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90's Peavey Fury refinish

sirsam22

sirsam22

Mar 3, 2009
250
82
Opelika, Alabama
#1
I've wanted to do something like this for a long time, and I've finally got up the nerve to go for it. It helps that there are a couple threads about this same bass that turned out well. Just like them, I'll be taking my time and doing it a bit at a time. I've already disassembled it, I've got access to a heat gun to take off the poly red that was stock, I've almost decided on the new finish and the method I want to try out, and I spent some time today taking 0000 steel wool to the gloss on the all maple neck.

The final vision is for a dark transparent purple or purpleburst with black pickguard and hardware. I also want to add a reversed P by the bridge to make it a mirrored P configuration with '60s jazz wiring setup with a stacked tone/volume knob for each one. I've also entertained the idea of doing a darker tint on the neck and adding block decals.

So, for my first question, I'd like some help with the neck idea. Is it possible to darken the neck over the existing finish after having used the steel wool, or have I just knocked off the shine without really getting closer to wood that will accept stain/dye/spray? I'm still undecided on whether or not I'm okay with taking it down to bare wood to start completely over only because the back of the headstock was signed by Kelly Pickler on a USO tour. I'm not really attached to it because it's her, but more because of the surrounding circumstances and how cool she was in person.

I've spent a while searching the forum today with no definitive answers standing out.

I'll also post pictures along the way, as well as asking plenty more questions, I'm sure.
 
#2
sirsam22 said:
have I just knocked off the shine without really getting closer to wood that will accept stain/dye/spray?
Click to expand...

The neck is clear-coated, so you just broke the glaze with the steel wool. It's much easier to scuff/sand for tooth, then re-paint a neck or just scuff it to keep it from being sticky than to completely strip the finish off and sand well enough to get an even stain/dye to take. A gloss black neck (scuffed later for playing) would look good with the dark purple burst IMO.
Maybe Re-Ranch has a tinted purple 'clear' that you could spray over the prepped neck.
 
#5
Me, too. Even if it has an "ugly" unmatched grain, I will probably still go transparent. I have another Peavey that came to me with a transparent tobacco that is a three peice body, and I love the way it looks.

Someone else stripped one of these and it had a two piece top and back ash veneer. My other is poplar. We shall see.
 
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#6
This is mine. Always wanted to strip it down to wood and keep the pickguard.
peavey-fury-jpg.jpg
 
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#7
So, in researching options for the neck, I think I will just try coloring the fretboard. The easiest way may be to get some Minwax 1 Step wipe on poly and mix in some ReRanch black wood dye. I will need some of that anyway for trying to do a dye burst on top of the purple if I get that brave. I saw on another forum someone mentioning they used the Minwax on top of an existing top coat with good results.

It also seems like I could sand to the wood between the frets and apply finish. Are there pros and cons to:
satin finishes that you would normally apply to the body?
shellac?
dye with laquer over it?
the Minwax I mentioned?

I'm also hoping to get my hands on a buddy's beat up Squier to test some of this stuff out on before I do it to mine.
 
#8
I've decided to try leather dye on the fretboard. I found a bottle of Fieblings at Hobby Lobby and a scrap of poplar to try it out on, mostly to test the application of it and how much it will run. So, I'll sand through the lacquer and get to brushing it on.

I also got the heat gun and putty knife to start taking off the poly. I should have time on Monday to get things started, and I'll post pics of the progress.
 
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#10
I just got a chance to read this thread, and it looks like we are doing similar basses, I'm using a custom transparent purple Double reverse P bass body from Rockaudio and one of their unfinished maple necks that I'm going to dye black. I guess I'm cheating a little ;), good luck on the refinish and can't wait to see how this turns out and how it compares to my build.
 
#11
image.jpg
image.jpg
I'm really happy about what I found underneath. It's got one piece top and back veneers. The darker forearm cut and newly contour is a darker wood. It's not shadow discoloring the picture.

It took me about three hours total to get the poly off using the heat gun. I kept it 2 or 3 inches off the wood at a 45 degree angle or less most of the time. When I posted those last pictures, I had to stop for about an hour or so, and it didn't take much longer after that. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to clean out the routes and neck pocket. I sanded off the pink layer to get this. Now I can order my dye with confidence.

I'm assuming the smarter move would be to route the new pickup cavity before I get started with the new finish. Also, since I'm going shield the cavity and the neck will cover the pocket, do I need to super clean those out?

Now to the troubling part.
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg


I've taken this neck off a few times in the past, and I don't really remember a crack. It definitely got bigger as I was using the heat gun around the pocket. So, at least I'll have something to research and work on other than the neck while I wait on more supplies.

So, what am I looking at, and how do I go about it?
 
#12
sirsam22 said:
View attachment 663735 View attachment 663738 I'm really happy about what I found underneath. It's got one piece top and back veneers. The darker forearm cut and newly contour is a darker wood. It's not shadow discoloring the picture.

It took me about three hours total to get the poly off using the heat gun. I kept it 2 or 3 inches off the wood at a 45 degree angle or less most of the time. When I posted those last pictures, I had to stop for about an hour or so, and it didn't take much longer after that. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to clean out the routes and neck pocket. I sanded off the pink layer to get this. Now I can order my dye with confidence.

I'm assuming the smarter move would be to route the new pickup cavity before I get started with the new finish. Also, since I'm going shield the cavity and the neck will cover the pocket, do I need to super clean those out?

Now to the troubling part.
View attachment 663802 View attachment 663803 View attachment 663805

I've taken this neck off a few times in the past, and I don't really remember a crack. It definitely got bigger as I was using the heat gun around the pocket. So, at least I'll have something to research and work on other than the neck while I wait on more supplies.

So, what am I looking at, and how do I go about it?
Click to expand...
That looks just like my Squier after I stripped it. Same kind of wood mixing.
So sorry to see damage though.
Hopefully you can fix it.
I wish you luck.
 
#13
Definitely route before the new finish and you do not need to clean out those cavities. If you are using copper tape it might be a little more difficult but if you are using spray paint then it really won't matter. I actually just stripped and refinished my Peavey Fury, I am waiting for the lacquer to dry. I had zero experience with finishing prior to the project so mine could have went better but I learned a lot in the process. I have since stripped and refinished a Squier jazz as well, it went much better.

I cannot help you with the crack, maybe some glue and some clamps?
 
#14
Can you get the crack to flex at all? If so, I would flex it apart as best you can, get wood glue in there then clamp it, hopefully seeing some squeeze out. If you can't flex it, then I would fill it with a mix of wood glue and sawdust tamping it in with a toothpick or something similar as you go. Luckily that crack will be largely supported when you bolt on the neck, so structurally I don't think you're in serious trouble. Aesthetically if you're looking to do a transparent finish you'll probably see it a bit.

I suppose the better fix would be to inlay two or three pieces of wood across the crack, then route the pocket deeper and fill it back in with a thin piece of maple. My opinion is that's overkill, but...
 
#15
Yes, definitely do as much of the routing/drilling, etc. before you do the finish, it's much easier on the nerves ;). I recently noted that I forgot to do a new hole for a bridge ground after I had refinished the guitar with nitro. It turned out OK but it was definitely a high pucker factor.

As for the crack, I'd try to flow some glue into the crack, possibly thinned to help it flow deeper, much like Jisch said above.
 
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#17
Whew! I'm so glad for that reassurance! I thought as much, but watching the crack get bigger as I was trying to get the last of the poly off was very disconcerting. Is there a particular brand or type I should look for that is already at the level of thinness desired? If not, is there a best method for diluting and getting down in the crack? And, I will probably try to shave off some dust to put in there with it. Or, is this stuff going to dry too fast to do that?
 
#19
sirsam22 said:
Whew! I'm so glad for that reassurance! I thought as much, but watching the crack get bigger as I was trying to get the last of the poly off was very disconcerting. Is there a particular brand or type I should look for that is already at the level of thinness desired? If not, is there a best method for diluting and getting down in the crack? And, I will probably try to shave off some dust to put in there with it. Or, is this stuff going to dry too fast to do that?
Click to expand...

If you get the typical thin CA aka SuperGlue, it's already thinned down, just avoid the gel for this use.
 
#20
After you removed the 'pink', it looks like there is still a sealer coat on the body. If there is, a stain will not soak into or thru it. You could try a small spot (under where the neck plate goes, if you are using one) to see if you get penetration. If not, you'll have to remove all the sealer down to the bare-naked wood. Or paint it with opaque paint, translucent tinted, or clear.

Or, glue another layer of veneer of choice on top, then finish to taste.
 

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