Paint job problem???

[Fernley]

Hi everyone.

I just finished my first  bass build and whilst generally happy with it the paint seems really thin and has already scuffed and chipped just from my shirt buttons. I have only used it a couple of times since I finished building it,  it hasn't even left the house yet, let alone been gigged.

Has anyone else had any issues with thier finishes?

Any advice much appreciated.

Cheers

 

[anorakDan]

Why don't you tell us a little more about your project. What kind of paint did you use? How did you apply it? How many coats? Any clear top coats?

Perhaps some more information might help us to help you.

 

[Fernley]

Hi, yea sorry.

I bought the neck and body direct from warmoth which I believe is finished in polyurethane (it's fiesta red by the way). 

Thanks for your help.

 

[fdesalvo]

One of my Warmoths is about 5 years old and it's been gigged for as long.  I don't have anything other than minor pic scratches here and there.  I have a build underway there now and I hope I don't see this type of wear on this new one.

 

[adked]

I have a build underway there now and I hope I don't see this type of wear on this new one.

I was just thinking the same thing. I have a body on order also and would hate to think something like this could happen so easily.  Now I'm a little worried.

 

[fdesalvo]

Well let's test it when we get our bodies in. You slap yours with a belt buckle and I'll whack mine with a pillow and we can compare notes.

 

[Surf n Music]

So far no problems for me. I got a seafoam green one a little over a year old and a tobacco burst 6 months old and no problems. I am rougher with the tobacco burst one. I got a new one coming in ash. Hopefully I get the same results. Sorry to hear. I hope you get it sorted out.

 

[bagman67]

I've been pretty un-cautious with Quty Pie and Bete Noire, and they have held up famously.  If this were pandemic, I should think we'd hear about it, this being a particularly vocal and critical group.  Seems likely that the OP got a bum specimen.  You make enough bodies, and one will be off-spec once in a while.  I'd call Warmoth and discuss with them.  Nothing this gaggle of enthusiasts can do for you but confirm that yep, that's a dinged body, and supply anecdotal evidence.

 

[mayfly]

Yep - you should probably contact warmoth directly and have a chat about it.

As to my own anecdotal evidence, I've got a variety of warmoth guitars with all kinds of finishes on them: Three with warmoth finishes, three with Tonar finishes, and one painted at home.  I'm not at all careful with them and they all have scratches and dings

 

[dmraco]

My warmoth finish is pretty durable.  It even looks like you scratched your neck plate with the buttons!!

I for one am always aware of what I wear when playing.  Big buttons and belts are a no no.

 

[fdesalvo]

This is what would lead me to believe that this paint saw some pretty heavy abuse.  While the finish on these neck plates isn't uber resilient, it does take quite a bit of force to scratch the surface to that degree.  I can only imagine whatever did that to the plate is responsible for the condition of the paint.  To that end, the finish in the paint is consistent with what I see on the neck plate.

It even looks like you scratched your neck plate with the buttons!!

 

[MikeW]

I for one am always aware of what I wear when playing.  Big buttons and belts are a no no.

This. Always This. A hanger or solid rack to store guitars in, and a hard-shell case for whenever a guitar needs to leave the house.

 

[pabloman]

Looks more like a fingerprint on the neckplate to me  :dontknow: at least on my phone. Either way I'd love to see the shirt that did that!

 

[anorakDan]

It's too hard to tell anything from that huge pic. On my screen, I have to scroll all over the place. But I think that poor beast has been subject to some unnatural abuse.

If it is indeed a Warmoth finish, I don't think that the evidence supports the contention that it "scuffed and chipped just from my shirt buttons." The paint shop at Warmoth is as professional as you can find and I doubt they would let a fragile finish leave the shop.

However, it depends on how you view the role of your guitar. Is it a work of art or a tool to make art, in this case music. Tools get worn, if used properly. You could just chalk it up to honest wear and tear, scars of a useful existence.

 

[fdesalvo]

The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!

 

[Day-mun]

To be fair, I gotta say that I've received a variety of solid color W-finished bodies over the years, and the durability from one to the next has varied more than a bit. I think there was actually a whole thread about chippy sonic blues coming outa W a year or two ago (of which I am a survivor), whereas my Olympic white and Alpine white bodies seem to be nearly bullet-proof. Like SnM, no problems with seafoam green, and the fiesta red I had years ago was pretty tough. Now the black Jazzcaster I'm working on now seems to get swirly surface scratches if I even think about wiping off the finger prints (-with a brand-new polishing cloth at that)! Sort of disheartening, but I guess everything is impermanent (including me), so why stress?  :dontknow:

-I, for one, am gonna just let it go, play, and enjoy!

 

[Cagey]

It's too hard to tell anything from that huge pic. On my screen, I have to scroll all over the place.

I don't know if it works with all browsers, but in Firefox if you hold down the "CTRL" key and hit either the "+" or "-" key, it will enlarge or contract the displayed page/image.

 

[fdesalvo]

I've heard anecdotal evidence suggesting the metallic finishes can be "soft".

 

[Surf n Music]

It's too hard to tell anything from that huge pic. On my screen, I have to scroll all over the place.

I don't know if it works with all browsers, but in Firefox if you hold down the "CTRL" key and hit either the "+" or "-" key, it will enlarge or contract the displayed page/image.

You are just full of helpful tips. That worked great.

On another note the is definitely a scrap on the neckplate and heads right in the direction of the ones on the body. Oh well what are ya gonna do. Bumps, bruises, scrapes and scratches are a part of life. They build character.  I got a dream of having a SRVish guitar. I got a long ways to go. Only one tiny nick on my new one. Lots of years to get there though  :toothy11:

 

[Fernley]

I resent the implication that I am lying about it being a Warmoth finish or for that fact that I have misused or abused my beautiful bass!

The marks on the neck plate are indeed finger prints and older marks (the plate isn't brand new).

I accept that the paint will mark over time , what concerns me is how easily it has marked already. I don't expect it to be bullet proof but I do expect it to be durable!

Warmoth have agreed to take the body back for inspection, but given the amount of work involved in stripping the body of its hardware and the cost involved in returning it to the US i wonder if it is worth it given that it will mark over time anyway.

Thanks to those that gave me helpful advice.