philw Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 All, Does anybody have any thoughts on the likely cost of stripping and re-finishing (probably with either an oil or gloss lacquer) a bass body? Recommendations on somebody to do the job would be welcome too. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 (edited) Strip, then oil your own body ....oops, sorry, wrong website :-) Stripping is relatively easy, and oiling is even easier. So if going for oil, try to do it yourself. Refinishing with a gloss lacquer is the hard part, as it needs a grain filler, and lots of time and elbow grease to get right. If you're going down that route, probably best to get a pro to do it. Maybe £250? People seem to rate Martin from The Gallery in Camden Btw, there is no bass in your avatar, as your sig suggests :-) Edited January 5, 2013 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Bit of a trek, but TJC Guitars in Stevenage, Herts refinished a black Precision for me, in white nitro, for £150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlefeeder Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I am not a luthier, so I may be wrong on this, but my understanding is that a paint finish is more than skin deep, so you can sand it and then refinish, but you cannot sand it then oil it - the oil cannot get into the wood because of the paint residue that is already there. Can any one confirm / correct my recollections? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 If you have a little "know how" & time, it's fairly easy. I stripped my Ibanez & then oiled & waxed it (oiling it is the slow part as you have to wait for each coat to dry & it needs several). It's very rewarding if you decide to do it yourself. Here's how I refinished my bass... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/134250-changing-the-look-of-my-bass Hope it's of some help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_Bass Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 That's something that I've considered for my Warwick and just about everyone who I asked about it said to me that its best off left as, though this maybe different as I'm trying to restore as opposed going for a different finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Thanks for the thoughts guys. Don't think it's something I want to attempt on my own, although seeing what xgsjx managed on his Ibanez makes the idea very tempting. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Hi Phil, Fair enough if you don't have the inclination to do it yourself. Another thing to consider - is it a solid finish currently? If so, you don't know what the wood will look like under the paint. Luthiers will keep the prettiest wood for natural finishes, so stripping a bass can be a bit of a lottery. The bass will probably be made from two or three pieces of wood, and complimentary grains or even colours is not guaranteed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Roland Rock makes a good point. Do you know what the wood is like underneath? Which bass is it? My original plan was a new paint job. I used to be a signwriter, so had no trouble with paint (though I was considering silver leaf). But when I saw the grain I decided on oil & wax. I did a bit of online research & asked a few folk I know that have experience with finishing wood. If you're happy with the grain, it's easy. Thinking about it, if you're not happy with the grain, you could always use coloured oil. If you do decide on oiling it yourself, let me know if you need any tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 [quote name='Mottlefeeder' timestamp='1357427787' post='1922664'] I am not a luthier, so I may be wrong on this, but my understanding is that a paint finish is more than skin deep, so you can sand it and then refinish, but you cannot sand it then oil it - the oil cannot get into the wood because of the paint residue that is already there. Can any one confirm / correct my recollections? David [/quote]Wax not oil. That'll work. Also probably wont need a grain fill if it's alder or similar tight grained affair. Stripping is the hard part if it's a modern finish (poly). The same question pops up regularly and it seriously needs pinning by some bugger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 Hmmm, the bass in question is the blue Veillette Paris I have for sale [b][url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/165919-veillette-paris-fretless-4/"]http://basschat.co.u...ris-fretless-4/[/url][/b] The blue Paris is one of my demo basses (for those who don't know I'm Joe Veillette's UK rep) and it's becoming increasingly apparent that the rush of (blue) blood I suffered when I specified it is now a handicap as far as selling it is concerned (although I still love the colour). The timber underneath the blue is poplar and I can check with Joe if it's likely to look any good stripped (although I'm sure he'll have a private chuckle when I do), although my suspicion is that it'll be fine. Decisions, decisions... Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I don't think it is a good idea stripping a handmade bass like that if you are going to sell it. You just need to find a better way to advertise it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckendrick Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 [quote name='philw' timestamp='1357636755' post='1925577'] ....(for those who don't know I'm Joe Veillette's UK rep) and it's becoming increasingly apparent that the rush of (blue) blood I suffered when I specified it is now a handicap... [/quote] Some rep, you. As Donald Trump would say; "you're fired". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Poplar is rather plain looking, creamy colour with green streaks. I would have to say that after all the effort put into that lovely finish it would be a shame to mess with it. You could well end up with a once beautiful, now worthless instrument of the very highest order. Be warned. Be very warned! DONT DO IT!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Poplar is also pretty soft stuff, so with a mere oil or wax finish, you may find it dings easily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I'd maybe ask Mr Veillette about refinishing it for you. Alternatively, I could offer to swap my Ibby with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Just thought I'd quickly share this thread that's running in the Repairs & Technical forum in case it helps http://basschat.co.uk/topic/196051-how-easy-is-it-to-remove-a-polyresin-finish/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 How do you know it is the colour that is the problem that is stopping a sale? It is a bass at the specialist end of things with a small market and who is to say it would sell any quicker if it was not blue. And if it costs you £250 to refinish could you not just sell it as it is for £950 and leave as is (worst case is you have to sell for £950 after a £250 refinish!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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