Wax question

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Catalyst85

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Hey all,
Relatively new to the warwick world and I have a quick quetion. I just got a 4 string vette $$. The body "color" is natural. The guy i bought the bass from told me that I do not need to wax the body since it has a satin finish.. I don't know if I believe him. I thought all natural "color" basses need wax (generalization).
sooo, advice?
thanks
 
Hi,

all natural oil finished basses require waxing. It is highly likely that the 4 string Corvette $$ has a natural oil finish, hence require waxing. However, it is not impossible that the bass has a natural satin finish, which is a thin coating on the bass, which does not require waxing. The satin finish can be found on some limited edition basses, like the Hot Rod and the Dirty BLonde. It is a custom shop option now, meaning that you can have a satin finish on any bass. If the Vette $$ is a standard bass, then it has a natural oil finish, but if it's a custom shop bass, it can have a satin finish.............
I think it's highly unlikely that the bass has got a satin finish, but it's not impossible.

Cheers. :D
 
Thank you very much! I'm going out in the morning to get a nice can o' wax.
one more question. I've never really had an ash bass before. It is sooo soft. My thumb fingernail scratched the bass while it was anchored.. will the wax toughen up the body?
 
If the wood gets scratched from fingernails and your belt buckle, then it also means that the bass has a natural oil finish by the way.............But to answer your question, I'm afraid the wax is not going to toughen up the surface. Many people consider it as "mojo" to have some scratches on a Warwick............... :wink:
 
ThirdthumB said:
Hi,

all natural oil finished basses require waxing. It is highly likely that the 4 string Corvette $$ has a natural oil finish, hence require waxing. However, it is not impossible that the bass has a natural satin finish, which is a thin coating on the bass, which does not require waxing. The satin finish can be found on some limited edition basses, like the Hot Rod and the Dirty BLonde. It is a custom shop option now, meaning that you can have a satin finish on any bass. If the Vette $$ is a standard bass, then it has a natural oil finish, but if it's a custom shop bass, it can have a satin finish.............
I think it's highly unlikely that the bass has got a satin finish, but it's not impossible.

Cheers. :D
Click to expand...

Good answer!

My SS1 has a natural satin finish and does not require waxing.

I'm actually thinking of having it sanded down and stained Nirvana black or red and then covered with a satin finish.
 
Scubadiver said:
My SS1 has a natural satin finish and does not require waxing.

I'm actually thinking of having it sanded down and stained Nirvana black or red and then covered with a satin finish.
Click to expand...

I thought it was a high polish finish (which doesn't require waxing as well).................. :?
 
ThirdthumB said:
Scubadiver said:
My SS1 has a natural satin finish and does not require waxing.

I'm actually thinking of having it sanded down and stained Nirvana black or red and then covered with a satin finish.
Click to expand...

I thought it was a high polish finish (which doesn't require waxing as well).................. :?
Click to expand...

If you refer to my SS1, it has (or had) a satin finish. A lot of rubbing (shirt sleeve etc.) makes satin finishes shiny after a while. I have the same on my NBK Vette. It's shiny where I've rest my right arm against the body...
 
Scubadiver said:
ThirdthumB said:
Scubadiver said:
My SS1 has a natural satin finish and does not require waxing.

I'm actually thinking of having it sanded down and stained Nirvana black or red and then covered with a satin finish.
Click to expand...

I thought it was a high polish finish (which doesn't require waxing as well).................. :?
Click to expand...

If you refer to my SS1, it has (or had) a satin finish. A lot of rubbing (shirt sleeve etc.) makes satin finishes shiny after a while. I have the same on my NBK Vette. It's shiny where I've rest my right arm against the body...
Click to expand...

I thought that the satin finish was new, and only available as a custom shop option since like half a year or so.................Maybe older Warwicks have a slightly different coating than the new ones.................
 
ThirdthumB said:
If the wood gets scratched from fingernails and your belt buckle, then it also means that the bass has a natural oil finish by the way.............But to answer your question, I'm afraid the wax is not going to toughen up the surface. Many people consider it as "mojo" to have some scratches on a Warwick............... :wink:
Click to expand...

Interestingly, my natural finish ash bass has seemed to toughen up over the past couple of years from waxing. It certainly doesn't dent like it did when it was brand new...
 
anarchyok said:
ThirdthumB said:
If the wood gets scratched from fingernails and your belt buckle, then it also means that the bass has a natural oil finish by the way.............But to answer your question, I'm afraid the wax is not going to toughen up the surface. Many people consider it as "mojo" to have some scratches on a Warwick............... :wink:
Click to expand...

Interestingly, my natural finish ash bass has seemed to toughen up over the past couple of years from waxing. It certainly doesn't dent like it did when it was brand new...
Click to expand...

Maybe after a couple of years of waxing, the wood will indeed become a bit tougher............I can imagine that. :wink:
 
Catalyst85 said:
Thank you very much! I'm going out in the morning to get a nice can o' wax.
one more question. I've never really had an ash bass before. It is sooo soft. My thumb fingernail scratched the bass while it was anchored.. will the wax toughen up the body?
Click to expand...

First you put just a little wax on your finger, and rub the bass with it. If the wood is "eating" the wax, then you'll know that it is oil finished and need waxing. If you have the feeling that even just a little wax is already enough, then it means it's really satin finished.
The ash is not THAT soft. It is light, but not soft...
 
On this topic...
Would I be allowed to know what warwick use as their "natural oil finish"?
I have a corvette std V and I love to wax that thing.
But I'm thinking of building a guitar (gasp) and I'd really like to finish it the same way, I know it won't come out the same colour or pattern, I'm just addicted to waxing.
 
It's not as simple as that, we have some secrets, for example we use hot, melted wax, but in the end, the material used for finishing our basses is beeswax.

Cheers!
 
OH! Thanks florin.
I just couldn't figure out the melted wax thing, it's the same as potting pickups!
Thanks again.
 
hi again, as you can tell I am new to all of this.. I realized that the vetter $$ i just got was probably not waxed for the two years it was in the owner's possession. If I start now will that be ok? or should I get some sort of extensive treatment like in the above link?
thanks. you all have been of great help.
 
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