It can be if you want something kinda specific but you don't have the money (or don't wanna spend X amount of money) for it and spray can refins are much cheaper (provided you have all the above mentioned by Prairie).
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Love the bass, hate the looks
- Thread starter Unmost
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It can be if you want something kinda specific but you don't have the money (or don't wanna spend X amount of money) for it and spray can refins are much cheaper (provided you have all the above mentioned by Prairie).
i like "the looks" of the OP's ax. so i would play as-is. 
my main player is "butt ugly" but it plays so well for me that i consider it a beautiful friend!
per the OP: i'd learn to accept "the looks" if it played "super." if it doesn't play well = send it back (dump it) for that! good luck!
my main player is "butt ugly" but it plays so well for me that i consider it a beautiful friend!
per the OP: i'd learn to accept "the looks" if it played "super." if it doesn't play well = send it back (dump it) for that! good luck!
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Hi! Inspired by the "Gear you own for the looks" thread, I'm starting this one because I have the exact opposite issue. I own an Ibanez SRC6 (30" crossover, tuned EADGBE) which I find great sounding, is a joy to handle and is very lightweight. It has the most awesome ergonomics of all the instruments I've owned or tried, by far. The big issue is that I can't stand its turdish-brown finish. I'm more of a sunburst type but not exclusively.
I'm asking the community to share ideas but there's a catch : I'm broke as ****.
If you've been in my shoes, please share your own horror story.
Here are pictures of the offender :
View attachment 4366662
View attachment 4366663
LOL! Totally feel ya... that is definitely NOT my jam either!
As you said: everything's great except the look, and nobody else will care about that, so the bass will do for now.
i like "the looks" of the OP's ax. so i would play as-is.
my main player is "butt ugly" but it plays so well for me that i consider it a beautiful friend!
per the OP: i'd learn to accept "the looks" if it played "super." if it doesn't play well = send it back for that! good luck!
You know what I'd be doing?
Gluing some bits of corn and peanuts on it..
I can sympathize with the OP on the looks, I'm no fan of wood grain, black, or brown turd-burst myself.
Since you indicated the refinish may be out of your wheelhouse, it seems you have two choices. Pay to have it painted professionally or keep as is. Personally I'd opt for the pro paint option. I used Online Store - GuitarPaintGuys Custom Guitar Finishing to paint a Musicmaster bass body that looked like the former owner had used as a garden shovel and couldn't be happier with the results. Their prices vary from around $250 for a solid body and up to all kinds of designs.
Many on TB will say it's only a vanity thing and you shouldn't care but if you do, you do. Your choice.
Since you indicated the refinish may be out of your wheelhouse, it seems you have two choices. Pay to have it painted professionally or keep as is. Personally I'd opt for the pro paint option. I used Online Store - GuitarPaintGuys Custom Guitar Finishing to paint a Musicmaster bass body that looked like the former owner had used as a garden shovel and couldn't be happier with the results. Their prices vary from around $250 for a solid body and up to all kinds of designs.
Many on TB will say it's only a vanity thing and you shouldn't care but if you do, you do. Your choice.
I like the OP's bass. Still, I understand. I wasn't a fan of the way my instruments looked even though they played and sounded great. I eventually got tired of it and did some switching.
Started with something great. Spent time and money. Ended up with something great. But I like them better.
Part swapping (mod, mod, mod) - A picture story.
In the OP's case, a spray can refinish would be pretty low cost. The quality of the new finish would depend completely on the skill of the person applying it. Also, the change would probably reduce the value of the instrument as any amateur modification would. Also if the body as any wood texture it would not give a smooth glossy finish without using grain-filler.
Started with something great. Spent time and money. Ended up with something great. But I like them better.
Part swapping (mod, mod, mod) - A picture story.
In the OP's case, a spray can refinish would be pretty low cost. The quality of the new finish would depend completely on the skill of the person applying it. Also, the change would probably reduce the value of the instrument as any amateur modification would. Also if the body as any wood texture it would not give a smooth glossy finish without using grain-filler.
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Wear brown t-shirts, people will think you have a transparent bass.
Wear brown t-shirts, people will think you have a transparent bass.
Wait, there are clothes other than black?
Before clicking on this thread I thought of my Ibanez SR505 (and any SR, to be honest). Those basses play so well but just don't look right.
I don't find that bass's look to be all that offensive. The reason for that is that I've seen a lot of brown Ibanez instruments after a few years - the finishes tend to flake off, so you have brown and bare wood in patches (It doesn't look like a god relic job) - which looks FAR worse than yours does now. Having seen that version of ugly, your bass is relatively non-ugly.
If you're going to repaint it, you might want to have at it with some sandpaper (start on the back) to see if the finish is the kind I'm talking about, which flakes off easily - no sense putting a new finish on over one that's not firmly attached. If you do have a flaky finish, then you'll want to sand it all off before you put a decent paint job on it. I realize that's bad news, but even worse news would be putting money and/or a lot of effort into a brand new, cooler finish that.....starts flaking on you.
Of course, in my world, I play on relatively big stages, with not co much light in the back where I am - back there, any dark finish looks the same to the audience. Any details I worry about on the finishes on my basses are purely for my benefit.
If you're going to repaint it, you might want to have at it with some sandpaper (start on the back) to see if the finish is the kind I'm talking about, which flakes off easily - no sense putting a new finish on over one that's not firmly attached. If you do have a flaky finish, then you'll want to sand it all off before you put a decent paint job on it. I realize that's bad news, but even worse news would be putting money and/or a lot of effort into a brand new, cooler finish that.....starts flaking on you.
Of course, in my world, I play on relatively big stages, with not co much light in the back where I am - back there, any dark finish looks the same to the audience. Any details I worry about on the finishes on my basses are purely for my benefit.
Given how Ibanez's finishes typically fail (the flaking I mentioned), I think this is bad advice. On a lacquered Fender, yes, but on that bass, nope.
