Wishbass Refinishing

 

In my opinion half the fun of owning a WishBass is refinishing it.  The bass comes from Steve Wishnevsky totally playable but with only a very basic lacquer coat and the overall shape, curves and contours can usually benefit from a little attention.  Steve has told me he doesn’t like sanding anymore, but fortunately I’ve not done enough of it yet to get that way: I find it quite relaxing!


To answer the standard question, these basses do not usually come with a truss rod, although one can be fitted as an option.  To quote Steve: “Yes the neck is kind of fat. No, there is no truss rod. There is one reason for both of these quirks. I am convinced that putting metal in a guitar neck hurts the sound. If you think i am wrong, buy something else”!


After the sanding and shaping there’s usually a little filling to do and then sealing before applying a hand rubbed oil finish.  I like to shield the cavities and replace the Corian bridge and nut with ones made of ebony.  On top of this I’ve also added other additions such as strap-locks, Varitone control harnesses, LED’s, new pick-ups, hardware, etc.  You can see a selection of the tools and materials I’ll use over the course of a refin here.


Want more information about my refins?  Contact me here.


Clicking on the following basses will take you to a build and photo diary of each refin:

Basses in Work:

No #: Maple Hipper

#1003: Walnut Piezo Hipper 

#1324: Striped Peanut

No #: Bubinga Fantasy

No #: Walnut Hipper

No #: Chestnut Lobe

#1088: Cherry JD

#xxxx special: coming soon!

Wishnevsky Mandolin

#1403 Cyprus Hipper