how will paint affect the tone of a bass?

[zazz]

resonant woods dont take kindly to being dipped in a thick layer of plastic....better known as a poly finish.

[TjD]

Originally Posted by phatbassdood

so by a tiny bit, d'you mean of a level only noticeable with a good set of ears, on a fantastic hi-fi, with no other instruments playing?

By a tiny bit, I meant exactly that
Like I said, I find it difficult to put in words...

[TjD]

Originally Posted by permagrin

I wish I had some creative humor to add....

As for finished vs unfinished, on both occasions that I melted/sanded off body finish it had a pronounced (and positive) effect on tone - I attribute it to the body wood being able to vibrate more easily and impart its character more to the basses' overall tone. Seems to "open up" the sound and not sound "pinched off".

+1

...and that's what I meant with 'a breathing sound' ("open up") and 'tiny bit compressed' ("pinched off"), Phatbassdood.

Permagrin, you found the right words...

[TjD]

Originally Posted by Lesfunk

A yellow bass will Sound Yellow and a Blue bass will be better for blues.
A brown bass might sound good but play like poop!

D'oh!

I happen to like brown basses. Especialy when they're non-finished, like the Warwick Thumb Bass I had...

[permagrin]

Originally Posted by TjD

By a tiny bit, I meant exactly that
Like I said, I find it difficult to put in words...

I found the difference to be pretty significant - not overwhelming, but quite noticeable.

[PaulMacCnj]

FINALLY! Someone that gets it! I've heard that clear pickguards give a transparent, see through sound...

Okay, dumb humor mode off. I've heard many opinions. Oiled finishes allow the wood to vibrate freely. Therefore, you get more sustain and the differences in tone woods can be heard easier. Nitro finishes are thin (and more subject to damage), poly finishes are thick. Poly brightens up the sound and decreases sustain. Nitro is somewhere in between.

Personally, I think there are other factors that have a much greater affect on the sound like neck design (through vs. bolt-on), pickups and choice of woods.

Originally Posted by joelb79

Real tone can be found in pickguards. Tort is the way to go, it gives you a nice fat bottom while opening up the highs a bit to allow your tone to breath. Black pickguards give the marcus miller tone, and no pickguard gives you a raw tone much like jaco.

[permagrin]

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

...Oiled finishes allow the wood to vibrate freely. Therefore, you get more sustain...

If the energy from the strings is more easily transfered to the body, wouldn't sustain decrease? I think the difference is more in the character of the tone, and the way the notes "bloom".

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

...Nitro finishes are thin (and more subject to damage), poly finishes are thick. Poly brightens up the sound ...

Note that there are polyurethane (I believe much more common) as well as polyester finishes. Polyurethane can be pretty thin or very, very thick. Polyester is a real pita to strip, and gives off a sweet/syrupy smell when you sand it. It stands up to chemicals, and you have to sand slowly or it melts in the sandpaper. I don't know one way or the other if they birghten the sound.

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

...there are other factors that have a much greater affect on the sound like neck design (through vs. bolt-on), pickups and choice of woods.

I agree completely, I feel the neck and pickups are the dominant factors in tone.

[PaulMacCnj]

Yeah, I hear ya. There seems to be a bit of subjectiveness in this. If anyone here has actually tried out the effect of oil vs. poly vs. whatever finishes with all other aspects being equal, please share your experiences.

Speaking from a purely cosmetic point of view, I do like the look of high gloss finishes on bass/guitar bodies. It makes the wood grain "jump out" with depth.