I want to strip the color of a bass down to the natural wood. What way should i do to remove the color, but not hurt the wood so that i can put poly/nitro on it?

also, what products, precautions, other info should i know about stripping paint?
Thanks!

You will need to know what type of finish it has, as different finishes respond better to different stripping agents. Some require heat, others require chemicals, and some you can just get by on by using elbow grease.

What make/model of instrument?

I want to strip the color of a bass down to the natural wood. What way should i do to remove the color, but not hurt the wood so that i can put poly/nitro on it?

also, what products, precautions, other info should i know about stripping paint?
Thanks!

That's a whole subject in itself. Nobody can answer all of it in just a few paragraphs. You should either go to a library and do some research or start looking on the internet. There's a lot of data on line. A lot of it is rubbish, but some is good.

Experience also has a lot to do with how good a job you'll do.

Another thing to know is, most, almost all factory finishes are a very tough finish completely unlike anything you'll find in the paint department. They are impervious to most strippers available to the consumer. You can best remove them with a heat gun or by sanding. It's a lot of work. You can damage the wood underneath if you're not careful.

Good luck with your search.

All of the finished I've ever stripped (I'm fairly sure they were all polyurethane) have done best with a rough sanding to get through some clear coat and then a bunch of applications of a chemical sold at Home Depot called "Stripper". If all else fails, it is always possible to sand through the finish but that is a HUGE pain in the but and takes forever.

I opened this thread with such high expectations. Damn.