Quote:
Originally Posted by fresh128  hi,
ive just recently bought a jackson pro bass for a steal
as a side project but the bass has a lot of ''cosmetic'' problems so i was wondering if any1 could give me some
advice on how to restore the following problems?
1-the bass has a crack on the body by the tone knobs
running round to the backplate where the electrics are
its not very deep but to deep to sand out any advice on how too fill it in?
2-the neck has a worn patch on the back of it round about by the 9th frett where the laquer has worn away is it safe to sand the back of the neck and then ree laquer it?
3-the body itself has lots of scratches on it and mild dents does any1 know the best way to strip the body down saftley
and what kinda paints shud i use?
4- a couple of the machine heads are bent but they have the jackson logo on em where could i get some jackson machine heads from pls?
thats all really its truly a beutifull bass and im proud to own it once its finished if there is any1 wwho can help me i would be much abliged thankyou!
fresh128 |
You've got some decisions here...The value of this bass is going to be way less than the value of any time you put into it. That's just a fact and you need to know that. Next, you'll have to determine how much you want to do to the instrument in relation to the level of expertise you have and the tools onhand. You've mentioned several finish issues and these pose the largest problem in getting right. The reason I give you these caveats is that there are more piles of parts sitting in closets as "unfinished" projects than there are people to finish them. Don't let it happen to you and you can start with some good planning.
1. A crack could be in just the finish or it could be structural. The only way to determine it's structural is to look inside the cavity to see if the crack comes through the back. If that's the case, get ready for some repair work. If it's just finish, it's a lot better.
2. Let's clear this up now and state flatly that the bass doesn't have a "lacquer" finish. I have a Jackson Pro here at the house and it's finish is all polyurethane. That means tough! It can be removed and should be if any other finish is going to be used. It's possible to scuff poly to the point that another layer of poly can stick but it won't be a strong chemical bond because these coatings don't "burn" into the previous layers like lacquer. If you want a true lacquer finish, you'll have to remove all of the poly finish down to the sealer. LOTS of work there but you be the judge.
3. Stripping can be done with chemicals (acetone will begin to soften some poly's) but once begun, you've got to finish it or face a really botched finish. You can also sand the finish off but only do that if you use filters to breathe. The dust is killer. I've even had success with heat and peeling the finish but that takes a lot of technique to keep from damaging the body. I don't recommend it unless you really take your time.
It is possible to get a good "rattle can" finish but it takes patience and some technique to make this method work well. If you do lacquer, try Reranch.com - they have a best selection of cool colors and finishes. You can use auto paint but preparation should be extensive, including cleaning the body very, very well before spraying. A professional finish takes pro equipment - compressors, guns, etc. along with pro products. These aren't inexpensive and you would probably only want to invest in them if you want to do more of this type of work.
4. Jackson would be the only way or perhaps finding some on ebay.
Hope this helps
