Sap green, not so much... Seafoam green or teal however...
Copper looks nice too.
Bass arrived a couple hours ago (USPS) and first thing was pics and disassembling it. The case is being sent separately (don't ask me why) so it was the body and neck packed separately in a guitar box. First thing I noticed was how heavy the neck seemed. (3lbs/15oz) I looked down the fb and it was dead straight, which is a big concern buying an old bass. Frets are in good condition too, just in need of some cosmetic TLC. Well, after seeing it was nice and level I wanted to check out the tr nut... er, no tr. (-!-) ...and the answer to my question as to why it weighs so much - it has two steel rails the length of the maple neck!
The metal disc is the 'stopper' for the neck-tilt adjuster. The body has a threaded insert so I need to get the correct inset screw for it. Note the strap-peg with the yellow/green paint on the inside.
Fingerboard has some primo rosewood - rich, dark and nicely figured. Flat frets but no grooves - just oxidized. Most likely lived its life so far with flat-wounds. Seller sent a new set of D'Addario XL light gauge nickel rounds which was nice - but this bass will sport LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass flats. (aluminum nut attached by a central screw on the hs side)
Really sweet little tuners! Like vintage Fender Mustang's baby brothers! I'll be returning these to their nice & shiny state for sure. And yes - hs is rosewood.
Looking at the neck pocket it would
seem that the original finish was originally a brick/magenta red. You can see the tilt-adjuster hole in the lower part of the pocket which has a larger inset. Seeing this, I think it had a metal disc that went into that reveal and when an inset hex-head screw that fits the threaded shaft was threaded in - it would push it into the disc's and lift the neck. Note 'coral' colour on the lower area to the right of the hole.
So here's where things get interesting - in the control/pu cavity, it has an old yellow coating. Remember the strap-peg I pointed out? It has the same yellow on the inside where it screws in, so the yellow/green whatever was a refin at one point, over black, over brick red - over the original coral! The light-grey/white
could be primer... Note the dowel repair to grab the control-plate screw...
You can see all the colors; grey/white first, coral second, brick red, black, yellow on top. The yellow must have had a lot of white mixed in it because yellow is notorious for not covering a dark colour (like black). To get a true yellow you need to have a white undercoat.
The seller said it was "in his family" and he considered having it refinished in coral, so maybe I can take that to the bank and assume it was originally coral. I'd like that finish on this bass for sure. (and I will use carbon shielding paint in the cavities this
last time around)
Loaded body was 5lbs/16oz so this won't be a light bass - close to 10lbs I imagine. It has a heavy neck and a large body.
I cut a moquette of the 2 screw bridge cover I'll be replicating - I need to do another one as this one is close but not exact.
...sorry for the blurred pic!
Can't "like" hearing that! Recover well - can't keep a good man down and all that. 
So coral it is (a coral Coral). 
This color with a nitro satin clear-coat will eventually turn coral.
