| Author | Message | ||
| yekcko
Junior Username: yekcko Post Number: 14 Registered: 12-2002 |
I have a Rogue Five string, it has the natural finish on it, which looks very nice, I was think of getting a Ziricote Finish on it to protect it more, 1:does anyone know the cost of this? 2:will the coating alter the sound at all? 3:does anyone in Minnesota do this kind of work? thanks? | ||
| bigbadbill
Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 79 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hi Yekcho I'm not sure I understand the question. Ziricote is a type of wood; do you mean you wish to change the top wood of your bass? | ||
| rami
Advanced Member Username: rami Post Number: 288 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hi Shaun, I think he's refering to a clear gloss finish. The standard Rogue's finish is a satin clear finish. I think that in the interest of preserving the value of the instrument, any refinishing should be done by Alembic. I wouldn't trust ANYONE else to touch my Alembic basses. Best wishes, Rami | ||
| yekcko
Junior Username: yekcko Post Number: 15 Registered: 12-2002 |
To Bigbadbill: My mistake, I did mean the clear coat finish, what would Alembic charge for this, and how would it change the sound of my bass? Thanks Bigbadbill | ||
| rami
Advanced Member Username: rami Post Number: 289 Registered: 6-2002 |
I don't know what Alembic would charge - but it ain't gonna be cheap. It shouldn't affect the sound though, it's purely cosmetic. Rami | ||
| bigbadbill
Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 80 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hi Yekcho, Rami Thanks for clearing that up! I wanted to try to help, but was slightly confused by the question! I completely agree with Rami over not letting anyone but Alembic do it, and also agree that it won't be cheap. However, getting them to do it ensures that the instrument will be treated as well as possible and should ensure excellent resale value should you ever choose to sell. With regards to sound, it may have a slight effect (I have experienced the result of a satin to gloss refinish - and vice-versa - a few times in the past) in that you may find that instrument is slightly brighter sounding, but the difference should be negligible. Of course it also depends on how good your ears are! Hope this helps Shaun | ||
| dfung60
Junior Username: dfung60 Post Number: 27 Registered: 5-2002 |
The only difference between a satin clear coat and a gloss clear coat is the amount of polishing that happened when the made the bass! It's sprayed, then buffed, then sprayed, then buffed many times. When the finish has been built to the proper level, it's polished using big buffing wheels with progressively finer abrasives. If you go to the finest polish, you'll have a gloss instrument. If you stop before the last polishing step, it will be satin. So, if you really want to go from satin->gloss you just need to find somebody with the equipment to do that buffing. Any woodworking shop can do this sort of work, but they'll need your instrument to be completely stripped to do this - all hardware and electronics need to be pulled off. Since we're not talking about a Precision bass here, this means you really should probably think about sending it back to Alembic so something bad doesn't happen in the reassembly. I believe that Alembic may be using a slightly different varnish for gloss instruments. Back in the old days (the 80's) everything was finished in polyurethane and most instruments were satin. These days, I believe Alembic said they use polyester finish on the high end instruments as the hardness (it must finish harder than polyurethane) lent it self better to a mirror finish. But you should be able to achieve a gloss finish with any varnish unless it's been blended specifically not to be glossy. It's the same varnish, so it shouldn't affect the sound, but may affect the playability - you may find that the gloss finish will have more friction than satin. | ||
| yekcko
Junior Username: yekcko Post Number: 16 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hey guys thanks! you may laugh at this, but in regards to what I have heard so far "It aint gonna be cheap" I was told I could get it done for 75 bucks! now that I think about it, I think I was just FLAT OUT lied to! oh well :?/ | ||
| bigbadbill
Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 83 Registered: 10-2003 |
You may be able to get it done for 75 bucks, but I'd like to see an example beforehand! Or maybe I wouldn't... Yes, Alembic did used to use polyurethane on their instuments and now use polyester (certainly for gloss). This is one of the reasons I mentioned that I felt it may affect the sound very slightly. The other is obviously the amount of finish; assuming the thickness of the finish is the same, the instrument should sound the same. However many satin-finish instruments have a very thin finish (more like a sealer) as opposed to the thick polyester that Alembic use for their glosses. In my experience going from a very thin satin to a heavy gloss can affect the sound slightly; certainly basses I've used which have gone from one to the other have sounded a little different. Nowhere near as much as oil to gloss, obviously, but still subtly altered. Not enough to really worry about though. I'm not sure whether it would make any difference going from an Alembic satin to an Alembic gloss soundwise; I guess Mica would be the best person to ask. As David says, the main consideration would be playability; gloss certainly feels a great deal different. Whether or not you like this is a matter of taste; I tend to prefer gloss, but many prefer satin. As always, try and play both types (if you haven't already) before jumping in. |
