body filler then refinishing my P bass

[TimmyGT]

first off I wanted to ask if there is a flat black body filler I can use to fill the scratches on the body of this free P bass I was given.

also is there a way to remove a stain that has been put on the body of this bass?

and finally I wanted to finish the bass to have a warn flat black finish, any advice on how I should do that? I was thinking using black primer then just sand a little off.

[TimmyGT]

?anyone? where can I get flat black body filler?

[steelhead2]

don't know of any`Black Knight' body filler around any more(THAT) was the 60's!!!!,,,i'd use`poly-putty' because it dries(gels) super quick and it sands like drywall plaster(instead of crayola) and then prime with various black primers(availlable),,and there you have your color,,

you can buy Lacquer primer(cheap, air dry,can be thinned with acetone,Lac. Thin. or Eurathane grade reducer OR many strait solvents availlable from a house paint store,,or one of MANY varietys of automotive refinish products,some are going to require mixing some nasty chemicals and are going to stink as well as you rubbing against the material,,,

,or you could buy spray cans at wal-mart=satin black,,,lacquer,,at least it's all lead free now,,,,,,,,,,,hey gotta run,,PM me if you need any more pertinent info i don't paint guitars(yet) but i do have Way) over 30 years paint experience,painted my first car when i knee high to a P bass(`60's/model car),,,i'l tell ya all the BS ya want about`paint'

[steelhead2]

try some`Mar-Hyde' black eurathane primer surfacer-stuff will fill dents,it's toxic BUT,shlog on 5-8 coats let it cure,blocksand,reprime with some(thinned a LOT more then the initial coating to reduce orange peel) and voila!,scratchfree yet ultra low gloss black

(warning=product when mixed contains cyonide(SP),didn't spell that right but i have to run out the door,good luck)

[TimmyGT]

sounds good, I'll get some before and after pics when I am done painting it. I had to glue the body back together but that just got done drying so I am ready to try and do something about the finish.

[steelhead2]

yeah check out your local NAPA auto parts,they have all sorts of spraycan products(and they did come out with some new wizbang primer they use at a local truck shop,comes in various colors) stuff is supposed to lay down smooth,it's catalized and thick,can be used as a primer surfacer or a sealer(thick/fill,or thin satiny)good luck man!,get em!

[Pilgrim]

Buy wood grain filler from Stew-Mac or a woodworking store, apply and sand multiple times with very fine sandpaper that will only smooth the surface. (Preferably wet sand with mineral spirits, possibly using a dead 9V battery as a sanding block). When the surface is uniformly smooth, lay down a sealer/primer coat, sand lightly, then do your final color coats.

Or read the directions at ReRanch...and read Dan Erlewine's book on guitar repair.

Point is, you're going to live with the result - why not take time to learn about it and really do it right? Anyone can just spray the body.