xilch

About seven or eight years ago, back when I was young and stupid, I bought a 1971 (dated by the serial number on the neckplate) Fender Precision Bass from a pawn shop. It has a "clear" finish on the body which looks like someone applied it with a mop. Seriously, there are runs all over the place.

In taking off the pickguard, I looked in the cavity by the jack and saw what looked like a rust colored overspray, so I'm sure it originally had a sunburst finish. The person responsible for messing it up also did a horrible job of re-soldering the pickup wires to the controls. They also stripped off the bridge cover, pickup cover and finger rest.

What I'm wanting to do is take it apart, sand it down, and refinish it myself. I am not confident in my abilities to do a sunburst, so I was thinking of just putting a clear finish of my own on it afterword. I'm thinking of going with polyurethane.

I have access to sandpaper and a random orbit rotary sander to take the current finish off, but I have no spray equipment at all. Can anyone give me the benefit of your experience with spray canned finishes? Also, do I have to do any sealing of the body beforehand? I was thinking it would have been sealed by the factory when it was manufactured. Also, what grits of sandpaper do you recomend and procedure?

Thanks in advance! :-)

-Paul

Here's a picture of what I am positive it looked like once upon a time. Mine has the same pickguard too:

E-Bay P Bass

For only a tiny bit more money, the Grizzly ones seem to be slightly higher quality.  Don't know about the components (probably very similar or the same), but the body is alder:  http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2005/main/332.cfm?

Greg

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That's good link, thanks!

:-)

-Paul

Thanks very much for the information guys, I appreciate it very much!

:-)

=Paul

Hello!

I was thinking of making a guitar from a kit and found these online. The price is considerably less than some other kits I've found on the internet, which naturally made me wonder how good the kits and company are.

Here's the URL: International Luthiers Supply, Inc

Thanks in advance!

-Paul