Torben Hedstrøm Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I own an Elrick bass, which seems to be untreated wood (Maple top/ash back), what would be the best way to keep it in good shape ? (Cleaning/maintenance). Also, I am considering putting my basses on wall mounts... However, my livingroom is quite exposed to sunlight , and I am afraid this could affect the colour/grain of the wood in the instruments. Any thoughts ?. Cheers. Torben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 [quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1340611113' post='1706800'] I own an Elrick bass, which seems to be untreated wood (Maple top/ash back), what would be the best way to keep it in good shape ? (Cleaning/maintenance). Also, I am considering putting my basses on wall mounts... However, my livingroom is quite exposed to sunlight , and I am afraid this could affect the colour/grain of the wood in the instruments. Any thoughts ?. Cheers. Torben [/quote] Exposed to sunlight in Denmark! Are you sure? I don't know. When i have had maple fingerboard basses they have been more of a pain to keep in shape than rosewood. I know there are lots of things for cleaning rosewood but there are different schools of thought when it comes to Maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torben Hedstrøm Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Well, ok... Maybe it's more daylight really than sunlight. And perhaps I should be more worried about humidity-related issues than the figured wood fading... A pointer or two would still be appreciated though, as us people in the grey & rainy north are not really used to the effects of UV-radiation . ... In terms of cleaning, I am actually more worried about marks on the body (thumb resting above pickups etc.) than the fretboard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 As far as the body goes, I would contact Elrick and ask directly. If it is an oil or wax rubbed finish it should be easy enough to keep on top of. Just keep it clean and apply some more oil or wax every now and then. Any bass will eventually show signs of wear if it gets played a lot, but natural finishes are perhaps more prone to showing it more quickly than gloss finishes. Having it on a wall hanger shouldn't be a problem, but try to make sure it's out of direct sunlight, and not anywhere particularly hot/cold/damp etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 +1 to the above. Fingerboards seem to dry out more quickly in bright light, at least in my living room, which is sunny, British weather permitting, and relatively warm (but the basses are in a slightly cooler corner, protected by a curtain). My basses have rosewood and ebony fingerboards; I haven't had the opportunity to work on the ebony yet, but I've cleaned the rosewood ones with Fast Fret - it does say on the container that it's safe for fingerboards! - and they are now as smooth as new. The thin layer of mineral oil applied with the normal Fast Fret brush is completely absorbed after a couple of days max, and leaves no residue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 [quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1340652413' post='1707671'] +1 to the above. Fingerboards seem to dry out more quickly in bright light, at least in my living room, which is sunny, British weather permitting, and relatively warm (but the basses are in a slightly cooler corner, protected by a curtain). My basses have rosewood and ebony fingerboards; I haven't had the opportunity to work on the ebony yet, but I've cleaned the rosewood ones with Fast Fret - it does say on the container that it's safe for fingerboards! - and they are now as smooth as new. The thin layer of mineral oil applied with the normal Fast Fret brush is completely absorbed after a couple of days max, and leaves no residue. [/quote] Fast fret is safe for fretboards, but it's really designed for cleaning your strings. I think it just means that it won't have any detrimental affect when you inevitably get some on your fretboard! The best product to clean and moisturize your fretboard is lemon oil (although don't use it on maple). I use it every time I re-string. Another good product I use every time I re-string is Planet Waves Fret Polishing System, which is basically a pack of very, very fine abrasive cloths. Not only do they make your frets nice and shiny, but regular fret polishing will help to reduce obvious, localised fret wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Yup, very true. I know that Fast Fret is a shortcut, in a way, and using lemon oil is the done thing, but I find that FF is all right, and quick, and slightly less hassle, for a fingerboard that's simply a bit dry as opposed to needing an overhaul. Incidentally, the directions on the Fast Fret container state the following: "Rub stick firmly over strings and fingerboard, before and after playing", which seems to imply more than just getting a bit of oil on the wood while cleaning the strings. I knew about the fret polishing cloths. I need to buy some, in fact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Danish oil? ...I'll get me coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circle_of_Fifths Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 [quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1340636371' post='1707378'] Well, ok... Maybe it's more daylight really than sunlight. And perhaps I should be more worried about humidity-related issues than the figured wood fading... A pointer or two would still be appreciated though, as us people in the grey & rainy north are not really used to the effects of UV-radiation . ... In terms of cleaning, I am actually more worried about marks on the body (thumb resting above pickups etc.) than the fretboard... [/quote] Light - sunlight or otherwise that comes through glass is almost devoid of UV - it's more of the IR that you're getting and if you have dual-pane windows, then even less of the UV is gonna make the trip. Fast Fret according to the label, is mostly white mineral oil, so you're safe with it on the fingerboard. I really question that any of the wood is truly naked though. It's just too risky for humidity factors to warp the finished (or in this case: unfinished) body and/or neck. True lemon oil is very acidic, and as such it is usually a [u]lemon fragrance[/u] that's in it - same with orange oil. The main/basic ingredient is (again) mineral oil. So ---- there's either a conspiracy afoot, or mineral oil is the product of choice to protect the wood. Just be careful that you don't soak things too much or there can be some very undesirable side effects that you don't want to happen. On my Ibanez SR500, I haven't yet used any oil, but I have righteously waxed the be-jabbers out of it with pure carnauba paste wax. Many applications. Many times. Lots of wax build up. Lots of shine now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.