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Another Refin

RedsFan75

RedsFan75

Apr 26, 2007
1,479
34
Cincinnati
#1
I was looking for a lighterweight fretless or a decent one to defret.

I got a bass in trade, and wanted to work it over, defret it and such.

Fernandes Black P bass style that had been played! Had a few battle scars and some digs went deep.

Before.
1Before.jpg
1BassBeforeBK.jpg


And up close in harsh light
1BodyBeforeFR2.jpg
1BodyBeforeBK.jpg


Defretted the neck,
3Defretted1.jpg


Birch Veneer's
4Veneered1.jpg


Radiused to a 10"
5Sanded1.jpg


sealed it with CA glue,
6FinishedNeck1.jpg


stripped the body,
7StrippedBody1.jpg


and topped it off with a Danish Oil finish, and LaBella Tapewound strings.
8Finished.jpg


Plays really well, and I love the weight and sound of it.

So whata ya think! :)
 
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#3
I can PM you the name of the stripper, but it was just one of the stronger chemical strippers I could find at my local Lowes...

Basically just paint it on, let it bubble up and then scrape if off with a plastic scraper. Use chemically resistant gloves, and take all the precautions, work outside, cause that stuff is nasty.

I wanted it to go all the way to the wood, so after I got the black off, I did it again to get the sealer off. Then work through all the various grits of sand paper to prep for the Danish Oil.

I don't mind answering any questions here, and maybe those with more experience can chime in so if you have questions Ask away.
 
#4
Jordasch, I've just been stripping my P, and there's almost nothing that can get the poly sealer off easily. Although a friend of mine who is a furniture maker and restorer told me I should use a cabinet scraper (after I'd spent all week sanding it out). Try that.

Nice job on the bass btw Redsfan, looks much prettier than my hog I'm doing.
 
#5
i did a similar thing on a Phoenix bass. i used a scraper to remove the "paint" which i think was actually a plastic type finish. it came off in chunks. then i used an orbital sander to remove the sealer. i filled the fret slots with 1mm thick "plastic" (im too drunk to remember its actual name right now). and then finished the fret board with epoxy and it came out sweet. painted the body with a few coats of white under coat, then finished with 8 or 10 coats of flat black paint. im gonna get my brother who is a sign writer to make me a "Phender" logo for the headstock. seeing as though it was a fender copy to start with. i also reshaped the body a bit. will post pics when i sober up.
 
#6
Anesthesia said:
i did a similar thing on a Phoenix bass. i used a scraper to remove the "paint" which i think was actually a plastic type finish. it came off in chunks. then i used an orbital sander to remove the sealer. i filled the fret slots with 1mm thick "plastic" (im too drunk to remember its actual name right now). and then finished the fret board with epoxy and it came out sweet. painted the body with a few coats of white under coat, then finished with 8 or 10 coats of flat black paint. im gonna get my brother who is a sign writer to make me a "Phender" logo for the headstock. seeing as though it was a fender copy to start with. i also reshaped the body a bit. will post pics when i sober up.
Click to expand...

i remembered it. its acrylic.
 
#8
Yes those 'diamonds in the rough' are great finds, especially when for a little effort and a few parts here and there can make a really great instrument.

The electronics are off my MIM Fender that I had left from upgrading it, so the rest is just wood, and I've massaged all of it.

So thanks for the comments.
 
#9
I'm about to embark on the stripping of a bass. To remove the poly coat and hopefully the blue underneath, I am using a paint/varnish remover called Nitromors (have it here in the UK, don't know about the US though.)

I plan on trying it in the neck pocket first, as it's inconspicuous. A good tool for stripping the varnish/paint, btw, is a stripping knife covered in electrical tape or duct tape, as it still retains a sharp edge whilst not being sharp.
 
#10
My neck pocket was clear so I started testing it under the area where the pickguard would be. I started with Citrusstrip, and it was useless, moved to a stronger one by Kleen Strip, then went to the strongest the local Lowe's had, I talked to the guy in the paint dept for it. That one did the trick!
 
#14
RockBoxBass said:
WOW! it looks great. the body wood looks great also....umm...can I have it back now???
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I'd have to think on that one a bit... :D

HogieWan said:
Citristrip works, it just takes a LONG time
Click to expand...

Didn't seem to work in this case, the poly was more resin like and I'd leave the Citristrip overnight and it would bubble up just a spot here or there. Even the 1st chemical stripper I tried didn't do much on it.
 

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