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I want to paint the new neck I just ordered.

Bass_Ronin

Bass_Ronin

May 17, 2020
11
0
28
#1
Hey guys. I have been rebuilding my Uncle's (RIP) old PJ bass from Harmony for about a year now and I just finally got enough funds to buy a neck from a 3rd party seller. I am thinking about painting and putting some art on it that is reminiscent of myself and him, but there are no youtube videos about how to paint just the Bass neck and applying a gloss finish to it.

The neck itself is a Maple Jazz bass and the frets are maple (No separate woods for the fretboard). The finish is Vintage Tint Satin.

I want to paint on the neck and give it a gloss finish kinda like a Geddy Lee neck.

And my base of operations is small two bedroom apartment with my mom, cousin, and step-dad. No garage, no living room space. Just my bathroom for any sanding stuff and spray painting potentially.

Any suggestions or resources to help me?
 
#4
buldog5151bass said:
Remember, almost no one will send the neck. Why not save the artwork for the body, and make the neck more playable?
Click to expand...
Easy: I am not touching the body because it's my uncle's bass. The neck is mine. And send the neck? I ordered a new one since the old one had a broken truss rod. The painting, art, and gloss is just a aesthetic thing.

So any tips for painting the bass neck?
 
#6
Bass_Ronin said:
Easy: I am not touching the body because it's my uncle's bass. The neck is mine. And send the neck? I ordered a new one since the old one had a broken truss rod. The painting, art, and gloss is just a aesthetic thing.

So any tips for painting the bass neck?
Click to expand...
Not a pro , But i refinished a maple warmoth neck, with nice results.
1st, tape off everything that does'nt get finish! I used clear Nitro celulose gloss from StewMac.I felt nitro would be more forgiving,Poly would take a lot longer to cure, and i didnt want to sand/buff out too much.I think I only sprayed 2-3 thin coats letting it dry a day after each coat. the key is thin coats and plenty of drying time in between coats!
When totally dry, lightly sand with wet/dry paper ( 1000-1200 grit) be careful not sand through(burn thru) the clear coat in to the finish or wood underneath! then buff lightly buff out scratches.

I strongly suggest, spraying outside! I remember not feeling well the next day after one finish session! and I was in a big garage with the door opened! be careful! spraying inside!!
 
#8
Welcome to TalkBass.

Facilities: Go on the internet and search for a woodworking craft center or co-op in your area. They would have a paint booth and tools that you need. MAYBE even someone there to give you pointers and answer questions. You didn't fill out your profile so we can't help with that.
 
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#9
sissy kathy said:
Welcome to TalkBass.

Facilities: Go on the internet and search for a woodworking craft center or co-op in your area. They would have a paint booth and tools that you need. MAYBE even someone there to give you pointers and answer questions. You didn't fill out your profile so we can't help with that.
Click to expand...
I live in the Bronx, NY; I live in an apartment building.
 
#11
You don't need to spray it, you can use Tru-Oil or one of the wipe-on poly finishes. Any spray finish inside is just a bad idea, it's toxic and highly flammable. If it's got to be spray on, save a big cardboard box or build a little mini-spray booth with scrap wood and plastic and spray it outside, and for God's sake, wear a mask or respirator. Another option is Varathane Ultimate poly in a spray can, available at Home Depot. Much less toxic, and not flammable. I'd still spray that outside though. Any spray can has about 80% of the material just bounce off the surface and float around in the air, so it either settles on any nearby flat surface, or it goes up your nose. The water based Varathane spray at least dries in the air to a dust that can be vacuumed up.
 
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#12
I found a craft center in your area, they have two shops. One on Staten Island, the other in Brooklyn. There were listings for the Bronx but they didn't appear to have facilities for outside workers. Here's the one I found. They are closed right now due to the virus. I understand Cuomo is allowing things to open shortly. You know more about what de Blasio is doing than I .
https://www.makerspace.nyc/
 
#14
I was thinking of painting the neck in the colors of my favorite samurai armor. Also thank you Sissy kathy! I honestly thought I had to stand outside of my building in the public area and spray paint my neck. I am surprised their isn't non-toxic paint I could apply with a brush on the inside.
 

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