Adrian, decide whether you want to finish in spirit or oil varnish. Make certain there is not a single open crack or seam on the entire bass! Strip the rest of the bass, because you will never match it. Oil varnish is easier to apply, but is much slower; spirit is more difficult to apply, but is much faster. When applying oil varnish you should wear a respirator. As far as durability, oil varnish is more flexible and chips less. Spirit is easier to build quickly and to touch up. You can't go wrong with the products by Hammerl; over here they are sold by International Violin and Metropolitan Music. Any oil varnish you buy will require some thinning. Hammerl's tints work well, and mix right into the varnish, but plan on 10-20 coats to get to the color you want. Buy the best brushes you can find and take great care of them. As the saying goes, "It takes 10 years to make a good violin-maker, then he spends the rest of his life figuring out how to varnish the damn things". Good luck.
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