Double Bass Varnish

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

So, I got this cheap plywood bass. Scraped of all the old varnish (and the coloring from the cheap fingerboard). The problem is: it's easter holiday in Norway, wich means that all the luthiers are gonne skiing and their shops are closed for the whole week. Only food stores and hardware stores etc are open. Is there any varnish that can be bought from a regular hardware store? Like something from Liberon.

 

[Charles Jones]

You should be able to find shellack locally. It’s best to put a base coat on before the varnish. A coat or two of shellack will seal the wood and provide a base for the varnish you use later.

Are you planning to stain or paint the fingerboard black?

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Ok, thank you. Yes, I'm planning to stain it (and probably replace it with ebony later).

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

So, can I use any of these?

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Charles Jones]

Any of the shellac flakes mixed with pure alcohol would work.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Any of the shellac flakes mixed with pure alcohol would work.

But not the polishes?

 

[Charles Jones]

You could use the polishes to complete a shellac-French polish finish, or apply oil varnish over the shellack base.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

 

[CaseyVancouver]

Looks like you saved an old bass. How’s it sound?

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

I have to make some more adjustments on the fingerboard, but so far, it sounds much more than 200$.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Very nice! Is it doing double duty pizz/arco? If it's pizz only, you could upgrade the strings and greatly increase the volume and sustain. All of my students who show up with those strings freak out when they discover how upgrading from them almost gives them a new bass with a much more vibrant sound. Well done!

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Very nice! Is it doing double duty pizz/arco? If it's pizz only, you could upgrade the strings and greatly increase the volume and sustain. All of my students who show up with those strings freak out when they discover how upgrading from them almost gives them a new bass with a much more vibrant sound. Well done!

Pizz only (arco only for practice). Had the strings laying around, not my cup of tea, so I will change to Spiros or something later. And thank you!

 

[Mike Saint]

What are the best stings for volume pizz?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

@Mike Saint - sorry for the derail of this thread... totally my doing. There are lots of threads about this subject in the strings forum. Here is just one example.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Still needs to do some minor adjustments on the fingerboard, but the sound is decent enough. (Sloppy phone recording).

 

[Mike Saint]

Yes, the sound is pretty good. I can't wait to see what others say.