Quick Question About Sanding/Repainting My Fender Jazz

[Deep_Blue_Funk]

I've read through the www.reranch.com website, but I've still got a question regarding the project I'm about to undertake. I'm a total beginner when it comes to sanding/painting/refinishing, so bear with me.

I've got a Midnight Wine Fender MIM Jazz Bass, pretty new, that I got in a trade. I don't like the color. My dream is a Sonic Blue jazz with a tort pickguard. I want a nice looking paint job, but I'm not too clear on the easiest way to do this.

Can I sand the bass (after removing all the hardware and neck and all that) down a bit, like, rough it up nice and matte, and then primer, paint and gloss coat? Or do I gotta completely remove the current paint (is it polyurethane?) down to the wood via stripper (the liquid kind) or heatgun, then sand, primer, paint, and gloss?

-Chris

[202dy]

You don't have to remove all of the existing finish. You don't want to do it, either. It is very time consuming and labor intensive to do so.

Sand with 220 grit wet or dry. Get a good even scratch pattern. Then shoot your new finish.

More importantly: Practice on scrap. Rinse. Repeat. Often.

If the existing finish is very nice it might be more cost and time effective to sell the guitar and buy what you want.

[Deep_Blue_Funk]

Cool. Thanks for the advice, man. Peace out.

-Chris