Sun tanning bass?

BrickIsRed

BrickIsRed

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Do you think leaving a Bubinga Corvette in the sun for a while will improve the finish? I read about someone doing it but can't find the thread.
 
No. I think it sounds like a silly thing to do - particularly if it's hot sun.
 
I think that would make the bass darker but that's after many many times being exposed to the sun (several weeks and maybe months or years). it could also dry the wood too much and cause it to crack if not waxed or cared for
 
due tot he question I guess you want your bass to be darker.... why not stripping the wax off altogether and then either get a luthier or you can try using a stain onto the wood. (I guess you probably need to apply either poly or something else on top of the stain to preserve that finish.) I am saying this because I saw your Vette STD in natural finish in another thread and I thought this is what you might be after. ;)

whatever you do show us before and after pics on the sun-tanning method or step by step pics on the refinish if you decide to go that route ;)
 
trujo777 said:
whatever you do show us before and after pics on the sun-tanning method or step by step pics on the refinish if you decide to go that route ;)
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This is my bass new when I got it last September:



This was taken a few minutes ago after a morning in the sun:



(second pics appears a bit darker than it actually is, but you get the idea)
 
oh... ok. so I thought you wanted to make it darker to make it look like the one Ryan Martynie has. sorry.

YEs the basses with waxing and with age tend to get darker in the wood color. see the Stage 2s from 1990's and they are almost brick red color and the newer ones are blondish yellowy color. yes different tree and maybe different type of Afzelia but still there is a big difference in their color.

for example this is from the 90's



and this one from 2007
 
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a better bet is rubbing wax and dirt into it...

no, not really... :D
 
trujo777 said:
oh... ok. so I thought you wanted to make it darker to make it look like the one Ryan Martynie has. sorry.

YEs the basses with waxing and with age tend to get darker in the wood color. see the Stage 2s from 1990's and they are almost brick red color and the newer ones are blondish yellowy color. yes different tree and maybe different type of Afzelia but still there is a big difference in their color.

for example this is from the 90's



and this one from 2007
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not looking for a black finish. It's just I see those Thumbs from the late 80s with a nice crispy red finish and my new one's almost pink sometimes.
 
I'm not sure about a finished bass but I have to believe that it would get a little darker in time.
I had a thread about this for bare unfinished Mahogany wood. it does work as the air and sun's UV rays will oxidizes the bare wood much faster then a finished bass.
 
I think over time the color of the wood will change. Playing the instrument more, exposing it to the 'elements' (gigging, constant touching, being outside, etc) will make it age quicker.

Now, if you wax the bass frequently, will this slow the aging process?? Protecting the wood, etc?
 
My two year old 'Vette is now getting a lovely deep dark colour on the body and the neck. It happens with time and subsequent applications of wax.

Let the bass age gracefully, and enjoy it for what it is now. Forget about the sun.

:d
 
if you want to darken your bass, lemon oil and linseed oil are your friends.
 
UV light degrades wood and while it makes light coloured wood like maple a little darker (yellowish) it actually lightens dark woods.
it can loosen the wood fibres and prematurely deteriorate your lovely bass.
That said i know a few people who have gone the 'suntan' with guitars and it's not like they erroded or really did any visible damage.
 
Alright, I'm gonna try lemon oiling the rear of the bass and see how that goes. If I like it, I'll lemon oil the rest. Thanks.
 
BrickIsRed said:
Alright, I'm gonna try lemon oiling the rear of the bass and see how that goes. If I like it, I'll lemon oil the rest. Thanks.
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I've lemon oiled my wick since I have it, and it really darkened it. Now that it is at the color I wanted, I'll buy some wax.
 
I saw a bass that sat in a shop window so long the fret boad was bleached out and the sections under the strings were darker,when I move the strings over it looked like someone had drawn a line up the neck.
 
flipper_gv said:
I've lemon oiled my wick since I have it, and it really darkened it. Now that it is at the color I wanted, I'll buy some wax.
Click to expand...

I did the same, my neck is very dark right now, i'm going to keep oiling it though, just because it looks cool:d:d
 
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