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Finish For A Possible Bass Project

dmrogers

dmrogers

Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2005
1,499
1,191
70
Eastman, GA
#1
I’ve played bass for years and have some nice instruments. Three P basses and a Jazz. They are great instruments and do all I need. With that said, I am considering putting a bass together. For a while, I’ve wanted a ‘54 P bass. I’ve looked around, and I still might just buy one.

But, I’ve checked out the necks and bodies at Warmoth (alder body and maple neck). I am in the early stages of thinking about buying all of the parts and assembling a ‘54. I can easily do the wiring and have a good workshop to put everything together.
The biggest concern I have is finishing it. I would like to keep it natural. I would like to ask what would be the simplest and easiest finish for a project like this? I was thinking (hoping) some type of oil finish (tung oil or tru-oil). Something with a very mild tint if any at all. If an oil finish is appropriate, what would be the process for applying such a finish?
I know nothing about finishing and would appreciate any tips or suggestions you can offer.
Thanks!
 
#3
Tru oil is my go-to for a natural oil finish.
I'm sure you will find others that yay, or nay that sentiment.

It's as easy as wipe on, wait a second... wipe off. Leaving no tackiness.
Do that 6 or 8 ish times. Once a day. Maybe twice a day if it's warm where you are.
& Let it sit for a week .

Here's one I just did for a client.
Finished the oil after it cured with Dr. Ducks Ax Wax.
Not super shiny... just warm happy wood.
Dude loves it.
20251108_114259.jpg
 
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#4
I did this 51 style bass with a pine body from Rosner and a All Parts neck, both off Ebay . I finished it with two wipe on coats of Zpoxy finishing resin. Spread it on with a plastic card and wiped off the excess with a clean rag. A light sand and a second coat the next day and done. The epoxy has a amber tint all ready. It has held up great for the last 4 years or so. About a year in I rounded the body edge at the arm with a 3/4 round off bit. Made the body a lot more comfortable with out losing the slab look.
1765104844784.jpeg

1765104778697.png
 
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#6
+1 for wipe on Poly, just good old satin Minwax right out of the can. Goes on very thin, so it takes a lot of coats to build up. I use the same foam cosmetic applicators, stupid easy. It looks a lot like Tru-Oil whrn it cures, but dries a lot harder. Not as easy to "repair" as Tru-Oil though, if you ding it.
 
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#7
Shellac is much easier and safer than an oil finish - i mix mine with everclear so it is food safe. No odors, no cancerous stuff in the air, and touch ups are as easy as just applying more shellac because it partially dissolves prior layers

15 coats of tru oil in the garage over the course of a week or 1-2 hours applying shellac at the kitchen table?

No oily rags to worry about either
 
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#9
As many have suggested, I would go with a wipe on finish. Pigments can be dangerous, and come out looking unexpected and awful. so I would skip that part. brushes can often lead to bubbles and drips, even when you are careful.
For both furniture and basses, I go with a 50/50 blend of boiled linseed oil and polyurethane. It works well for me, I prefer a light finish. I always happen to already have those bottles handily available in my basement.
wipe in on, after 5 minutes wipe more on, as the wood will swallow up the finish in some spots more than others, then wipe it all off after 15 minutes or so, before it can get tacky. Repeat if desired.

I don't know how well sanded these bodies come. I would go up to 600-ish grit, and BLOW OFF WITH COMPRESED AIR before applying any finish. wiping off dust with a towel is not good enough.

And one more thing. Those rags realy can burst into flames on their own. dry them like towels outside. dont wad them up in your trash.
 
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#10
When I retired I did a custom lap steel sideline internet-based business for the first 5 years to ease myself into being retired. Probably the biggest problem with building instruments is to find a good finish that applies easily, dries quickly, reach a good applied thickness without requiring too many coats, and end up as an acceptable finish that can be called professional.

Minwax satin Wipe-on poly was the solution I found. Here's a quick rundown of methodology, see step #110:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/30...tless-bass-build.1251494/page-4#post-19440904

I now finish all of my necks with Osmo PolyX hard oil. Here's a rundown detailing application on a body, but doing a neck is the same procedure.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/building-a-short-scale-p-bass.1487102/page-4#post-24701230

I recommend you do your body in Minwax Satin Poly for it's additional protective qualities, but do the neck with Osmo PolyX to end up with a great feeling neck while still providing a protective finish that resists the effects of humidity.
 
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#11
I'll second the wipe-on poly suggestions. Its as easy as oil and IME more durable. I like the little bit of amber the oil based gives you and have had success with minwax and general finishes products.
 
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#14
I think your choice of body wood will make a big difference in how the finishing goes. Walnut is beautiful, and just plain simple to finish…just sand and rub with the oil of your choice. I have had 3 walnut basses…all oiled finishes, and I really wish that my fretless Rick was a walnut body so i could sand it down and finished in tung oil.
I have heard that the Roasted woods (maple and swamp ash) are also quite easy to finish.
 
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#17
I want to thank everyone for the detailed responses. You all have given me a lot to think about and consider. Before I even attempt something like this, I will certainly experiment on some scrap wood to get an idea of the different possibilities.
Still not sure if this is the direction I want to go. Weight will certainly be an issue.

The way I see it, I have a few options:
New (or used) Fender American Vintage II 1954 (currently has one of the two colors I like)
Squier 50s Classic Vibe Precision (the color I want is not current. would have to be used)
Buy a used Squier for a finished neck and buy a Warmoth body, swap the electronics and finish it myself.
CIJ Fender OPB51
Fender Sting Signature model (I can deal with the 12th fret sig. love the two tone finish)
Build a 54 with a natural finish

Certainly not going to start anything during this busy holiday season. I'll have to see how 2026 starts out and go from there.
 
#18
rudy4444 said:
When I retired I did a custom lap steel sideline internet-based business for the first 5 years to ease myself into being retired. Probably the biggest problem with building instruments is to find a good finish that applies easily, dries quickly, reach a good applied thickness without requiring too many coats, and end up as an acceptable finish that can be called professional.

Minwax satin Wipe-on poly was the solution I found. Here's a quick rundown of methodology, see step #110:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/30...tless-bass-build.1251494/page-4#post-19440904

I now finish all of my necks with Osmo PolyX hard oil. Here's a rundown detailing application on a body, but doing a neck is the same procedure.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/building-a-short-scale-p-bass.1487102/page-4#post-24701230

I recommend you do your body in Minwax Satin Poly for it's additional protective qualities, but do the neck with Osmo PolyX to end up with a great feeling neck while still providing a protective finish that resists the effects of humidity.
Click to expand...
Which of the Minwax Polys are you referring to, oil-based or water-based?
 
#19
spoonman69 said:
Which of the Minwax Polys are you referring to, oil-based or water-based?
Click to expand...
Oil based poly.

The water based stuff raises the grain unnecessarily, is TOO clear (not providing the rich very subtle tint of the oil based product, dries too rapidly (forcing you to hurry the application job), and often results in a rough texture when dry, and is generally not as easy to work with.

I know that there will be many who contest this, but I've used both and no more water-based stuff for me.
 
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#20
dmrogers said:
I know nothing about finishing and would appreciate any tips or suggestions you can offer.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
This is Danish oil (used to add a bit of color - that's optional), followed by a few days of drying, then Minwax spray polyurethane over that. I do a few coats of gloss (which is harder than satin), then scuff the finish with 600 grit, and spray a couple of coats of satin on top. Gloss finishes are much more difficult than satin ones, and the reward for all that extra work is they show fingerprints all the time. Satin doesn't do that.

The Polyester finishes that most factories use are thicker than the polyurethane used here, and if the thing gets dinged, they often de-laminate, so you get ugly chips missing out of the finish. With Minwax polyurethane, the finish is thin, but very tough. If you get a ding, it's smaller than you'd have without the finish (oil finishes will ding much more), and the finish does not delaminate - it stays with the wood, so the dings are far less visible.

I don't grain fill. That means, if you look closely, you see the wood grain in the surface of the finish. I like that look.

The most important thing in doing finishes is time. If the product says wait a day, wait 3. Rushing is the number one reason for sucky finishes. Also, go to Home Depot and buy a board that similar wood to what you are making a bass out of - if it's ash, oak can stand in just fine. Experiment on that board - don't try anything on your bass that you haven't had success with before!


Red front.jpg
 
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