Repainting my Ibanez

[gtwo]

Hello guys I have an Ibanez ICB300EX (black) made from solid mahogany body, 3pc maple neck and maple fingerboard. The bass has some battlescars, scratches and chipped paint here and there, and I was thinking of having it repainted. Would a natural wood color look good on a solid mahogany body? Or maybe a flat black where you can see the grains of the wood? Or just repaint it with the same type of paint?

I'd appreciate your inputs on the matter

 

[Aligator944]

I recently acquired an Ibanez SR495 with the usual wear that you see through the brown stain/finish. I wanted to copy the Ibanez SR5005E look on the cheap. So I thickness sanded on the top and back, then added a 1/4" back cap and 3/8" front cap of wenge with maple veneer between. I think it turned out well. I was able to easily route out for the pickup and preamp using a laminate bit since the original mahogany body still had the remains of the cavities. I reused the original hardware and pickups....for now. It was more work than just a repaint, but turned out well.

 

[pin_head_47]

I'd say sand the body down to bare wood and are what the grain looks like. If it looks pretty nice then I'd probably go with a clear or stained finish. Nothing looks finer on mahogany than an oil finish, in my opinion.

 

[Beej]

I agree with pinhead ^ except I wouldn't sand it, I'd use a heatgun...

 

[Aligator944]

I agree. I used a tung oil finish on mine, only one coat on the wenge, but several on the mahogany edges. It looks great. The only issue I had is that the maple seemed to swell a little after I applied the oil so you can actually feel the edges of it. Maybe one day I will sand it back down and wipe on a little more oil...

 

[Sardine]

I agree. I used a tung oil finish on mine, only one coat on the wenge, but several on the mahogany edges. It looks great. The only issue I had is that the maple seemed to swell a little after I applied the oil so you can actually feel the edges of it. Maybe one day I will sand it back down and wipe on a little more oil...

Before you apply finish, wet the wood with a damp rag to raise the grain, let it dry, then sand it back again. You may need to do this several times. This will help prevent the grain from rising again when you apply the finish.

 

[Aligator944]

Thanks for the advise. I have done that when using water based finishes before, but thought it would not be a problem with an oil finish. Clearly I was wrong. Live and learn, besides it is not really that bad since the maple is only 1/16" thick, but I will remember next time.