glossy lacquer finish and a question on sanding.

[catoblepas]

my new bass seems to have a satin finish, but it also seems to be very badly sanded. most of the body is rough. i planned on applying a high-gloss lacquer finish prior to receiving the bass, and still do. will this rectify my problem? otherwise, how much will it cost me to get the finish stripped and the bass sanded so it's not super-rough?

thanks.
evan

[J.D.B.]

The surface has to be smooth for a glossy surface. For a really glossy finish, the surface has to be really smooth. The surface finish reflects what's under it very well, so, prep is more than half the battle. The rewards of all the time and elbow grease will become apparent. You should be able to make a satin surface very smooth and glassy without too much effort(less than with a raw wood surface). Do you mean that the wood under the finish is rough and showing it's texture through? If that's the case, then yeah, you'll be better off sanding the wood right and starting over. I once tried to hack my way through by building up a pile of film and sanding it back, but I never did get enough of a pile built up to make it nice. Much easier to start with a good surface. I have no idea how much $ for body prep but I'll bet it's not too far from the cost of the full job. That's most of the work.
Josh

[catoblepas]

the bass has one coat of satin finish on it and the wood is still slightly rough. i want it to be, like, mad high gloss.