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stripping warwick back to wood...

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by stompfrog, Nov 16, 2005.

  1. Nov 16, 2005 #1
    stompfrog

    stompfrog Guest

    Apr 12, 2004
    Reading, England
    I am considering buying a 5 string streamer lx which is in a high gloss midnight blue finish. I am not too keen on the finish and was considering sanding it back to wood!

    is the wood likely to be nice i.e. good grain, not loads of filler... will it work or do I risk trashing a nice bass?

    I stripped back a legend strat once and tru oiled it up (thanks hambone) but that was barely worth the wood it was mass produced from so I wasnt to bothered about heat gunning the crap out of the exisitng coating!
     
  2. Nov 16, 2005 #2
    HotTubesGrooves

    HotTubesGrooves Guest

    Jun 26, 2005
    Bristol, UK
    I own a natural oil finish Streamer Jazzman, which is really nice. Nice grained wood indeed. The only comment I would have is its not bookmatched that well. Should look good though if you do the job properly, good luck!
     
  3. Nov 16, 2005 #3
    stompfrog

    stompfrog Guest

    Apr 12, 2004
    Reading, England
    I was hoping someone would tell me to stop being stupid and not attempt it but I am glad you have faith in me :D

    I haven't seen the finish in the flesh yet but on the photo i was unsure that i liked it.

    Will it still be flamed maple under the solid finish or will they use less decorated wood as it was intended to be covered up?

    Also wont the bridge sit a mm lower once the finish is removed? will this have any serious implications on set up / action etc?
     
  4. Nov 16, 2005 #4
    HotTubesGrooves

    HotTubesGrooves Guest

    Jun 26, 2005
    Bristol, UK
    I'll have to check but the bridge sits in a routing in the body I think so you should be okay there.

    Hmmm, not sure about the flamed finish on the maple, I'm not sure how the effect is achieved but I would think its applied to the wood only on the oil finish basses. I imagine the effect you will achieve will be more akin to a plain natural finish.
     
  5. Nov 16, 2005 #5
    HeathW

    HeathW Guest

    Nov 15, 2005
    Northamptonshire, England
    Hello mate,
    If it has flame maple now it will still have flame maple once stripped, if it has a sunburst now it won't have once its stripped, strip it with nitromors varnish stripper (brown tin) its not so bad for the wood,might take a couple of go's, don't forget to leave it for 10 mins or so to react, do not heat strip it!
    once you have stripped all the finish off wash down VERY well with white spirit and dry, you might want to restain it as it will lose a bit of colour in the stripping process, you can get a small stain from david dykes luthier supplies on the net for a fiver or so. If you do restain it give it a light rub down with 400 or 600 wet and dry first.you can tru oil it for a more gloss finish or oil and wax for a stain finish, if you do tru oil it you will need to sand it more going down through the paper up to 1200 or so.
    although the finish looks thick it realy should bo no more than 1/4 to 1/2 mm thick as the most so won't affect the action to much unless it's already very low, if so raise the action slighty at the bridge with the alan key that comes with bass, quater turn should do it.
    hope this helps a bit
     
  6. Nov 16, 2005 #6
    stompfrog

    stompfrog Guest

    Apr 12, 2004
    Reading, England
    --> HeathW

    Thanks, sounds like its achievable, but not sure if the current finish is see through... therefore there is no telling if it is flamed without commiting to the strip.
    The spec on waricks site says lx = flamed maple so I am guessing it is.

    --> hot tubes

    Flamed maple is how the wood grows, it is not an effect applied to normal wood. Same goes for birdseye maple, got a feeling that is caused by a disease in the developng maple tree but I might be wrong
     
  7. Nov 16, 2005 #7
    HotTubesGrooves

    HotTubesGrooves Guest

    Jun 26, 2005
    Bristol, UK
    Ah... You learn somthing new every day, I've always wondered about flamed finishes. That means I can be more vicious in sanding away the finger marks above my pickups then, hazaah! :hyper:
     
  8. Nov 16, 2005 #8
    stompfrog

    stompfrog Guest

    Apr 12, 2004
    Reading, England
    Finger marks look cool, makes a bass look loved, dont sand them off!

    But yeh the flamed effect should go throughout the wood. Some cheaper guitars have a flamed effect printed on and a transparent finish applied over the top but they dont shimmer and move the same way when you move the bass in a light source.

    A fellow brit... Hows it going in bristol? Did a gig in The Croft once, was quite cool
     
  9. Nov 16, 2005 #9
    HeathW

    HeathW Guest

    Nov 15, 2005
    Northamptonshire, England
    yeah a warwick top should be at least 7mm thick so you souldn't go through, cheap MIJ basses have a veneer of about 0.6 thick, sand hard and you youv'e gone though.
    Flame is caused by a large tree limb growing at a rightish angle the weight causes the grain in the trunk to compress and grow in a
    /
    \
    /
    \
    way which gives you the flame grain patten.
    Cooool! :bassist: