Update 2: Paint That Body!
So, what color did I choose?
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Blue! 1st coat here. And it comes with a story!
The day was Easter Sunday. I was going to swing by my parents for a late lunch before heading back in preparation for my band's show that night. I had about 3 hours before I had to leave, and the weather was warm and sunny with no wind. I figured it would be a perfect day to paint. So I grabbed a box, my body, and a can of Rust-Oleum that I had purchased for a DIY pedalboard that did NOT go well. (Hint: You should drill pilot holes in MDF. You should also not use MDF.)
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I set up everything in my backyard and went to work on the first coat, pictured above. Note about the kit, they said it was 'Ready to Paint'. Now, I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing that it would mean it was either sanded smooth, or primed. The body was neither. Of course, in my infinite wisdom, I looked at the tacky wood surface as a good thing, because I thought it would hold paint better.
I meant to put a coat of paint on, then pop back inside and take a shower/get ready for my day while it dried. The can said it would take around 30 minutes of drying time per coat.
It was at this point where the photos from this day stopped. This is because I realized that I had walked out my back door, which has a locked door handle. It was 9am on Easter Sunday, I was in sweatpants and a tshirt, and I was locked out of my house with a can of spray paint, my cellphone, and no shoes.
I am pretty consistent about certain things. Unfortunately, one of them is locking my windows every time I close them. This was entrenched into me by my mother, who would ask if I was planning on paying the electricity bill if I was going to let all the cold air out of the house by not locking the windows shut. So that wasn't an option.
I called a locksmith. They kindly called me back 10 minutes later to inform me that it was Easter Sunday and the only locksmith in town is on vacation. I applied a second coat of paint.
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The wind picked up a bit so a handy rock to hold the box down. Also could have made an effective window destroyer.
I have a friend in town who has a spare key. Today though, he was on the other side of the state with his wife's family because, as I mentioned earlier, it was Easter Sunday. He suggested I walk to his house about 2 miles away and break in. I look at my bare feet. He then suggests Uber. I think about the conversation that would follow when I asked the Uber driver to wait for a few minutes while I broke into someone's house.
I am renting this house, so of course you'd suggest I call my landlord. There were two problems with this:
1. I really like them, and I really don't want to bother them on Easter.
2. I don't have their number on the phone I have with me.
So that was out.
I put on a third coat of paint.
I glance in my window and see all of my band's gear neatly packed right by the door, ready for our gig that night. Troubling.
I spot the window to my second-story home office. I remember a few days ago I opened that window. If I can get up on top of my garage, I should be able to reach it without too much trouble. Using my box rock, I was able to boost myself up on top of my garage. I try the window. It is locked. Below me, a gust of wind blows the cardboard previously held by the rock over on top of my still-drying bass.
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While contemplating climbing on top of my house so I could then jump off it, giving me an excuse to call 911, I heard a wonderful sound. The unmistakable sound of my landlord's truck. I live in a townhouse style duplex, with a small corner shop that used to be a two chair salon. My landlord uses this salon as a tool shop of sorts, and apparently he needed a tool.
I waved him down from the top of my roof. It was one of the more unusual conversations that I've had with him. But I ended up back in my house, 3 hours later, with 3 coats of paint on my P bass body.
The moral of the story is, never paint a bass without your keys.
A few days later, I applied a few coats of satin finish polyurethane on a rainy day in my garage, that was thankfully not as exciting. What I ended up with was a paint job with a few rough marks.
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But overall, the color is very nice, and it feels relatively smooth. I think I should have gone over the body with some sandpaper before hitting it with the first coat of paint. Writing this a week later, I am considering putting another coat or two of poly, particularly on the friction points of the body (the back and where my arm is while playing).
I think that with some practice, the painting process is pretty painless. Like most things, you just need to follow the instructions and be confident. Obviously, I don't have a good painting setup, but just with a cardboard box and about $10 in spray cans, I came out with a pretty decent paint job. Definitely not something that could pass as a professional job, but definitely one that I'm happy with.
