ATK300L Finish Damage....

[fivebass52]

Recently there was some interest in my '95 ATK300L, and because I prefer playing my 5-strings, I was going to sell this bass. However, as I was cleaning it up, I noticed some new cracks, and a section where a chip of finish had fallen out. When I first bought the bass three years ago, there were stress-cracks below the middle knob, just in front of the control panel cover. At that time, those were the only cracks I was aware of...

Now there is a new area of cracks, and a missing chip, and for the life of me, I can't recall ever dropping the bass hard enough to sustain damage... but, be that as it may, the damage is there....

So, My question to you all is, how should I go about trying to repair the damage? So far, filling the chipped area with CA glue sounds like too many layers to build up, and a better solution, which was recommended to me, would be to use Z-Poxy Finishing Resin. (http://www.lmii.com/products/finishing/ ... hing-resin) I'm also concerned that no matter what I do, the existing cracks could grow and spread....

Would it be better to just take the finish off entirely, and put on a new, and thinner, finish? It's amazing to me how thick the original finish is; it must be at least 1/8"... This seems like a better option to me, and one that wouldn't effect the value of the bass, since there's not a lot of value to be had anway... Any and all help/advice will be greatly appreciated!

Here are pictures of the damage....

This is the original cracking that was on the bass when I first bought it, and hasn't changed...



And the new area....

[fivebass52]

By the way, this new area is in the back of the top curve, at the bottom of the arm cutaway. It can't be seen when looking straight on at the bass, and barely noticeable when wearing it.

[AzWhoFan]

i comissioned a bass that ended up having a similar issue b4 it was delivered to me. No matter how many touch up's were done, the cracks just kept on a-coming. The final solution was to get it stripped and refinished.

Apparently the root cause was a bad batch of the finishing product.

[Matt R.]

Holy shite. That finish looks like a bar top. Never seen one that heavy.

[fivebass52]

i comissioned a bass that ended up having a similar issue b4 it was delivered to me. No matter how many touch up's were done, the cracks just kept on a-coming. The final solution was to get it stripped and refinished.

Apparently the root cause was a bad batch of the finishing product.

That's what I'm thinking too, that stripping is the best solution.... what I've found with finishes, and plastics, is they continue to cure, sometimes to the point where they get brittle, and either fall apart, or in this case, crack. And I agree with you, I might fix the area, and see the cracks continue to run....

I guess it's time to check into stripping and finishing, and see what it will cost... any recommendations on who I can contact and send it to?

[fivebass52]

Holy shite. That finish looks like a bar top. Never seen one that heavy.

Matt, bought a Cort body off Craigslist last year, and it also has a chunk out of it, and the finish is as thick as the ATK... I'll bet if I stripped it and refinished it, I'd shave a pound of the weight of the bass!