. But the white or black pickguards would be my first choices, normally. What do you think?

Oh, I also found an orange pickguard, pretty much the same shade as the body... that's another option.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 or 5 shirley!

Thats alot of overspray lol. I used a few old sheets and an old guitar stand in my sprays.

It looks quit nice with that SUBesk rough finish effect.

Slightly off the subject but whats going on in the control cavity? There seems to be a strip of darker wood. Ply insert?

A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='tom1946' timestamp='1358671009' post='1942948']
Nice job Mac, Same as the colour I'm planning. number 1 pickguard or better still white pearloid B) You say you got all your paint from manchester?
[/quote]

white pearloid, like gold hardware, is too "bling" for me :lol:
I'm also afraid it would make me play country and western :P

Yes, I got the primer and capri orange (both nitrocellulose) from Steve Robinson (Manchester Guitar Tech).
He says one can each should be enough, and if my inexperienced hands could manage with one can, then it's right. The nozzle is pretty good, you get a very fine mist and it's easy to lay thin coats one after another without overspraying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358672806' post='1942956']
1 or 5 shirley!

Thats alot of overspray lol. I used a few old sheets and an old guitar stand in my sprays.

It looks quit nice with that SUBesk rough finish effect.

Slightly off the subject but whats going on in the control cavity? There seems to be a strip of darker wood. Ply insert?

A
[/quote]

overspraying as in... spraying beyong the body?
Oh yes! :lol:
My technique could be improved, no doubt! I also used that "rotating body" technique I mentioned earlier which results in a lot of paint wasted. That's why I say that if I can manage with one can, everybody else should be alright with one too :lol:
Despite my technique, these cans give you a really fine mist. It hangs in the air for a while after you finish spraying. You don't really see it, but I took a couple of pictures with flash and that reveals a LOT of dust in the air. It's so light it gets everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I spent some time last night cleaning the kitchen... YOu don't see it, but run a finger over any surface, and you get a bit of powder. You definitely need to enclose the spraying area better with these spraycans: ultra fine mist is great to get good results easily, but you get a lot of ultra light dust. Use of googles advisable, and absolutely wearing masks. And ventilate!

If I don't do anything further with it... it's nice. I really like it. BUt there are some "inconsistencies". For example, on the top horn, some areas seemed to have got a bit more paint, and the result is less textured and shinier. There are a handful of tiny splutter marks that show as small dots of shinier complexion. NOthing huge. I mean, it's already a million times better than I thought I was going to make it!!! I was expecting having paint runs all over the place! :lol:
But if I just try to fine sand it and buff it it can look REALLY good (as long as I don't sand through the orange... a real possibility for me :P
So, I don't know... part of me wants to assemble it in a couple of days and start using it. Another part of me wants to carry on and see just how much nicer I can make it, if anything so that I can have a better idea of the work involved... But then there is that 5-string Stagg Stingray clone I want to paint red, so I might just take my time on that one instead... Agh, I don't know.

The darker bit on the control cavity is where a previous owner has routed out about 2-3mm from the bottom. Because of the shape and size, I'd say this bass had some kind of preamp installed in the past (Audere, John East) and that the cavity was just a bit too shallow. I have an Audere preamp for this bass, so I will see if it fits well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1358672806' post='1942956']
1 or 5 shirley!
[/quote]

oh, and this... this is how I am leaning too.
Funny, at first I was going to go for black, I was very sure... but now... white looks nice, and then the ugly blue makes it... "different" :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1358675037' post='1942990']
I don't normally like white or white pearl guards, but I think they suit this bass the best followed by black! Tort world look pretty badass too.

Always wanted an orange P... might have to try a classic vibe with a Capri orange refin!
[/quote]

True, tortoiseshell would work. Not a big fan, but it goes well with red, and orange I guess,

Capri Orange rules. Let's start a Capri Orange bass club!!! Oh, I forgot we are not in Talk Bass :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1358653488' post='1942906'] THis is a quick mock reassembling, with the original white pickguard: pretty, eh? :) :) :) [/quote]

That looks really, really good. Definitely go with the white.

I'm really impressed with the job so far---I really want an orange bass, suspect at somepoint I may ask for a "tutorial" :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358708678' post='1943804']
That looks really, really good. Definitely go with the white.

I'm really impressed with the job so far---I really want an orange bass, suspect at somepoint I may ask for a "tutorial" :lol:
[/quote]

Thanks! Yeah, I think the white one is probably the best... and it's teh best fit, as it's the original pickguard! ;)

I can tell you all the mistakes I made, then you will discover new ones :lol:
I'm not an expert, this is the first time I attempt anything like this! I suspect getting the right spray helps a lot. I don't know others, but these cans produce a very fine mist, which can be a pain in that the dust gets everywhere! But it makes getting thin uniform coats very easy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

That looks amazing. I would buy a bass in that colour if Fender offered it as an option nowadays.

You may or (more likely ) may not be interested to know, back in the 1970'S , Ford made a special run of Capri's for the U.K market in an almost identical shade of orange to this bass:




( I would buy a Capri in that colour, too.)

Edited by Dingus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1385741421' post='2291763']
That looks really nice - good job. The fretboard looks very dark - almost black - just how it came or did you do something to that too?
[/quote]

No, that neck is like that. From a fretless Squier VM Jazz, made from "ebanol". It's very very dark.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1385741422' post='2291764']
That looks amazing. I would buy a bass in that colour if Fender offered it as an option nowadays.

You may or (more likely ) may not be interested to know, back in the 1970'S , Ford made a special run of Capri's for the U.K market in an almost identical shade of orange to this bass:




( I would buy a Capri in that colour, too.)
[/quote]


I would buy that car too :)

I have seen this orange being described as "Focus orange" by some. I guess it's a different demographic issue :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bh2' timestamp='1385742541' post='2291776']
Loverly... Audere? How's it sound?

Can we have a Capri Orange club?
[/quote]

I'm not a big fan of the Audere, as it turns out.
It's rather tame, compared to the J-Retro that I'm more used to, and I miss the semiparametric mids control. For that reason the Audere will soon be in the "For Sale" section.
It's not a bad preamp at all, and I can see why some prefer it: it's much more transparent than the J-Retro. Those who want to preserve the passive sound I guess will prefer the Audere. The switch changes the sound in subtle but interesting ways, 'though. I still prefer the monster that the J-Retro is, and I find it easier to get the sound I want on them, so I'm installing one pretty soon. Maybe next week, if I have time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...