Help me black out my bass!

[Berberdeng]

Hey guys! I’m picking up a Fender Aerodyne tomorrow and I want to go full stealth black on it. Black tuning pegs, bridge, nut, knobs. Aside from the hardware I also want to paint or darken the fretboard and paint the neck itself black. Also I was wondering if anyone who owns one knows what the cream binding is on the sides. Think I can paint that as well? Either black or possibly red.

What paint would you recommend? Any tips on how to safely do it?

 

[Beej]

Leather dyes like Fiebings or Angelus can be used to dye a fretboard black, but an Aerodyne should come with a black dyed rosewood board already. You can tape everything off in order to paint the back of the neck black - remove all of the hardware and take the neck off the body of course. The binding is regular plastic binding and would be a PITA to paint by itself, but it's doable. Honestly, it would be easier to shoot the entire body in a new coat of black and just paint right over the binding than it would be to tape off and paint the binding. In addition, it will still wear and expose the cream on the touch points, like where your arm goes over the body when playing. My thought is just leave the cream binding and cope with it, much easier/cheaper in the long run.

 

[Berberdeng]

Leather dyes like Fiebings or Angelus can be used to dye a fretboard black, but an Aerodyne should come with a black dyed rosewood board already. You can tape everything off in order to paint the back of the neck black - remove all of the hardware and take the neck off the body of course. The binding is regular plastic binding and would be a PITA to paint by itself, but it's doable. Honestly, it would be easier to shoot the entire body in a new coat of black and just paint right over the binding than it would be to tape off and paint the binding. In addition, it will still wear and expose the cream on the touch points, like where your arm goes over the body when playing. My thought is just leave the cream binding and cope with it, much easier/cheaper in the long run.

Do I need to sand anything down before painting or use and other technique? Or can I just slap it on there? Also I know most of the necks are already darkened but for some reason on newer models they’re not. The one I’m getting is a 2019 MIJ

 

[Beej]

For dyeing the fretboard, I tape off everything around it carefully, wipe it down with denatured alcohol (or thinner of some kind, careful not to touch any plastic or painted surfaces). After it dries, the dye can be applied as many times as needed in order to get the colour you want. You can then seal it in with something like a single application of tru-oil or what I prefer is fingerboard oil.

For the neck itself, tape off the fingerboard and the headstock (mind the holes) and then lightly scuff sand evenly over the surfaces you want painted. 220 is typical, but since it's a finished (clearcoated) neck, I'd go with 280 or 320 grit just to give the paint something to bite. Then spray it until it's even, let it dry and bob's your uncle.

If you want some support in the process, start a thread in the Luthier's Corner here and the gang will help you out along the way, it's a seriously excellent little community.

 

[Berberdeng]

For dyeing the fretboard, I tape off everything around it carefully, wipe it down with denatured alcohol (or thinner of some kind, careful not to touch any plastic or painted surfaces). After it dries, the dye can be applied as many times as needed in order to get the colour you want. You can then seal it in with something like a single application of tru-oil or what I prefer is fingerboard oil.

For the neck itself, tape off the fingerboard and the headstock (mind the holes) and then lightly scuff sand evenly over the surfaces you want painted. 220 is typical, but since it's a finished (clearcoated) neck, I'd go with 280 or 320 grit just to give the paint something to bite. Then spray it until it's even, let it dry and bob's your uncle.

If you want some support in the process, start a thread in the Luthier's Corner here and the gang will help you out along the way, it's a seriously excellent little community.

Thank you for the info! That is very helpful!