Advice on refinishing a "road worn" model

[ElCrowg]

I posted a question over on the JMJ Mustang bass thread and someone suggested I post something here. So, apologies if this not an appropriate place for this question.

So, anyhow, I'm a bit of a modder for all my instruments. I always have been. And I have a Fender Justin Meldal-Johnsen Road Worn Mustang bass that I've been thinking for a long time about turning it pink. Shell pink.

I have some hesitation here, because as much as I'm not crazy about the current color (it's fine, it's just not mine, you know?) and I really don't care for how many pressure dents are put randomly all over- I do love the feel of this finish. It feels soft and satiny, and I love the checking lines throughout it. I'd be sad not to those under my fingers when I pick this bass up. I'm also a little nervous about how to handle refinishing around the string-through ferrules in the body. I'm guessing those would be difficult to manage taking out without taking some wood with it, and taping around them seems tough, too.

At any rate, I've been trying to figure out how I want to approach this- since I honestly rarely have a day pass that I don't pick up my JMJ (even though I have a few other great basses in rotation, this one is my daily player), I don't really want to have it out of commission for a long time for a full - down to the wood and fill in all the nicks, etc refinish project. So- that leaves a few options: scuff up the current finish, roughly fill the dings, spray seal, and build up from there for a shell pink is one option. Another is to really lean into the road worn look and not even bother to fill nicks/dings- maybe even jaggedly tape off some of the areas of wear around the edges, on the upper forearm area, etc, and let that show through. Make it look like it was hastily refinished over the blue at some point in the past and now it's worn through the refinish and the old finish...

Thoughts? I'm open to any and all ideas. I fully get that this type of project is not going to be to the liking of a lot of other folks. I get that, but I also don't really need to hear that from everyone. Constructive feedback is super appreciated, though!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I think just thoroughly de-greasing, sanding it to get some tooth, and then overspraying makes sense. That works with the whole road-worn aesthetic anyway. If the original finish is Nitro, any overcoats will "burn in" nicely. Reranch has a good range of accurate original Fender vintage colors in rattlecans, check them out. It wasnt unusual for Fender to overspray a body they already had for a custom color. Leave the dings.
Guitar ReRanch ~ Available Colors
I'd post this in the Rattlecan Refinish Club too, lots of good advice to be had on surface prep. They might have some ideas on how to make the new finish check too, like letting it freeze. Nitro is nasty stuff though, PPE mandatory.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

You could build a new body and finish it any color you want.

 

[Beej]

@ElCrowg you sound a little like you're still on the fence about this project. I only point that out as a clear firm vision usually helps me to take the action that I think necessary. Whatever path you take to refinishing this thing will have it out of commission for a couple of months, especially with nitro, so that's a factor to consider. Plus if/when anything goes sideways during the process (foreshadowing!), it can take longer. Around here it's often said that luthiery is about problem-solving and making mistakes look intentional.

It takes some time, skill and practice to get those silky finishes down IMHO, so realistically there is a good chance the feel of the instrument in your hands will change with a refinish. Whether it's acceptable only you can decide when it's done. What you have described doing is perfectly doable for the home hobbyist and there are several different ways to achieve it. I only brought up your appearing to be on the fence as there appear still to be some weighing of pros/cons ahead.

One route already mentioned above is to build a new body. Or maybe just source a bronco body for a donor and repaint that instead to replace the JMJ. In any case, the group here will have your back for any and all questions and ideas.

 

[ElCrowg]

You could build a new body and finish it any color you want.

While that's true, it's not really my wheelhouse on this one. Thanks, though!

 

[ElCrowg]

@ElCrowg you sound a little like you're still on the fence about this project. I only point that out as a clear firm vision usually helps me to take the action that I think necessary. Whatever path you take to refinishing this thing will have it out of commission for a couple of months, especially with nitro, so that's a factor to consider. Plus if/when anything goes sideways during the process (foreshadowing!), it can take longer. Around here it's often said that luthiery is about problem-solving and making mistakes look intentional.

It takes some time, skill and practice to get those silky finishes down IMHO, so realistically there is a good chance the feel of the instrument in your hands will change with a refinish. Whether it's acceptable only you can decide when it's done. What you have described doing is perfectly doable for the home hobbyist and there are several different ways to achieve it. I only brought up your appearing to be on the fence as there appear still to be some weighing of pros/cons ahead.

One route already mentioned above is to build a new body. Or maybe just source a bronco body for a donor and repaint that instead to replace the JMJ. In any case, the group here will have your back for any and all questions and ideas.

Appreciate the insight! To be fair, I have done one refinish project in the past, but that was when I was in my teens so it's 20+ years in the rearview and things went very very sideways on that one - which may have been in part due to my age at the time, lol!

I hadn't thought about finding a bronco body and refinishing that one to keep the JMJ in rotation while doing the work.

 

[ElCrowg]

I think just thoroughly de-greasing, sanding it to get some tooth, and then overspraying makes sense. That works with the whole road-worn aesthetic anyway. If the original finish is Nitro, any overcoats will "burn in" nicely. Reranch has a good range of accurate original Fender vintage colors in rattlecans, check them out. It wasnt unusual for Fender to overspray a body they already had for a custom color. Leave the dings.
Guitar ReRanch ~ Available Colors
I'd post this in the Rattlecan Refinish Club too, lots of good advice to be had on surface prep. They might have some ideas on how to make the new finish check too, like letting it freeze. Nitro is nasty stuff though, PPE mandatory.

Dig it! Thanks!

 

[Beej]

Appreciate the insight! To be fair, I have done one refinish project in the past, but that was when I was in my teens so it's 20+ in the rearview and things went very very sideways on that one - which may have been in part due to my age at the time, lol!

I hadn't thought about finding a bronco body and refinishing that one to keep the JMJ in rotation while doing the work.

I hear that. I destroyed a few guitars before figuring out what I was doing.

 

[klejst]

Buying a road worn to refinish in non-road worn seems like a weird way to go about it. Just buy another body and refin it however you want, you may even be able to sell the old body if you don't want to keep it.

 

[ElCrowg]

Buying a road worn to refinish in non-road worn seems like a weird way to go about it. Just buy another body and refin it however you want, you may even be able to sell the old body if you don't want to keep it.

not sure if that meets the request for constructive feedback- but it's all good.
For what it's worth I didn't buy it with the intention of refinishing it, but over time I just tend to be a guy that likes to personalize my instruments. I also didn't buy it for the roadworn finish. Going into things that wasn't really my favorite thing, but I dig the neck and the sound of this one so much that it was worth it. At any rate. This one just feels like shell pink would be better. YMMV.

Have a good one!

 

[klejst]

not sure if that meets the request for constructive feedback- but it's all good.
For what it's worth I didn't buy it with the intention of refinishing it, but over time I just tend to be a guy that likes to personalize my instruments. This one just feels like shell pink would be better. YMMV.

Have a good one!

Was not meant to be a second hand statement, you asked for opinions and advice, I gave you my $0.02. I was just saying it seemed strange to buy and then later want to refinish a bass that specifically came the way it did is all. Your basses, you do what you want to them and it's all good man.

 

[ole Jason]

I like the idea of refinishing over the existing paint once sanded flat, especially if you're going to relic the new finish too. I think it would look a little strange if the body is painted to look new but the neck is still worn.

 

[ElCrowg]

not sure if that meets the request for constructive feedback- but it's all good.
For what it's worth I didn't buy it with the intention of refinishing it, but over time I just tend to be a guy that likes to personalize my instruments. This one just feels like shell pink would be better. YMMV.

Have a good one!

Was not meant to be a second hand statement, you asked for opinions and advice, I gave you my $0.02. I was just saying it seemed strange to buy and then later want to refinish a bass that specifically came the way it did is all. Your basses, you do what you want to them and it's all good man.

no worries. probably the ol' text reading differently than speech would on my part. I appreciate the input. All the best to ya!

 

[Fender_Bender]

There’s no “quick” way to finish a bass. Expect to wait at least two weeks for a lacquer finish to cure to the point you can use it. A month or two would be even better. Some other paints cure faster but two weeks would be the minimum I’d wait.

 

[BassToGoGo]

I think just thoroughly de-greasing, sanding it to get some tooth, and then overspraying makes sense. That works with the whole road-worn aesthetic anyway. If the original finish is Nitro, any overcoats will "burn in" nicely. Reranch has a good range of accurate original Fender vintage colors in rattlecans, check them out. It wasnt unusual for Fender to overspray a body they already had for a custom color. Leave the dings.
Guitar ReRanch ~ Available Colors
I'd post this in the Rattlecan Refinish Club too, lots of good advice to be had on surface prep. They might have some ideas on how to make the new finish check too, like letting it freeze. Nitro is nasty stuff though, PPE mandatory.

Is ReRanch open?

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Buy another Bass in the colour you desire! C'mon this is Talkbass, after all!

If you like everything 'about this 'cept the colour, then, maybe get another body and paint that, transferring all your hardware over.

have a Maton that had a plain finish that I liked. It got stolen, and when I got it back someone had put a chair leg through the soundboard. It went back to the factory for repair but, they could not make the repair "invisible" so they suggested "hiding" it with a sunburst finish. I'm not too keen on sunburst, but se-la-vie, I said go for it. Here it is 40 years later and I still have that guitar and the finish just reminds me, now, what I had to do to keep that instrument.

 

[bcbassman]

I don't want to be seen as negative -its just that I don't see the wisdom of taking a premium finished bass and refinishing it in what may be a disaster! Get another body to refinish. Really learn how to do it. Customize it, tweak it and make it your own reliced instrument.
You can then have both to try and sell the one that you don't like. You will probably recover the cost of the refinish if not make money.

 

[Grinderman]

I think just thoroughly de-greasing, sanding it to get some tooth, and then overspraying makes sense. That works with the whole road-worn aesthetic anyway. If the original finish is Nitro, any overcoats will "burn in" nicely. Reranch has a good range of accurate original Fender vintage colors in rattlecans, check them out. It wasnt unusual for Fender to overspray a body they already had for a custom color. Leave the dings.
Guitar ReRanch ~ Available Colors
I'd post this in the Rattlecan Refinish Club too, lots of good advice to be had on surface prep. They might have some ideas on how to make the new finish check too, like letting it freeze. Nitro is nasty stuff though, PPE mandatory.

You could build a new body and finish it any color you want.

This and this.

If obsessive or fetishistic enough, they might overspray the factory finish with a few coats of lacquer, same as the original color, Fiesta Red for example, to cover the faux worn through bits; let that sit for about a week then overspray that with another lacquer finish of another custom color, to take the emulation of what Fender did pre-CBS to furtherest extreme.

Then some day maybe the top finish might chip or wear through the top color to reveal the color underweight, not the wood where the factory applied road-worn stuff happened.

In other words, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ElCrowg]

I don't want to be seen as negative -its just that I don't see the wisdom of taking a premium finished bass and refinishing it in what may be a disaster! Get another body to refinish. Really learn how to do it. Customize it, tweak it and make it your own reliced instrument.
You can then have both to try and sell the one that you don't like. You will probably recover the cost of the refinish if not make money.

Gonna be honest, I don't care about recovering costs or making money. This bass is a keeper and is staying in my stable. As someone who's played for 25+ years, and many of those professionally, I don't care about resale values, etc. I just want my basses to feel like mine. I don't really mind if a disaster results, because it's my disaster. Please understand I'm not directing this completely at you, but I've been getting a few people asking "why?" and frankly, that is not constructive. It's my personal wish. That's all. I'm asking about the how, not the why- and I'm just asking for a little respect around that.

All that said, the feedback of getting a second body (which I'm hearing from a few folks) does seem constructive, because it's a strategy that hadn't really occurred to me. It keeps the bass in rotation during the refinishing and that's rad. So, for that I do appreciate your input.

Apologies if this seems snippy. That's not my intent. It's late and I'm a little tired. Respect all around.

 

[ElCrowg]

This and this.

If obsessive or fetishistic enough, they might overspray the factory finish with a few coats of lacquer, same as the original color, Fiesta Red for example, to cover the faux worn through bits; let that sit for about a week then overspray that with another lacquer finish of another custom color, to take the emulation of what Fender did pre-CBS to furtherest extreme.

Then some day maybe the top finish might chip or wear through the top color to reveal the color underweight, not the wood where the factory applied road-worn stuff happened.

In other words, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That sounds fun. I like it!