Twincam Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Picked up a bass. Disgusting strings and manky fretboard. Not the worst I've seen but still a bit gross. Totally unadjusted truss rod too. Why would anyone not change strings or not clean the bass every now and then. I certainly wouldn't sell a bass in such condition. Last year I bought a bass that no joke I had to put bleach on the neck to get the stink out. Dried it very carefully and oiled it after, it was fine. But you should of seen the sh*t that came out of the neck wood it ruined multiple tea towels (gf was not amused lol) Oh and I once had to scrap the sh*t off an epiphone fretboard once too. bork! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 In my younger years I never looked after my bass, it was gunk-city - or even gunk-sub-continent - on the fretboard/bridge. I`m now the other way, I change my strings every month and clean the bass at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I rarely change strings but i do give the fretboard a decent clean fairly regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I try to make sure my hands are broadly clean before I play (i.e. Not having just scoffed some greasy burger etc). But sometimes a really sweaty hot gig will kill my strings and leave the bass all smeared with forearm sweat. In which case, damp cloth all over bass, new strings and a quick lemon oil of fretboard for good measure usually puts things right. I've had a few secondhand basses with verdigris on the fretboard and green mank around the frets. Sorted with careful use of a sharp knife and a few baby wipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Wire wool is good on Warwick frets - I find Dettox spray good for cleaning off dirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I bought one 2nd hand bass that had smell of cigerette smoke and it took several cleans to finally get rid of it but other than that one i've not had any bad experiences. I completely clean top to bottom when i change strings and usually wipe the bass down during and after a gig especially if sweating. Like to keep the neck and strings dry and clean when playing. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1490430012' post='3265045'] Wire wool is good on Warwick frets - I find Dettox spray good for cleaning off dirt [/quote] I tend to use a little bit of brasso wadding (use to be duraglit) on my warwick frets. Not heavy hande but just enough to clean them as they do dull down and tarnish a bit. Luthier in Edinburgh at McIntyre Guitars told me to use Briwax on my Thumb NT instead of warwick beeswax as it isn't sticky and gives a nice clean and smooth polish. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) You put bleach on the fretboard/neck of a bass. ??!! Edited March 25, 2017 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Some people think it's cool to not look after their guitars, kind of a "relic" vibe. "A good workman looks after his tools" says a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceebass Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1490430181' post='3265047'] I bought one 2nd hand bass that had smell of cigerette smoke and it took several cleans to finally get rid of it but other than that one i've not had any bad experiences. I completely clean top to bottom when i change strings and usually wipe the bass down during and after a gig especially if sweating. Like to keep the neck and strings dry and clean when playing. [/quote] Me too. Mine still smells of ash tray on hot days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbiigg Kev Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 If you buy a bass in a sh*te condition, be that maintenance or whatever isn't it reflected in the price ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Luckily my hands don't get sweaty when gigging, which means I don't have to change my strings very often, or scrape muck off my fretboard. But my brother-in-law has toxic, acid dripping off his fingers. I let him play my bass for 5 mins and when I got it back the strings felt like they've been covered with a mix of treacle and sand.......disgusting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1490431989' post='3265065'] Some people think it's cool to not look after their guitars, kind of a "relic" vibe.[/quote] True...the famous quote.."the funk is in the gunk"...by James Jamerson, springs to mind. Personally, I'm with the OP here. I can't understand why/how people let so much gunk build up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I bought a Yamaha lead guitar (just to noodle on a couple of bits) and it was described as needing work as it wouldn't stay in tune so was a price reasonable for its condition. The tuning was simple to fix and turned out to just be loose tremolo springs allowing the bridge to rise as you tuned it. But the fretboard was something else, each fret had six dimples in a sea of grot. It must have been a couple of millimetres thick in places and you could see a line in it where the string touched. It was gross. I used a spray foam cleaner designed for car dashboards. It worked a treat but the first couple of sprays went from white to brown in a quite revolting way! As I said it was cheap so I was happy to do the work and with a quick dress down and a good reoil it is looking as good as new, if not better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1490436095' post='3265103'] Luckily my hands don't get sweaty when gigging, which means I don't have to change my strings very often, or scrape muck off my fretboard. But my brother-in-law has toxic, acid dripping off his fingers. I let him play my bass for 5 mins and when I got it back the strings felt like they've been covered with a mix of treacle and sand.......disgusting! [/quote] My wife is the same. I went over to Elixirs on our acoustic guitars because it was just too dispiriting to change our strings, put nice shiny pros bronze strings on and watch as she picked it up, played one G chord and put the guitar down with dull brown marks across the strings in a perfect neck grab and G chord position... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted March 25, 2017 Author Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1490431626' post='3265060'] You put bleach on the fretboard/neck of a bass. ??!! [/quote] Oh yeah! Zero bad effects so far too. I will say that this was a old bass and not worth much and it had a ski jump in the neck anyhow. I wouldn't do it on any bass but then again the stink from the fretboard was extreme! And I had tried everything else. The wood came up really nice after being re oiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Old toothbrushes have a multitude of uses. Never throw them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 On the fretboards i use similar alcohol wipes to those used in hospitals. They can be used on skin too. They clean away all the greasy deposits and then i normally use a bit of linseed oil on the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lo-E Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 When I was younger (and had fewer basses) I would spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing my basses. Life is busier now and I'm not nearly as diligent about cleaning or even changing strings. That said, I still rotate through the arsenal regularly and make sure everything is relatively clean and in working order. If a bass is filthy or in unplayable condition, why have it? There is a certain level of stewardship required in owning a musical instrument, IMO. As far as selling an instrument goes, I would never put a bass up for sale without first cleaning and polishing it, giving it a fresh set of strings and doing a full setup. It's just common sense: you'll get a better return from a bass that looks and plays great than you will from a bass that looks like it was dragged through a swamp behind a tractor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lo-E Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='Number6' timestamp='1490453171' post='3265249'] On the fretboards i use similar alcohol wipes to those used in hospitals. They can be used on skin too. They clean away all the greasy deposits and then i normally use a bit of linseed oil on the board. [/quote] I used to use alcohol, but it tends to dry fingerboards out. I would guess that the wipes don't saturate it enough for it to be much of a problem, though. My method of choice is naphtha (lighter fluid) and a soft toothbrush followed by a couple of drops of pure lemon oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 As we are on the subject of fretboard cleaning...has anyone tried "Gorgomite" ? It claims to clean both fretboard and frets...[i]at the same time !![/i] This eliminates the need for masking the board when cleaning the frets ? http://gorgomyte.com/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1490430181' post='3265047'] I bought one 2nd hand bass that had smell of cigerette smoke and it took several cleans to finally get rid of it but other than that one i've not had any bad experiences. I completely clean top to bottom when i change strings and usually wipe the bass down during and after a gig especially if sweating. Like to keep the neck and strings dry and clean when playing. Dave [/quote] I bought a Wal in terrible condition - opened the case to an almighty stench of stale tobacco - pretty much indicative of how the bass had been looked after - needless to say it went back to the previous owner (in much better condition). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocker Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Last year I saw a Squier P Bass in a charity shop, it absolutely reeked of curry. Even for the asking price of 80 Euro, I would have to get it home, disassemble it, clean it and fit new strings. The smell put me off. One can only speculate on the standard of hygiene in the previous owners house/flat/bedsit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) - Edited February 28, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterT Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 I now won't pick the bass up after handling garlic or onions. I've done it, washed my hands, even scrubbed with lemon juice, it still gets in the strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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