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Double Bass Finish question for our esteemed luthiers

#41
OK, got quite a bit of varnish on, pretty smooth now...guess I'll let it cure for a while and then rub it out. What do you guys say about buffing out the oil varnish?

And, I have a fingerboard question. This one has a pretty open grain - not very good-quality ebony - and some tiny cracks, and light streaks. I have been thinking of hitting it with black wood dye, then coating with epoxy to fill the pits, then sanding that back to the top of the wood and buffing as one would a "nice" fingerboard. Just a guess. Does that sound OK?

I want it to look better, that's all, as I want to get the bass played-in for a good while and if it does good, will need an extension, which will put a new fingerboard pretty far down on the improvement list.
 
#42
This thread has alot of the kind of info I've been looking for, thanks! I read with interest about something called Waterlox (posted many moons ago), and tinting it with oil colors. Would this work for touch ups? I really don't have it in me to redo the whole bass, but I've been meaning to get in retouched for years. I have a good eye for color - could I just mix some color with this varnish, and not ruin my bass?

Happy new year!
 
#43
:hyper:
:hyper:
:hyper:

after (the front view, I hope that's obvious), and in its previous incarnation as a "Kay".

will still take off the strings and buff it once again in about a month.

on a sad note, strung it up with new Flexo's and high hopes, and it sounds like crap. however, i just set the soundpost myself (piece of string and a plastic spatula = soundpost setter) and it may improve with professional tweaking.
 
#45
here's a couple more pics - you can probably see it's still a satin luster but my guess is it needs to cure thoroughly before it will buff glossier

the rottenstone powder slopped onto the neck, which i was planning to leave totally white, but then decided it looks kinda cool in the 'hatchez' style, so i dirtied the whole thing.

had a peruvian friend decades ago who stubbornly kept a tassel hanging from his violin scroll and played in the national symphony...think i'll keep one on the bass until someone comes up with a compelling enough (or humiliating enough) argument to the contrary. i think it's cool...i mean, i know there's COOL, and then there's GOOFY. and then, there's the wisdom to know the difference...

maybe it will start a trend in bass decoration. whoever's the first to drill through the tuners and put in earrings, i want pics of that! bass bling, ha ha.
 

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