Repainting a bass bridge

[bbottom]

Ok here is the route that I am thinking of going instead of totally replacing the bridge of my fakenbacker....

The bridge  that came with the bass looks like a normal rick bridge. Well what I am thinking about doing is getting all of the silver paint finish off of it (it's pretty chipped up) and painting it black. If I were to go this route, what would be the best way to go about it?

[VOLVO)))]

Depends on what's under it. Spraypaint = not your friend, REGARDLESS of what that grouchy Scottish bastard says. 

If it's paint that's chipping away, and not the plating, (well, I guess plating fades, doesn't chip, so the paint) you can sand it all off, and take it to a nearby A. powder coater, if it's a ferrous metal or B. Autobody shop, and ask them if they'll shoot it for you next time they throw down some black on a car. That two part catalyst/paint dries fast, and lays down smooth. If you go a good job of the prep work, they might not even charge you. I'd still slip the guy a 20 or something, to keep on good terms for future projects.

If you were to go with B, Sand it smooth, make sure you get ALL of the paint off, corners, edges, inside corners, smooth. Then take some 00 steel wool, and scuff it. If there's pitting in it, I suggest going to harbor freight or any autozone and getting some bondo (body filler.) Fill all the pits, let it dry, sand it back smooth, DON'T scuff it after the bondo. If you do all the prep work yourself, any reasonable paintslinger will have mercy on you and your tiny parts.

This is just me, according to the Hemi, I'm extravagant, so... do whatcha think.

[Lumpy]

Spraypaint can be Autopaint. Why not go to Pep Boys with that 20, and roll your own. Come home with some change, and plenty of extra paint to do your tuners, or other parts. You probably want to do a few really light passes from different angles. Your new buddy at the auto painter's really going to take the time and care to do that? For free? Next thread: "They painted my bridge too heavy, how do I get it off?"

[VOLVO)))]

Different shit, different animal. Spraypaint takes a long, long time to cure, believe me. Regardless of what it is, you don't have the same control over what happens, chemically, as you would with someone who's already spraying a car, with paint that's already properly thinned and ready to be sprayed. There's a reason you don't see the paint on cars flaking and chipping off when you touch the door to open and close it. It's a totally different process, and a completely different method. Yeah, you can hit your tuners with some spraypaint. After you tune your bass once or twice a day, for a week, you'll see what I mean. REGARDLESS of what you say, They're different. Half-ass shit all you want. Fuck it.


EDIT: They SHOULD spray the bridge too heavy. That way he (OP) can wet sand it down to a smooth mirror finish. If you guys want purely DIY advice, specify that, and I won't fucking bother to answer, next time.

[VOLVO)))]

Mind you, primer.

[Hemisaurus]

No, I'm with you, spray paint won't stick to chrome plate, even I know that much

Black paint won't be as good as a proper powdercoat job, and will flake under stress, ie every time you put in new strings you'll lose some there, every time you tune you'll scrape it off the saddles.

Custom shops will do powdercoating and rechroming, Sunn says they might do it for free, I guess maybe people are nicer in Florida.

A quick google reveals allparts will do you a new bridge for $70, so probably don't waste more than that on fixing up this one, and if this is a total project, ie. your refinishing the bass as well, maybe a large mass bridge from guitar fetish for $21 (chrome) or $24 (black) is a better way to go.

[mortlock]

get a badass bass bridge..fuck the paint

[VOLVO)))]

I meant if you asked an autobody shop that's already spraying black, or whatever you wanted, I'm sure if you asked nicely, he'd take the extra three seconds to throw a coat on each time he throws a coat on the car, as long as all the prep work is done, and you do all the post. I guess I just have a lot of friends and connections down here.

[bbottom]

No, I'm with you, spray paint won't stick to chrome plate, even I know that much

Black paint won't be as good as a proper powdercoat job, and will flake under stress, ie every time you put in new strings you'll lose some there, every time you tune you'll scrape it off the saddles.

Custom shops will do powdercoating and rechroming, Sunn says they might do it for free, I guess maybe people are nicer in Florida.

A quick google reveals allparts will do you a new bridge for $70, so probably don't waste more than that on fixing up this one, and if this is a total project, ie. your refinishing the bass as well, maybe a large mass bridge from guitar fetish for $21 (chrome) or $24 (black) is a better way to go.

I have an in with a guy that does power coating so I may go that route. And to be honest I would prefer to, simply because it will be easier for me to reattach the bridge to the body. Although if it comes down to it I'll just end up buying a new bridge and doing my best to make it work

[VOLVO)))]

Powder coating 4 lyfe

[Lumpy]

Well what I am thinking about doing is getting all of the silver paint finish off of it (it's pretty chipped up) and painting it black.

No, I'm with you, spray paint won't stick to chrome plate, even I know that much

Good thing he said that he's going to strip it first

[Hemisaurus]

Well what I am thinking about doing is getting all of the silver paint finish off of it (it's pretty chipped up) and painting it black.

No, I'm with you, spray paint won't stick to chrome plate, even I know that much

Good thing he said that he's going to strip it first

Ah but Mr Bottom seems to be under the impression that it's paint, when it's more likely to be an electroplated coating (albeit maybe a bad one), honestly I don't think painting it is the way to go, even a professionally done auto paint job.

If you want to test my theorem, get a bass string, the E string is probably best, and holding it in both hands rub it lengthwise along the paint on your car, or your parents car if you still live at home, do this vigorously. If the paint is unmarked, I'm wrong, go ahead and paint the bridge, if however it leaves an unsightly mark, painting the bridge is probably the wrong way to go

Of course if you dig the sight of buffed metal, that might be best.

[Lumpy]

It would probably be fine to paint it with outdoor grade Rustoleum, the kind of stuff you spray on your wrought iron patio furniture. That stuff is extremely durable. If it rubs off at all, it's going to be underneath the string anyway. I think that's more workable than trying to get somebody else to paint all the nooks and crannys with a hopper sprayer. You'd probably wanna do a whole bunch of light coats, at different angles. A dude working in the body shop is not going to wanna do that. Especially not for free.

/nit picky

[VOLVO)))]

I'd rather ask, anyways. You never know, some people enjoy working on projects. He said he has a powder coater friend, that'll do him fine.

No matter how light the coat, it still cures slowly, and doesn't even fully harden for well over a year.

/already been there, done that, ruined my project, talking from experience.

[RacerX]

Helpful hint:

While these two are arguing, just buy a fucking bridge.

[Lumpy]

Black hardware usually looks dumb anyway (with exceptions, like 'everything black' or a tuxedo look).

If you are the dude with the sunburst Rick copy, don't do it. That's not going to be an improvement.

[VOLVO)))]

Helpful hint:

While these two are arguing, just buy a fucking bridge.

Shut up! 

[Hemisaurus]

I just caught that, yes powder coating probably the way to go.

There's different type of durability, rustoleum might handle minor impacts and so on, but a string is basically dragged through the bridge and across the saddles, and if the paint chips on the saddles it's going to look kind of crappy.

Now that I think about it, I think the saddles on my Hondo Rickenbacker weren't coated atall, they were plain metal but the rest of the bridge was chrome.

You can sort of see it on this one



WTF three tries to post this fucking message.

[bbottom]

Black hardware usually looks dumb anyway (with exceptions, like 'everything black' or a tuxedo look).

If you are the dude with the sunburst Rick copy, don't do it. That's not going to be an improvement.

yea that's me. Trust me it will be very cool looking