Hi all, this is my first post here on TB. I love the glossy clearcoat on the face of Fender's 2008-present Am. Std. headstocks, and would love to have the same look on my Squier fretless. I am NOT removing the Squier name- I actually want to show it off!
Would a spray-on Poly from Home Depot or Lowe's (or anywhere else) do the trick? Any help is much appreciated- thanks in advance, everyone.
Several thin layers of spray on poly, such as Minwax, along with wet-sanding with very fine grit sandpaper (I'd go from 1000 to 2000) after it dries for a few days, will do the trick. Be sure to remove the tuners and string tree. It make the job easier if you remove the neck as well.
^^ deft can take an extremely long time to dry. Much longer than other lacquers.
Spray on poly is what fender uses unless otherwise specified. A few good layers, wet sanding and buffing it up to a shine will give you that flat, high gloss finish that doubles as a mirror.
Of course the same thing could be done with a lacquer, and it'll take less time and be easier to touch up since there won't be any witness lines if you sand through a layer or two in one spot.
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I.D.I.O.T #52
Fretless club #585
I would advise against laquer over poly. It could peel over time. But, it might not. The headstock doesn't get a lot of wear, so it *might* be OK there. I wouldn't do it anywhere else on the bass though. Poly over poly is a much safer bet.
^^ deft can take an extremely long time to dry. Much longer than other lacquers.
Took me two weeks and 15 coats. I had the time. Was worth it. Then again, I took the headstock to bare wood, sealed it, painted and decaled it and then applied the Deft. I consulted someone I used to work with at Hamer and he suggested Deft to be the best. The guy is a finish expert. Deft dries to the touch very quickly. No major manufacturer is going to rush through the finish process if they want it right. You have to have patience and give the coats time to cure.
Took me two weeks and 15 coats. I had the time. Was worth it. Then again, I took the headstock to bare wood, sealed it, painted and decaled it and then applied the Deft. I consulted someone I used to work with at Hamer and he suggested Deft to be the best. The guy is a finish expert. Deft dries to the touch very quickly. No major manufacturer is going to rush through the finish process if they want it right. You have to have patience and give the coats time to cure.
But, with other lacquers that produce the same quality of finish, it's generally hard enough to buff out in 3 days or less.
__________________
I.D.I.O.T #52
Fretless club #585
What kind of clear gloss for my Squier headstock? 
