The Project: Short-scale bass guitar - Pt 1: Getting rid of the varnish
So, this weekend I visited my local hardware store and bought a bottle of paint and varnish remover, sandpaper, wire wool, white spirit, a brush, plastic sheeting and protective gloves.
I had already removed all the hardware from the body of the bass, although getting the final screw out of the bridge was a challenge because the Philips style head slots had been totally worn away giving my screwdriver nothing to get a purchase on. I fixed that with the aid of my trusty mini drill.
Setting up a wallpaper pasting table in the garden, I set out removing the finish from the body.
 Before: the front |  Before: the back |
 The varnish remover does its stuff |  Sanding down the front... |
 ...and those bevelled edges |  ...the back |
 ...and the sides |
I'm still not sure what direction to take as regards the new finish. Seeing as I got rid of all the dark red varnish and that the wood is quite light underneath, this means that I can do virtually what I like with it. I quite fancy the idea of finishing the guitar in blue or green. But shall I stain it and then apply a clear coat over the top, or shall I use some kind of oiled finish such as Ronseal's All In One?
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