austin bass w/ rough spots

tdogg · #1 02-14-2007, 08:37 AM

i recently aquired a used Austin 4 string bass from a pawn shop for quite cheap. it was marked at 300$ but i traded in some old stuff and 50$ for it. not bad eh? its a mahogany/maple body with a bubinga top and twin MM style pickups. (i will eventually replace the austin brand electronics with aftermarket stuff.) the bass needed minor neck and bridge adjustments, no biggey, it plays great now. but the only problem i have now is that there are minor scratches and dings on the neck/heel area. not too bad, but kind of annoying..... should i sand them smooth? maybe steel wool? im not 100% sure of the finish ... its satin or oil. if anybody has experience with this please give guidance. thanx

tdogg · #2 02-27-2007, 11:21 PM

anybody?

JimmyM · #3 02-28-2007, 01:22 AM

You better check which one it is first. If it's oil you can lightly sand it and re-oil it. If it's satin, it's much more of a job, and if you're not careful you can strip the finish down to the wood. To be honest, I have no idea how to restore a satin finish to satin after sanding and buffing, but with gloss finishes you start out lightly sanding with 320 grit, then sand with progressively lighter sandpaper, then buff it out with a rubbing compound.

202dy · #4 02-28-2007, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

You better check which one it is first. If it's oil you can lightly sand it and re-oil it. If it's satin, it's much more of a job, and if you're not careful you can strip the finish down to the wood. To be honest, I have no idea how to restore a satin finish to satin after sanding and buffing, but with gloss finishes you start out lightly sanding with 320 grit, then sand with progressively lighter sandpaper, then buff it out with a rubbing compound.

Satin finishes have flattening agents in the formula to regulate the amount of gloss. No matter how much it is buffed it will never have a high gloss. Restoring a satin finish is much the same as rubbing out a gloss finish. Depending on how rough the blemish is sandpaper is chosen and used on a block to level. 320 would be as coarse as you would want to go. Work the grits through 1000 or so being careful to match the original sheen and you are done. You may elect to use some rubbing compounds beyond that if it doesn't feel right. The gloss level should not be affected beyond the original formulation.