bass refinishing

christ andronis · #1 02-15-2008, 08:34 AM

Does anyone out there who is in Chicago know where I might inquire about getting my bass refinished? The nuclear varnish on there has made me crazy for awhile and I just want to see what the possibility is of getting it stripped and refinished. Suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Eric Hochberg · #2 02-15-2008, 10:57 AM

I would talk with the usual suspect luthiers in town (Sonksen, Fiore, Tim Fox). Scott Henri did a major touchup on my bass and did a wonderful job as usual. Be prepared to part with some major dollars for a complete refinish from a top luthier.

Marc Piane · #3 02-15-2008, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehochberg

Be prepared to part with some major dollars for a complete refinish from a top luthier.

+1.

MollyKay · #4 02-15-2008, 02:20 PM

Just curious…and you do not need to disclose this if you don’t want to…but define “major dollars” for the stripping and refinishing of a bass. We have done this a few times (as a hobby project) and may have hit upon a niche need in the bass community. At this time it is only a hobby, but maybe there is a need for this skill and my husband really could consider a new career path.

Stripping and refinishing is messy time consuming work and something a professional luthier may not enjoy doing…their time and skills could be better spend on more tedious work like repair and set up…or building a bass. Again, just curious if there is a need for this skill and define how much money is “major dollars”?

Eric Hochberg · #5 02-15-2008, 03:43 PM

I've been quoted $3500 to $5000 from one of Cincinnati's finest.

Marc Piane · #6 02-15-2008, 05:14 PM

Also, if base it on the 'average' (not Scott Henri or the like) luthier's hourly rate, which seems to be somewhere between $50 and $75/hr in Chicago and do the math you'll get an idea.

arnoldschnitzer · #7 02-16-2008, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehochberg

I've been quoted $3500 to $5000 from one of Cincinnati's finest.

That sounds like about double to me!

Eric Hochberg · #8 02-16-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arnoldschnitzer

That sounds like about double to me!

Ouch, man. Good to know.

MollyKay · #9 02-17-2008, 11:29 AM

Hummmm…I agree with Arnold…that sounds high. If we could get paid to do this kind of work, at that kind of labor rate, it would be worth while pursing this avenue as a career. The last bass we stripped, repaired, refinished, pinstriped and re-set up was easily under 50 hours of labor…but we are not professionals. I’m sure in a professional luthier shop there would be more efficient ways to cut down on the time. It also doesn’t help that my husband is some what of a perfectionist, so he is slower then a skilled professional…and makes no apologies for his high standards.

Thanks for the honest answer…it is fuel for thought.

**Matthew Tucker** · #10 02-17-2008, 02:19 PM

Stripping a bass is a pretty horrible job, so a high quote - particularly if the quote is for a bass sight-unseen - may indicate that he quoter only wants to do the work if it's REALLY worthwhile.

jeph16 · #11 02-17-2008, 02:26 PM

what if its like a fender 51 reissue that i want to make black, would it still be that much?

Jake deVilliers · #12 02-17-2008, 03:45 PM

"what if its like a fender 51 reissue that i want to make black, would it still be that much?"

Not nearly that much but you should post that question over on the slab side.

Ballpark guess, probably less than $500 to disassemble, paint, polish & re-assemble.

christ andronis · #13 02-18-2008, 05:27 AM

Yikes!!

Thanks to all who answered, I appreciate the input. I guess my follow up would be: Does the finish have that great an influence on the sound, especially the heavy lacquer that my hybrid has? By the estimates given here, the refinishing would be almost the cost of the bass. Am I looking at a personal taste issue here?

Stev187 · #14 05-15-2011, 09:04 PM

Sorry for the necrobump here, but I figured it was better than starting a new thread, as my issue is very similar to this one from back in 2008.

About 12 years ago, I had my bass completely restored and refinished. It's a Czech factory bass from about 1920, and the scroll was left in the original finish, which looks to me to be a nut-brown French polish. The "new" finish on the rest of the instrument is a very professional job done by a reputable violin shop. It's held up wonderfully and has protected the instrument well. It's very shiny and has a kind of "orange" tone to it. I've had a dozen years to get used to the color, and it just hasn't grown on me. This might seem like a stupid thing to say, but it has always looked like more of a "violin" color than a "bass" color to me. Here's a shot of the bass at its ugliest:

Now, the photo above is in terrible light, so it really highlights the tone I don't like. In certain types of light (especially sunlight) the color is a deeper red and is more pleasing. And while I don't like it, I can't say that I hate it. I mean, when I'm playing I don't look at it! Every time I think about this, I say to myself: "look, it's just cosmetic; take the dough you'd spend to refinish it and pay for lessons, books, and CDs." Then I look at the scroll and think, "aw, man... I wish the whole thing looked like that." And then I think "if you really hate the color, take the dough you'd spend to refinish it and add it to the trade-in value of the bass and get a new one." Then I think to myself, "yeah, but this is your bass; you've owned it for 20 years, and you like the way it plays and sounds--keep it." You get the picture.

So I guess I have two questions:

Arnold weighed in on the "going rate" for a total refinish back in 2008; given his reputation, I imagine that was excellent information. Is the price of a total refinish still in this neighborhood (e.g. $1,800 - $2,500)?
Nobody answered the earlier question about the change in tone. Would a different finish be likely to change the tone of the instrument? If I went from this thick, glossy violin-style finish, what would be the most likely impact on the sound of the bass (if any)?

I've asked pals for advice on this, and it's a really personal choice, I realize. Still, I'd love some TB thoughts on the issue. Here's a photo I posted to TB a while back that shows the original nut-brown finish on the scroll.

Thanks,

--Steve

P.S. And since I posted such an unflattering photo of the bass, here's what it looks like in natural (window) light. The red can come out at times and be really attractive.

LouisF · #15 05-15-2011, 10:15 PM

Nick Roubas did a total refinish on my bass about 4 years ago for @ $1800 - since he also did some major set up work on the instrument, I can say exactly how much the better varnish contributed to the improved tone, but my hunch is that it is definitely a factor.

Louis

Louis Fantasia's Bass Finish Restoration

Eric Hochberg · #16 05-15-2011, 10:37 PM

Stev, your bass looks good to me.

Stev187 · #17 05-16-2011, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

Stev, your bass looks good to me.

Thanks, Eric. Come to think of it, the only feedback I've gotten from people who have seen it is "nice bass." Another reason to put my mental energy (and money) elsewhere.

--Steve

George700DL · #18 05-16-2011, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stev187

If I went from this thick, glossy violin-style finish, what would be the most likely impact on the sound of the bass (if any)?

Just a personal opinion here. A violin-style finish, whether shiny or not, is not thick at all. Looking at these pictures, the finish doesn't look anything like the industrial poly or sprayed lacquer finishes you see on eBay instruments. To me the finish on your bass looks very good.

It relates to something I asked a while ago here: What is wrong with shiny finishes? I think the abuse of polyurethane has caused a general aversion to any shiny finish (even if it's very thin and not sound-killing). Just because it's glossy doesn't mean it's a bad finish. But of course personal taste is personal taste, and nobody can argue with that.

George