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Painting your Precision Bass

B

Bassman1-909

Jan 1, 2017
90
22
#1
I have an old knockaround bass made up of spare parts (random p-style body, jazz neck, with a rick hi-gain neck pickup, and random mismatched knobs and strap buttons).

The body is black but I think it has a poly finish and the pickguard is just a standard white pickguard. I'd like to get some paint and just pain a random array of colours, but I wanted to get some advice on the kind of paint I'd need. The last time I painted a pickguard it looked cool but the paint came off the guard easily when touched or scratched with a pick.

Is there any paint you can recommend that will stick on top of the body and pickguard, do I have to strip the finish on the body (and buy a pickguard that will hold hold paint?).

Thanks for any tips!
 
#2
You can use any paint (acrylic, poli, water based, nitro), but you need to prep the surface before shooting the finish. You need to sand your existing finish , and then shoot the new finish over it.

you do not need to remove the finish , just sand it so that you can use it as an undercoat.
 
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#5
Bassman1-909 said:
Ah, got it, just some sandpaper and pull off the surface? Any tips on how you know you've sanded enough?
Click to expand...

I'm not an expert but I can say I went on the advice of "sand off the gloss." That way you get to the paint underneath to use as a sort of undercoat. My son airbrushed this one for me that I had had painted blue at one time (it was horrible condition when I got it) We just got through the gloss, primed it white, he did his thing and I had a local auto body shop clear coat it. The shop did that for very low cost, just hung it in their paint booth and gave it a quick shot as they finished a part. Worked for me. It's been this way about 9 years now, my son was in high school when he did it and is 28 now.

new headstock.jpg
 
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#7
jd56hawk said:
I've used Krylon to paint a pickguard.
No damage from a pick.
(I'm guessing you use a guitar pick. I use a bass pick. Couldn't scratch talc with it.)
Click to expand...

Same here, used both Krylon and my son used airbrush paint on pickguards. After painting I just lay them flat on some cardboard and clear coat too. They held up well with only gradual wear where I put my thumb by the edge of guard, just behind the pup.

Actually the guards on the Grumpy bass and my strat were done by my son this way too.
 
Last edited:
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#9
Hey, sounds like a fun project! To ensure the paint sticks on both the body and the pickguard, it's a good idea to sand them lightly to create a better surface for adhesion. You might also want to use a primer designed for plastics on the pickguard. As for paint, look for acrylic paint designed for use on guitars; it's durable and adheres well. Once you're done, clear coats are a must for protection. Make sure to let each layer dry properly.
 
#10
john29400 said:
Hey, sounds like a fun project! To ensure the paint sticks on both the body and the pickguard, it's a good idea to sand them lightly to create a better surface for adhesion. You might also want to use a primer designed for plastics on the pickguard. As for paint, look for acrylic paint designed for use on guitars; it's durable and adheres well. Once you're done, clear coats are a must for protection. Make sure to let each layer dry properly.
Click to expand...
Consider checking out Canvas Prints | High End Fine Art Canvas | Frameshop.com.au for some cool custom prints of your newly painted bass when you're done!
 
#11
elgranluis said:
You can use any paint (acrylic, poli, water based, nitro), but you need to prep the surface before shooting the finish. You need to sand your existing finish , and then shoot the new finish over it.

you do not need to remove the finish , just sand it so that you can use it as an undercoat.
Click to expand...


This is good advice.

I would add that you should use somewhere around 400# sandpaper. Get the good paper and wet sand it.
 
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