Can I remove this paint?!

[billchill]

Hello, this is my first post here at the Bass Forum. I recently aquired a 1948 Kay S-51. I had some repairs done to it and had it all set up. I think it sounds wonderful but I have no frame of reference because it is the first upright I've ever played.
So back to my question. This bass has been painted, it seems to be some sort of acrylic enamel. Is it at all possible to get this paint off and get the original finish back? Its just ugly as can be with this black paint on it and it makes me really sad when I look at it.

[gbaker]

Originally Posted by billchill

Hello, this is my first post here at the Bass Forum. I recently aquired a 1948 Kay S-51. I had some repairs done to it and had it all set up. I think it sounds wonderful but I have no frame of reference because it is the first upright I've ever played.
So back to my question. This bass has been painted, it seems to be some sort of acrylic enamel. Is it at all possible to get this paint off and get the original finish back? Its just ugly as can be with this black paint on it and it makes me really sad when I look at it.

Congratulations on your Kay, it is a shame what people do to these old solders. It has been a couple days and nobody answered, probably because nobody knows exactly how to answer.

The condition the original finish is unknown. It would have been nitrocellulose lacquer but that could have worn off or may have been removed. Maybe someone here could tell you what might remove enamel but not lacquer. Then you could test it on a small area it see what you get. You could also search the site, the subject of removing old finish has come up before.

Best of luck.

[MollyKay]

We have removed paint from vintage plywood’s a few times. Each bass was different in what needed done…but it can be done. Here are some slide shows with captions. We used Citrus strip, scrapers and a myriad of other tools to get the basses clean and ready for oil varnish.

http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/m...view=slideshow

http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/m...view=slideshow

http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/m...view=slideshow

http://s318.photobucket.com/albums/m...view=slideshow

Hope this is helpful.

[Jonyak]

those slideshows are really cool.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by billchill

Is it at all possible to get this paint off and get the original finish back?

The answer is a definite MAYBE.

As someone who spent many years restoring antique furniture, and specializing in the restoration of original finishes I can say that it is possible. I have removed many layers of over-finish to reveal the original finish on many pieces of fine furniture. Here are some things you might need to know.

First, it often takes a lot of skill and experience. In some cases I ended up removing layers of over finish with a scalpel, one layer at at time, one square inch at a time. All other methods failed. In other cases I was able to remove certain layers without affecting the original finish by the application of specific chemicals. Which chemicals? Well that's where the experience comes in. It's a question of being able to analyse the finishes involved and know what is effective in dealing with each.

Second, it can be an exceedingly expensive endeavour. I was fortunate enough to have some very well-heeled clientele. Even still I had to question whether the cost was justifiable in some cases.

Third, you may not want to uncover the original finish. It might be in such bad condition that you cannot live with it. At this point you are in to refinishing the instrument which, of course, adds to the costs (see item 2).

So is it at all possible? Yes. Feasible? Maybe. Advisable? Depends. If you don't have the skill yourself you will need to find someone you can trust.