73jbass
Well-known member
Why did you let it get to that point before you brought it up here?
I've killed my bass' finish
- Thread starter Laker
- Start date
I have sadly found that clear, two-tone, and trans-color finishes
are not well adhered to the wood. There is no primer as would be
used under an opaque finish. It's like the clear finishes are more
of a wrapper and not actually a paint job. Put a ding or a crack in
the wrapper and it will spread, as the glossy clear wrap will more
and more lift away.
I used to think that trans colors were in the gloss coat but having
seen the gloss coat separating, it seems the color is a color stain
to the wood before the clear gloss goes over it. I suspect that the
color stain inhibits adhesion of the gloss coat, worse than just a
natural uncolored wood under the gloss.
These are my observations of my own basses, occurring to more
than one EBMM, plus other brands so it's NOT peculiar to EBMM.
There's no ignoring that opaque finishes are over a primer coat
and that you can't have a primer layer under a clear gloss if you
wanna see the wood.
It's inneressin that many clear finish headstocks suffer plenty of
edge chipping but that the clear finish on the headstock doesn't
lift away ... the chipping is just chipping, same as opaque finish.
are not well adhered to the wood. There is no primer as would be
used under an opaque finish. It's like the clear finishes are more
of a wrapper and not actually a paint job. Put a ding or a crack in
the wrapper and it will spread, as the glossy clear wrap will more
and more lift away.
I used to think that trans colors were in the gloss coat but having
seen the gloss coat separating, it seems the color is a color stain
to the wood before the clear gloss goes over it. I suspect that the
color stain inhibits adhesion of the gloss coat, worse than just a
natural uncolored wood under the gloss.
These are my observations of my own basses, occurring to more
than one EBMM, plus other brands so it's NOT peculiar to EBMM.
There's no ignoring that opaque finishes are over a primer coat
and that you can't have a primer layer under a clear gloss if you
wanna see the wood.
It's inneressin that many clear finish headstocks suffer plenty of
edge chipping but that the clear finish on the headstock doesn't
lift away ... the chipping is just chipping, same as opaque finish.
Last edited:
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
Golem, the color you typically see on trans finishes is actually in one of the first layers of clear. There's a few ways we can tell this. One is if the wood were stained then if you did have a clearcoat failure then you would still see the underlying color. Also a stain would be pretty apparent as the color would fluctuate depending on the grain pattern no matter how much the wood is conditioned. Another way we can tell is due to the depth of the color. Having a stain and clearcoat pales in comparison to the depth of color in an interested midcoat clear.
My guess on the process is that bare wood is sealed with some sort of vinyl or polyester sealer (this will give uniformity to the surface and also give a good surface for adhesion), then mid coat clear, then top coat clear.
That's just my $0.02 though. (Forgive my going overboard in explaination. I've been doing nothing but selling paint the last 7 years and have had to learn way too damn much.)
My guess on the process is that bare wood is sealed with some sort of vinyl or polyester sealer (this will give uniformity to the surface and also give a good surface for adhesion), then mid coat clear, then top coat clear.
That's just my $0.02 though. (Forgive my going overboard in explaination. I've been doing nothing but selling paint the last 7 years and have had to learn way too damn much.)
Perhaps then it's only the very topmost
coat thaz lifted on my basses, cuz I do
see a colorless coat lifting and the color
underneath still remaining, as if it were
the color in/of the wood underneath.
Whatever treatment you are saying is
applied to the wood for better adhesion
it certainly doesn't adhere as well as a
primer coat under opaque paint. You
can beat the crap outa opaque finishes
and whatever damage occurs does not
spread beyond the original chipping.
coat thaz lifted on my basses, cuz I do
see a colorless coat lifting and the color
underneath still remaining, as if it were
the color in/of the wood underneath.
Whatever treatment you are saying is
applied to the wood for better adhesion
it certainly doesn't adhere as well as a
primer coat under opaque paint. You
can beat the crap outa opaque finishes
and whatever damage occurs does not
spread beyond the original chipping.
Dr Stankface
Well-known member
What you're probably experiencing is a delamination of your top coat clear. I know I've had a few basses that have done that but when you get get a nice dig in it, you'll see the color is definitely in the clear. I'll post some pictures of my trans red later. Holy hell does she have some scars.
I absolutely agree that a primer coat under an opaque finish is going to have greater integrity due to it's increased volume solids.
I absolutely agree that a primer coat under an opaque finish is going to have greater integrity due to it's increased volume solids.
