Poly urethane vanish

[copacetic]

Is there a way to get rid of a poly urethane coating and keep the tobaccoburst finish intact? Ii's a nice '51 MIJ Fender P, nice and light weight, balanced and sounds pretty good. I don't mind if in the process perhaps some of the actual finish ( I am not trying to make it look like a 'relic') might get affected/worn/matted. I just really can do without the gloss. Anybody done this or knows who can? 

[Basvarken]

If it's just the gloss that's bothering you why not (wet) sand it lightly till the gloss is gone? No need to entirely remove the poly.

[dadagoboi]

I've done it numerous times. #0000 steel wool will cut down the gloss as much as you want.  Ignore the relicing, this was a brand new poly finished SX bass when I started.



As to removing the poly and not affecting the sunburst, highly improbable.

[drbassman]

You can't remove a poly finish like this without messing up the burst underneath.  Just can't do it.  Steel wool will work wonders as Carlo said.  I like the look of it now!

[Basvarken]

I think the relicing is actually nicely done Carlo.
Not as exaggerated as most reliced guitars. And no damage in unlikely places, like you see with a lot of poorly reliced guitars.

[Pilgrim]

Unless you're going to remove the pickups first, I'd use a ScotchBrite pad instead of steel wool.  You don't want steel wool foof all over the pickups.

[copacetic]

Hmm, you are right about the pickup removal. It gets more involved...either way, do I use a swirling motion or what.. to do this? I also would like to do the back of the neck too. Nice job there Carlo.

[dadagoboi]

I think the relicing is actually nicely done Carlo.
Not as exaggerated as most reliced guitars. And no damage in unlikely places, like you see with a lot of poorly reliced guitars.

Thanks,Rob.   I come from a furniture background, relicing guitars is no different than antiquing furniture  There are areas of wear and abrasion that are typical in size, location and pattern.  I have a library of vintage guitars and basses that I used as examples. 

That bass sold for $700 at a local music store after I put less than 5 hours work into relicing and set up.  I later got an email from the buyer that it was his favorite bass of the 40 or so he owned.  I did around 12 of them and got tired of it.  About that time Fender came out with their "Roadworn" stuff and I figured that was the end of that.

Unless you're going to remove the pickups first, I'd use a ScotchBrite pad instead of steel wool.  You don't want steel wool foof all over the pickups.

Hmm, you are right about the pickup removal. It gets more involved...either way, do I use a swirling motion or what.. to do this? I also would like to do the back of the neck too. Nice job there Carlo.

Definitely, but stripping a bass for finish work is SOP for me.  Green Scotchbrite used wet should do it, if not try red.   Works on necks too.

Follow the grain with whatever you use.  Really it's impossible to screw up.

[Granny Gremlin]

Unless you're going to remove the pickups first, I'd use a ScotchBrite pad instead of steel wool.  You don't want steel wool foof all over the pickups.

Masking tape over the polepieces solves this easily. 

Every player who has any instrument with a non-laquered fretboard (usually maple, but then there's Rics) should have some 0000 steel wool around at all times (for cleaning the board during string changes; Tung oil after that, or any other plant-based, not petroleum based, oil... note, many oils that sound plant based are actually petrolium based - read the label - including the overpriced Gibson brand board oil).

[Dave W]

...note, many oils that sound plant based are actually petrolium based - read the label - including the overpriced Gibson brand board oil).

Like lemon oil. Most "lemon oils" are petroleum based cleaners with artificial lemon scent. 

OTOH maybe the petroleum came from a triceratops who liked to eat lemons. Now that's organic.

[Pilgrim]

Like lemon oil. Most "lemon oils" are petroleum based cleaners with artificial lemon scent. 

OTOH maybe the petroleum came from a triceratops who liked to eat lemons. Now that's organic.

Anyone for organic coffee?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

Kopi luwak (Indonesian) or civet coffee refers to the beans of coffee berries once they have been eaten and excreted by the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other civets.The name is also used for marketing brewed coffee made from those beans.

[Highlander]

Grown, fruited, ripened, dropped, eaten, excreted, washed, dried, roasted, ground, broiled, drunk... by fools with far too much money... like taking recycling too far, like the term "recycled toilet paper", it's just wrong...

Post a pic of the body, Cop...

[Granny Gremlin]

RE the TP: depends.  TP made of recycled paper is fine, as long as it's not made from previously used TP.

Remember: the more it hurts, the better it cleans. 

[Highlander]

Belt sander with 60 grit...?

[Granny Gremlin]

So clean, you may never want to use your arsehole again.