Refinishing a a bass

[Bottom End]

any recommendations on how to best strip the paint off my Hohner PJ body down to the wood so I can repaint it?

[wraub]

What is on it now? If it's a relatively recent finish, it's probably poly or acrylic lacquer.

You could probably just lightly sand the whole thing, enough to add a little texture ("tooth") to the paint, wipe it with naptha and a clean tack rag, and spray with your choice of paint, following the paint mfgr's instructions.

[Bottom End]

I will try that out, the body is from the late 80's or early 90's so it's probably the paint you describe.

 

I had used a spray paint finish over it, but I was pressed for time and didn't sand enough between the primer coat and the color coats, so the finish was rough, after 9 years of use my paint job looks shoddy and I figure I'll just take it down to wood and start over.

 

thanks for the tips.

 

 

[Paul K]

Well, in the past everybody would chime in on what kind of stickers would cover up the parts you didn't like anymore.

 

I have no experience with this type of effort. But I'll bet there's a StewMac.com page for the proper way to do it.

http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Instrument_Finishing_and_Finish_Repair/How_to_strip_a_modern_poly_guitar_finish.html

[wraub]

Over 40 pages of spray bomb goodness. Plenty of tips and tricks along the way.

 

Rattle can refin TB page

 

Here's a quote: "Steel wool is not a very good 'scuff' tool. Use a wet/dry 240 or 320 grit closed coat paper instead - but use it dry.

 

Steel wool has irregular surfaces on the individual wires and they won't give a good tooth to the under paint for good adhesion of the new paint.

 

Old paint is a very good undercoat - if it is comparable with whatever you want to put over it."

 

Not the only place I have seen this info, btw. But, this link has lots of gear pix.

 

 

 

[wraub]

What color/configuration is the bass now? How did you paint over the original finish? Do you know what the original finish was/is?

 

My curiosity is piqued...

[Bottom End]

Over the original red, I had used rattle-can Duplicolor Mirage color shifting paint (purple to green). The kit came with a base color, then the clear coat with the color shifting magic stuff in. I used it because I didn't like the original color of the bass, though I love the bass itself. I was moving and I know my things would be in storage for a while and that spray paint might be worthless, so I figured I'd use it up. My mistakes were in not roughing up the original finish enough for the new base coat/primer, and in not sanding the primer coats smooth before applying the colorshifting coat. 9 years later, after a lot of use, there are nicks and dents that show the red, an not in a cool road-worn way. Since I didn't do a goo job with the original repaint, I figured I might as well start over the right way.

 

I did post a few pix of this bass here years ago, the paint did look nice, the color shifting is a pretty cool thing especially under stage lights. Unfortunately, they no longer seem to make this paint in those colors, so I will probably refinish it in an emerald green to replace the bass I foolishly sold decades ago.

 

Thanks for the tips