• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

P clone shell pink refinish project

MichaelScott

MichaelScott

Jul 27, 2004
895
9
Moorpark CA
#1
For a while I've wanted a shell pink bass to compliment my wife's taste in clothes. As you all know these basses are pretty hard to come by and if you do happen to find one people are charging an arm and a leg for one. So when an old 70's Matsumoku P-bass came up on the classifieds here I figured that I could do the work myself of painting it. I wanted to make this classic looking and put some flats on it so I could get a more traditional sound that I could use for blues and rock. My other two fretted basses are an Ibanez RKB900 that is really good for slapping, and a custom Cyr Darkstar bass that I didn't want to put flats on for fear that they would lose the tonal range that the Darkstar's provided.
Here is the bass:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
It's changed hands a few times on these forums. I might be the 3rd or 4th owner. It sounded nice and fat out of the box but the action needed drastic improvement. After about 45 minutes of screwing with the truss rod and bridge I had it pretty low.
The bass had some great mojo but there were a few cosmetic flaws that I was going to have to overcome even though I was doing a solid color re-paint:
The tort pick guard had been broken and repaired by adding a semi clear piece (which as really too bad. The original pick guard looked amazing).
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And there was a pretty gnarly rip in the wood between the pickup and bridge. I can only hypothesis that someone must have used a coin as a pick once upon a time and ripped through the wood. I would need to fill it and sand it down.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I don't actually know how to do any of this stuff but the ReRanch site had some basic tutorials and all the goodies I could buy. And I figured that if I screwed it up it wouldn't be that big of a deal since the bass was inexpensive.
First step was to remove all the hardware. This was pretty easy. I took a few pics of it but you all know what a bass looks like without it's clothes on.
Next I had to remove the lacquer that was on the bass. I decided to go with Jasco paint and epoxy remover. This stuff is pretty nasty. It worked like it claimed through and I could apply a thick coat of it to the body and actually hear and see the lacquer pop off of the bass. Here are some pics:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
After I got most of the finish off I sanded the body clean. I dunno why but this was fun.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Actually- from looking at the pic of me It's possible that I could have gotten a little... ummm... "disorientated" from the Jasco and that is why I had so much fun sanding.

I put a couple coats of lemon oil on it and then called it a day. Whole thing took about 4 hours.

About a week later the new tort pick guard from Warmoth arrived. It looks really good and the holes match up perfectly. I asked them to get some big chunks of yellow in the tort and make it really dark.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I ordered a bunch of stuff from ReRanch and then had to go out of town for a couple of weeks for work. I just got back yesterday (Nov 13th) and began the wood filling process.
This part was nasty but not as bad as it was to remove the old lacquer. The wood filler smelled pretty toxic and was a royal pain to wash off my hands when I was done. I did one coat, waited 30 minutes, wiped off with lemon oil, and then I repeated. It sat over night waiting for the sand and seal.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The last pic was taken between the 1st and 2nd coat.
I'll update once I do the sand & seal!
 
#4
Spent about 2 hours this morning working on the project.

First I sanded off the body with #220 grit sand paper. This got rid of the wood filler that was above the body. I used a thick Elmer's filler for the scrape on the front of the body. When I was done sanding the bass was smooth everywhere. Nice.

Then I spent a lot of time cleaning the work station and setting up the area to do the sand & sealer spray. I decided to do it under my work bench since it required the least amount of set up and tear down to transition between steps. I could also seal the area up with the plastic cover to prevent dust from coming.

Then I sprayed the first coat of sand & sealer. Left it alone for an hour, and then sprayed another coat.

Here is a picture of me spraying:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I'll sand the body tomorrow with #220 and then repeat the two coats of spray. Primer will probably go on Monday and then paint on Wednesday.
 
#6
Did some work on the project today.

This is about 6 coats of sand & sealer. I lightly sanded after every 2 coats. It's really a pain to see where I over sprayed- I had to go through and kinda feel where there were bumps in the finish.

In this pic you can see the Elmer's wood filler I used to fix the gouges in the wood.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

After I lightly sanded the body and neck I taped up the pocket and stuffed some paper towels in the routing- then I put on the first 2 coats of white primer.

These pics are from the first coat. I really over sprayed a bit since I could still see the grain through the spray- but It will wet sand out easily. After the second coat I couldn't see any wood grain.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The headstock turned out way better. I think my technique improved.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#7
Last night I sanded off some over spray and put two more coats of primer on. 1 hour between each coat. I took a few pics but they all look the same so I'll probably post one tonight after I finish sanding. I might do another 2 coats depending on how good of a job I did spraying last night.
 
#9
Dude, really really awesome! I think this will turn out great.

And you looked HIGHER THAN A KITE in those first few shots. Good to see you had some ventilation going at least ;)

Glad you're doing the headstock too - I think this will really make the bass look amazing. Can't wait to see more!
 
#11
Spinal Tapper said:
Dude, really really awesome! I think this will turn out great.

And you looked HIGHER THAN A KITE in those first few shots. Good to see you had some ventilation going at least ;)

Glad you're doing the headstock too - I think this will really make the bass look amazing. Can't wait to see more!
Click to expand...

Haha. Yeah I kept thinking to myself "Wow sanding is so much fun. I could do this all day. Why do people always complain about sanding??" Then I looked at the pictures and I looked seriously high.

I have some great ideas for the headstock decal. You all are going to love it.

I am using nitro products from ReRanch. This whole thing (so far) has been way easier then I thought it was going to be.
 
#13
vin*tone said:
subscribed.
I have an unfinished Mustang sitting here beside me.
Very hard to get spray Lacquer here in Australia- and it's not possible to get it shipped OS - you can't send aerosols by air.

Are you using Nitro or Poly?
Click to expand...

Look up Jim cargill in seaford Victoria, he can do lacquer, he did a Les Paul in proper copper flake Gibson gold, came out awesome
 
#14
Michael...can't go wrong with ReRanch Shell Pink..nice project..I'm glad that you went with the matching headstock..

Here's my ReRanch Jazz..sorry for the thread steal..just another Shell Pink.

PB140058.jpg

PB140041.jpg

PB070025-1.jpg


Cheers.
 
#15
Instagator said:
Michael...can't go wrong with ReRanch Shell Pink..nice project..I'm glad that you went with the matching headstock..

Here's my ReRanch Jazz..sorry for the thread steal..just another Shell Pink.
Click to expand...

My wife really loves pink. She had a pink wedding dress and we have several pink parts of the house. I actually like it too but my favorite color is orange. Speaking of that I really like your Orange cream paint job you did. You inspired me to do a pink one with that thread and all the pieces fell into place recently.

I made more progress tonight.

I got home from work and took the bass out to inspect. I now had 4 coats. I carefully wet sanded high spots with #400. A few of the spots got sanded back down to primer.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I put another coat on and ran some errands. Came back 2 hours later and it was looking good:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


There were only 2 spots that I needed to sand down. I did so and then dried, and resprayed. The headstock was very easy to do and I feel comfortable putting only 4 coats on.

Depending on how it looks tomorrow morning this might be the last coat- but if I still have some high spots I could do 7 or 8 coats total. I have plenty of paint left in the can.
 
#17
Woke up this morning and went to check on the paint.

There were no high spots so I was very pleased. The finish wasn't perfect but the small imperfections weren't visible unless you were looking from a few inches away and the light hit it the right way. I've never been a "details" type of guy and I don't have any OCD stuff so I figured it would be good enough.

I drilled the pick up cover holes in the pick guard and then drilled/filed out the truss rod notch. Here it is with the pick guard and covers:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I put the first coat of clear on the body. I've got something special for the logo on the headstock- Does anyone know if a Sharpie permanent marker will bleed? I've got decal paper but my wife is an artist and I was thinking of just having her draw directly on the headstock and then clear coating over it. What do you all think?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back