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Tips on getting a good brow-ish natural finish?, specifically like the image bellow
- Thread starter kungfujeko
- Start date
Prepare your bass body to receive finish, then get some clear finish of your choice and tint it with a little brown or yellow. Experiment on some scrap wood before slathering it on your bass. Once it's dry and cured, hit it with some fine sandpaper or a scotch brite pad if you want the satin look. Again, practice on some scrap wood first.
That is the finish i wanted for my last kit Jazz. Mine isn't quite as dark in person, the first pic is of the sanded raw Okume wood. The other two pictures are the finished look. I used black shoe polish and finished with a Tung oil finish. I like the way it ended up. I am debating what to do for a pick guard.
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on another forum, a long time i ago i self reported as a fan of tongue oil finish, and the responses were somewhat unkind 
on another forum, a long time i ago i self reported as a fan of tongue oil finish, and the responses were somewhat unkind
I mean... how long do you figure before bass manufacturers run out of ideas and start doing flavors?
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
It's important to identify the wood species before starting, because different wood species react differently to stains and dyes; alder and maple, for example, tend to blotch horribly when stain is applied when unsealed, and need to be sealed before applying stain; the sealant and stain must be chemically compatible.
I heartily concur with the advice, above, to finish a test piece before applying finish to your instrument; in order for your test piece to be instructive, it should be the same species as your instrument.
If you want your instrument to look "natural" and be well protected, I am particularly fond of a sanded-in oil finish.
Good luck!
I heartily concur with the advice, above, to finish a test piece before applying finish to your instrument; in order for your test piece to be instructive, it should be the same species as your instrument.
If you want your instrument to look "natural" and be well protected, I am particularly fond of a sanded-in oil finish.
Good luck!
I think tongue oil is also called spit.I mean... how long do you figure before bass manufacturers run out of ideas and start doing flavors?
Transtint dark vintage maple is very similar. It can be thinned out so with some testing I think you could get that color
I opened up Talkbass and saw the photo above...that's me in the demo video. We always borrow that bass from a friend of Brian Ristola (of Fatbasstone.com) for the videos. It's definitely been stripped. I'm pretty sure it never got a new finish after the fact. Under the pickguard it's a mess...hahaha...but it's a good little bass for sure, and perfect for pickup demos!
Natural alder looks a little like that. It's not used very often as a natural finish because it is fairly plain compared to ash.
Some finishes, like arm-r-seal and my fav, Tru-Oil are "ambering". Those will get you part of the way there.
This is JUST Tru-Oil:
On this bass, I hit it with ONE application of Transtint Dark Vintage Amber before the tru-oil to pop the curls a bit more:
Not a lot of difference! But you can see the flame just a touch more. Of course you can apply more tint before the finish to go farther. The tint gets sucked into the pores, but you can use Aqua-Coat to seal the pores first if you don't want to accentuate the grain.
This is JUST Tru-Oil:
On this bass, I hit it with ONE application of Transtint Dark Vintage Amber before the tru-oil to pop the curls a bit more:
Not a lot of difference! But you can see the flame just a touch more. Of course you can apply more tint before the finish to go farther. The tint gets sucked into the pores, but you can use Aqua-Coat to seal the pores first if you don't want to accentuate the grain.
Bri-wax may be your answer. I believe it's available in the US.
I used to use it many years ago when I worked in my uncle's antique business. It will bring up your guitar exactly as in the picture with the natural satin sheen.
This is what I'd do regardless of whether I was using Bri-wax or not. Start with a well sanded bare wood body. finish with 800 grit, dust off then wrap body in a slightly damp towel for an hour. Remove the towel, allow to dry naturally then sand back the raised grain and refinish with 800 grit. Repeat the process several times until there is no more raised grain and the finish is like glass to the touch. (Some folks shortcut by using a steam iron, I don't like doing that as you have little control on the amount of steam being absorbed into your wood).
Use a clean cloth with a little bit of the product on it and rub in gently in circular motions. Once complete allow to rest for a few minutes. Grab a microfibre then hand buff (lightly) until you start to see the satin finish appearing. You will need to apply a second coat to build up the wax feeding the wood, same process leave a couple of minutes after application and buff off. You'll see a deeper colour and richness. If it's still not quite the tone you are looking for then a third application may be beneficial
Practice on a piece of scrap wood (don't have to do the grain raising) first so you know the tone of colour you're aiming for, if you put too much on too soon or too many layers it will go darker.
Note that Bri-wax is exactly that, A wax. If will wear in time. A light buffing with a cloth will bring it back to new but every so often (maybe a year or more) a really really small application that's practically invisible and a light buff.
If you are looking for something more permanent, Osmo oil is fantastic. I've used this on flooring, furniture and guitars. It's not cheap but the finish is beautiful. No need to re-oil with this stuff, ever (if it's a guitar, not a floor due to the foot traffic and I don't think you'll be walking on your guitar) . A couple of coats will do you.
I used to use it many years ago when I worked in my uncle's antique business. It will bring up your guitar exactly as in the picture with the natural satin sheen.
This is what I'd do regardless of whether I was using Bri-wax or not. Start with a well sanded bare wood body. finish with 800 grit, dust off then wrap body in a slightly damp towel for an hour. Remove the towel, allow to dry naturally then sand back the raised grain and refinish with 800 grit. Repeat the process several times until there is no more raised grain and the finish is like glass to the touch. (Some folks shortcut by using a steam iron, I don't like doing that as you have little control on the amount of steam being absorbed into your wood).
Use a clean cloth with a little bit of the product on it and rub in gently in circular motions. Once complete allow to rest for a few minutes. Grab a microfibre then hand buff (lightly) until you start to see the satin finish appearing. You will need to apply a second coat to build up the wax feeding the wood, same process leave a couple of minutes after application and buff off. You'll see a deeper colour and richness. If it's still not quite the tone you are looking for then a third application may be beneficial
Practice on a piece of scrap wood (don't have to do the grain raising) first so you know the tone of colour you're aiming for, if you put too much on too soon or too many layers it will go darker.
Note that Bri-wax is exactly that, A wax. If will wear in time. A light buffing with a cloth will bring it back to new but every so often (maybe a year or more) a really really small application that's practically invisible and a light buff.
If you are looking for something more permanent, Osmo oil is fantastic. I've used this on flooring, furniture and guitars. It's not cheap but the finish is beautiful. No need to re-oil with this stuff, ever (if it's a guitar, not a floor due to the foot traffic and I don't think you'll be walking on your guitar) . A couple of coats will do you.
I build a lot of furniture, as others have noted, the answer depends to a large degree on the wood species. What I have found over the years is that stain is my least favorite way to get a desired outcome. It's often blotchy and hard to control. I like to stay close to natural wood colors, tinted very lightly as needed. One of my favorites is shellac - you can buy it premixed in big box stores. Typically it comes in clear and amber. Amber will get you close to what you are looking for in the first photo, followed by the top finish of your choice. I like Osmo oil, hard to find and pricey, but easy to use with great results. Shellac works best for me in one or 2 thin coats (I often thin it with 100% alcohol, available from any paint store or hardware. anywhere from a 30-50% dilution. It dries very quickly and can be sanded lightly to smooth it down.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
The Briwax I've used in the past used a foul smelling solvent; I hope they've changed the formulation.
I always loved the smell, but then again as a kid I loved the smell of petrol too. Yes, should have added that Bri-wax is solvent based but the smell whether you like it or not dissipates once you've buffed it.
