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bovinehost

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Jan 16, 2003
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18,185
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Dall-Ass, TX
I have one of the more beautiful 20th SR5s ever. Bought new, barely played because I tend to gig in stinky s-holes and it was just too pretty, and so it hung on the wall for the longest time. And that’s where the problem started.
Because it hung in pretty much a direct route from an air conditioner vent (duh – I know, I know), the clearcoat around the neck pocket dried out a bit. And it lifted. So there’s an area surrounding the neck pocket that is just not right. I am definitely not skilled in such things, so let’s not even imagine that I could fix it. I can’t. So I’m considering some options.

1. Strip it, take the heat gun and just go for it, and maybe paint it in some vaguely ‘bovine’ paint scheme. It has a veneer on the front and is black as night on the back and I’ve never tried anything like that before….anyone ever take a veneer off? I suppose proper heat and a scraper would do that, right? The body is also bound. What happens to the binding?

2. Find someone who is skilled at such repairs and bite the bullet. This is probably the least likely at this point because I’m addicted to my Aqua Sparkle SR5 Special and I’m trying to get it down to just one Stingray 5. The new one really ticks all the boxes, so let’s say that this is really the least likely option.

3. Disclose the issue and sell it for a loss. These were pretty spendy back then but it’s not going to sell for what one without issues would. I don’t know – 900 dollars? It’s still a perfectly functional Stingray 5, mahogany tone block, single H. It SOUNDS fabulous.

Opinions, thoughts, rants? I’m not easily offended, but don’t give me crap about hanging it in the wrong place – I already know that!

Jack

When it was new:
20tha1.jpg


Now it is not new:
SR5closeup.jpg
 

danny-79

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Feb 6, 2009
Messages
2,507
Location
England U.K
I’ve stripped a few in the past it’s not as easy as it sounds. The trick is to not mark the body as your scraping. Plastic tools and take your time. Failing that get a second opinion of someone who knows better, it might be repairable.
 

Tom F

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Jan 22, 2005
Messages
343
Location
Union County, NJ
I'm not sure what advice to give you in this situation but if you decided to sell it I would find a way to give it a home in NJ - would go great with my '88!

In all seriousness, despite the finish issues seems like it would be a shame to cover that top. The 20th anniversary basses are some of the nicest SR5's out there. Maybe the fine crew in SLO could take a look? I've seen miracles in the past.
 

jones4tone

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Jun 24, 2016
Messages
988
Location
Texas
Taking off that cap could well mean having to do something to adjust how far above the top the fingerboard sits, no? As the bridge would be mounted to a body that was thinner than original configuration.

No way I could advocate either removing or painting an opaque color over that maple cap. Sure it will never look like it did when new, but there has to be a way to tackle a refinish. So I say either bite the bullet to get it refinished, or (and this is probably the most sensible if you're not planning on keeping it long-term) sell it at a price that reflects its current condition, and let the buyer proceed as they think best. You wouldn't likely get your money back from a refinish prior to sale, I'd guess.

And I learned something about placing guitar wall hooks around HVAC vents today.
 

liverbird

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Nov 4, 2006
Messages
341
Great looking bass, even with the damage! I wouldn't do anything drastic. Why not get some input from Customer Service? This looks fixable to me.
 

tbonesullivan

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Aug 24, 2012
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New Jersey
Is it just the clear coat that lifted, or the color coat as well? Is it possible that the veneer itself pushed up?
 

bovinehost

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Jan 16, 2003
Messages
18,185
Location
Dall-Ass, TX
As nearly as I can tell, it's just the clear coat.

I think I'm going the "blow it out cheap" route. Fun to consider a drastic refin but I'm a hacker and would undoubtedly screw it up.
 

tbonesullivan

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Joined
Aug 24, 2012
Messages
2,258
Location
New Jersey
If it's just the clear... you could probably just pull the neck, and wave a heat gun over it a bit, which will get it to flatten. Then run water-thin super glue under it.
 
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