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"Mocha" basses
- Thread starter dougjwray
- Start date
Ash, and neither "mocha" nor "rootbeer" are the official Fender name for the color. It's "Walnut"- a dark brown finish that allows the grain to show through, and not to be confused with the later natural finished instruments made of walnut wood.
John
John
I'm pretty sure I've seen the color I(admittedly inaccurately- just that it's an unofficial standard term 
)call mocha/baby poop/root beer brown over alder.
)call mocha/baby poop/root beer brown over alder.
It's definitely ash (10 lbs.). Sounds great. Are these rare? I haven't seen many of these, It's definitely not brown like a walnut brown, maybe somewhere between red wine and walnut brown.
Sweet!!!
It's definitely ash (10 lbs.). Sounds great. Are these rare? I haven't seen many of these, It's definitely not brown like a walnut brown, maybe somewhere between red wine and walnut brown.
My 1972 Fender catalog shows the color as 'Walnut', #522 which was a 'custom color'. Yucch. Basses had either Ash, or Alder bodies. I have seen plenty of both woods used. Some light as a feather others could help anchor the Queen Mary.
Walnut P and J basses are quite common. They are easily found and bring the lowest prices of all the colors produced.
Thanks a lot to everyone for the information (and pictures). I'm thinking about putting together a P-Bass, starting with an unfinished alder body, using Minwax stain with Tru-Oil on top. So, my next question would be (and I'll ask it in the Luthier forum): what shade of Minwax would approximate Fender #522?
Thanks again...
Thanks again...
The lowest prices of any Fender color, or the lowest of the ones made in the '70s? I think I see more natural ones around here than Walnut... quite a few sunburst ones, too, but perhaps it is a regional thing?
Here is mine over alder:
Thanks, I'd forgotten the number. Ash mostly, or alder but there wasn't any way to order a specific wood, but most were ash because that was the default wood for Fender basses. There was a short-lived color that didn't allow any grain to show through that may have been officially "Mocha" as part of the International Colors, but I don't recall. I guess I should have kept all those catalogs and dealer literature I had from managing the store...
And the basses pictured above are exactly what Fender's #522 Walnut looks like.
John
The lowest prices of any Fender color, or the lowest of the ones made in the '70s? I think I see more natural ones around here than Walnut... quite a few sunburst ones, too, but perhaps it is a regional thing?
Here is mine over alder:
'Walnut' tends to bring the lowest prices. Many were made in this color. Not as many as factory Natural or Sunburst because those were standard colors by this era. I find sunburst the most popular and easy to find and sell, Natural right behind. As we now, CAR, LPB, are rare. Black, OW more common. Your Alder Precision is one of the better looking and nicest 'Walnuts' I have seen. Your lucky!
Try Minwax 'Red Mohogany' mixed 50/50 with 'Golden Pecan'. Get pints at Home Cheapo and mix. Test on paint stick to make sure blend correct before attempting to apply to your body.
Not pints, sorry. Minwax offers some really small cans of stains at the big Home Depot type stores! Don't forget the paint thinner and clean white cotton rags to wipe of any excess stain after application and a short wait time!
There is definitely a difference between Walnut and Mocha. Here is my 6 stringer in Mocha brown.
My bass doesn't look walnut to me, but it isn't red wine either. If anyone can confirm what color my bass is I'd really appreciate it.
Here are all the pics from my bass:
http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o179/kscbass/1978 Fender Jazz Bass/
Red Wine Trans from the Lowend.net
Here are all the pics from my bass:
http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o179/kscbass/1978 Fender Jazz Bass/
Red Wine Trans from the Lowend.net
