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Wishbass Club pt. 2
- Thread starter john turner
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If he can do it I'll be splashing out the $19.99 for some stick-on Fretlightz and putting my re-fin Fantasy up for sale!
Assuming a $400 starting 'canvas', throw in $100 for the 'custom' case, I can't see where his extra $481.01 comes from - even a special order for zebrawood is only going to add a $100 or so.
At a lower price I'd be sorely tempted as I reckon that, especially with the zebrawood, the bass would look great after a re-fin.
Assuming a $400 starting 'canvas', throw in $100 for the 'custom' case, I can't see where his extra $481.01 comes from - even a special order for zebrawood is only going to add a $100 or so.
At a lower price I'd be sorely tempted as I reckon that, especially with the zebrawood, the bass would look great after a re-fin.
hey all,
I just drove down to Winston-Salem this weekend, met Wish, and picked up my 1'st wish-bass: a 5-string 33" scale acoustic banana bass. It sounds awesome, and the volume is decent when you're playing with an acoustic guitar. However, the fact that it has NO finish on it is worrying me. Does everyone normally add their own finish to a wish instrument? is this relatively easy to do? I think if nothing else, I'd want to add some sort of finish to the fretboard so it doesn't warp or lose any tonal characteristics. has anyone done this before?
I just drove down to Winston-Salem this weekend, met Wish, and picked up my 1'st wish-bass: a 5-string 33" scale acoustic banana bass. It sounds awesome, and the volume is decent when you're playing with an acoustic guitar. However, the fact that it has NO finish on it is worrying me. Does everyone normally add their own finish to a wish instrument? is this relatively easy to do? I think if nothing else, I'd want to add some sort of finish to the fretboard so it doesn't warp or lose any tonal characteristics. has anyone done this before?
Fretlessbanana; Welcome to the club! Yes, many of us have either refinished a Wishbass or ordered one "in white" (unfinished) and then gone ahead and added a finish. Like you, I own a Banana bass, (see my avatar) but it came with a sprayed-on lacquer finish that only raised the grain to the point of distraction. I promptly stripped it off and worked the wood until it was silky smooth, filled voids as needed, and reshaped various contours here and there. I then applied several coats of clear spray satin-finish lacquer with lots of fine sanding in between coats. The fingerboard was treatly differently in that it was releveled (by sanding) and then taken out to 1200 grit sandpaper - it was then OILED; not sealed. Then I added a K&K piezio pickup and black nylon strings. The thing is pretty kool.
Several of us have done extensive refinish work on Wish's electric basses, mostly using Tung oil or Tru-Oil. If you will go back thru this thread (and Part 1, plus others), you will find plenty of commentary about what we have encountered and accomplished. I think you will be surprised and amazed - the results have been stunning. Check it out and let us know if we can be of any other assistance ...
Okay, I know it isn't a Wishbass, but it is a Wishnevsky; built just like one and has the "Standard" body shape. The neck is 3 pieces of wood - 1 of maple and 2 of mahogany. The body wood is pear and is actually one solid piece. There are frets of course, (a persimmon fretboard) and they seem to be placed well and nicely done. Makes me want a fretted Wishbass now! The only thing this guitar really needs is the typical finish work, including smoothing off the ends of the frets which are still quite sharp where they meet the edges of the neck. Tonally, this guitar sings like crazy and is quite fun. I am already looking forward to the day I can devote time to refinishing it. I may add a tone control too - who knows?
For finishing my Wishbass I used and would recommend Tru-oil for the body (www.lmii.com) and Colortone fretboard finishing oil: Invalid Link Removed
Here's the only thing I have done to this little guitar so far. After drawing a paper pattern, I cut this out of the bottom of the body with a coping saw and then smoothed with luthier rasps and sandpapers. To finish it temporarily, I used a brushable satin finish lacquer (left over from another home project) that matches what Wish used perfectly. You cannot tell I did this cut out after the fact. I plan to modify the headstock eventually as well. Okay, that's it for the 6 string!
Oh man, 49sfine, you've voided your warranty! 
J/K! Your cutout goes perfectly with the rest of the cutouts/contours of the body.
On another note, I wonder who snagged #985?
=wr=
J/K! Your cutout goes perfectly with the rest of the cutouts/contours of the body.
On another note, I wonder who snagged #985?
=wr=
It's cool how Wish left some of the bark on the top half...very natural looking.
I really like the cut-out on the bottom...works well with the overall design.
Thank you gentlemen for the encouraging comments. I like the bark area too, although it is a little fragile. I am still trying to think of a way to stabilize it somehow without changing it's charactor too much (by filling it and making it all shiny and unnatural looking). Any suggestions?
On another note, I just listed Hyper #874 - I am going to hate myself in the morning, I just know. I can't afford to have two Hypers though, and #808 was the first Wish I really wanted and couldn't turn it down this second time around.
Say, the question about retro-fitting a Wishbass with frets was never addressed - any thoughts on this? I think I would like that done some day to one of mine.
On another note, I just listed Hyper #874 - I am going to hate myself in the morning, I just know. I can't afford to have two Hypers though, and #808 was the first Wish I really wanted and couldn't turn it down this second time around.
Say, the question about retro-fitting a Wishbass with frets was never addressed - any thoughts on this? I think I would like that done some day to one of mine.
Wow, that was fast! A fellow in CA just hit BIN for my Hyper. Seems like the interest in these basses is on the upswing! Now my wife won't divorce me! 
Get yourself a HAS varitone instead of just a tone for that thing. you will definately enjoy it more when you work on the finish.
Gee, lots going on today! Scarab #168 just arrived via UPS. It's really kool seeing what an early Wishbass is like. Quite different in some subtle ways. The finish on this base is quite nice really - smooth and silky feeling - some kind of satin lacquer. The neck is quite fat and features some beautiful curly maple with 2 very thin purpleheart stringers - no mahogany at all. I can't figure out the body wood, but it looks like a lightly spalted maple both front and back. and is light in weight. FB is jatoba I bet and is pretty level. The action though, is really high (silly high) and needs the bridge whittled down despararetly. Visually the main difference from his current work is his use of router size for the body edges. He used a really small router cut for the edges and the bass has a very square affect to it. That is the main thing I plan to change with lots of raidus rasping all around the entire body to round everything off much more. It will make the guitar much more attractive and senuous feeling. Also, the headstock is much narrower but thicker than his newer stuff and I like that a lot. I'll post pix at some point. - later on ...
Gubna: Thanks for the advice about the HAS control - I'll look into it ...
Gubna: Thanks for the advice about the HAS control - I'll look into it ...
49sfine, your hyper really had a shine to it; no wonder it sold so fast!
A question for refinishers in general: Do you work some oil/finish down into the string through holes behind the bridge or leave it raw?
=wr=
A question for refinishers in general: Do you work some oil/finish down into the string through holes behind the bridge or leave it raw?
=wr=
49sfine, your hyper really had a shine to it; no wonder it sold so fast!
A question for refinishers in general: Do you work some oil/finish down into the string through holes behind the bridge or leave it raw?
=wr=
Up to now, I have been working some finish into the countersunk (tapered) holes at the very top of the body and back, but not deeper into the string-thru holes. It's worth a second thought, though ...
A question for refinishers in general: Do you work some oil/finish down into the string through holes behind the bridge or leave it raw?
=wr=
Up to now, I have been working some finish into the countersunk (tapered) holes at the very top of the body and back, but not deeper into the string-thru holes. It's worth a second thought, though ...
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