Back in the '70s, when I got out of the Army, I treated myself to buying a new (AMERICAN MADE) Fender Jazz Bass. Played it for years, then got married and things changed to where it just sat in its case in a closet. Eventually I loaned it to my brother, and just saw it for the first time in years. WHAT A SHOCK!!

My beautiful white-to-gray bass now has a sickening greenish tint. It looks awful. I think it was from sitting in the case (Fender hard-shell with a funky orange **** liner) and the chemicals in the lining attacked the finish or something. Anyhow, I want to restore it to its original color (white in the middle of the body fading to gray around the perimeter and back).

Big questions for those of you who might know:
1) What was the paint? Was it a tinted lacquer?
2) What went over the paint? Coats and coats of clear lacquer?
3) What do you think caused the discoloration, and is it limited to the clear coat? Maybe I could start with 440-grit paper and carefully sand away, hoping to find the original color.
4) Any other hints from those of you who've done this before?
5) BTW, I'd use my airbrush to apply any color or clear coat.

This bass, since its an American Fender, still is in great shape otherwise and plays really well. I want to get it back to its original condition and start playing again!! Thanks for any help you guys can provide. -Don

 

Usually, better quality stringed instruments used Nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, which can react with vinyl. If it was closed up in a cheap case for a long time, I suppose that the vinyl in the case could have caused the problem. I'm not very familier with colored finishes on solid-body electrics, as my work is with building and repairing acoustics. However, there is a guy named Frank Ford who is THE guitar repair guru, here is a link. If you can't find something there to help, email him, I'm sure he can tell you exactly what you have and what to do. -TD

www.frets.com