Hi all,

My question is regarding the finish on an instrument and the relationship between finish and tone. If you are trying to shoot for a specific type of sound in a bass, will that affect the choice of finish?

Also, which commonly used types of finish give which types of tone, ie, this type of finish gives good lows, bright mids, etc etc.

Finally, are there any commonly used types of finish (ie, in furniture) that would NOT be a good choice on a bass? For what reason?

Thanks in advance :)

I would say that the finish is the last thing that will effect the tone. It also depends on how heavy(thick) of a finish is applied. Any kind of Laquer, oil, poly, etc won't effect a tone that much as long as it is used in moderation.

I would be more worried on which finish gives you the "feel" you want and the protection you need.

While the effect of finish material can be very subtle, in general I'd say that those with gretaer penetrating capabilities (tru-oil, etc) will lower the basic tone of the wood, while those that just sit on top (lacquer) do little if anything. My preference for Tung Oil comes from a belief that it provides both good protection and a mellowing/deepening of the tone.
Each finish material will have it's own different effect..not necessarily bad, just different. I guess if there's any finish commonly used in woodworking that I would stay away from for basses, it's the very think marine -spar varnishes.

Many thanks guys! :)