basselfman Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I've noticed a very small amount of rust on the pick ups on one of my basses, it's gotten me thinking, what are must know tips in terms of looking after our basses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Keep 'em dry??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musashimonkey Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Don’t feed them after midnight??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coilte Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Following on from what TheGreek said....always keep them in their gig bag/cases...along with some silica gel sachets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbasspecial Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Don't drop 'em or let the guitarist hold it (same thing) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Don't let your wife/girlfriend/ significant other know that you just bought another. Safeguards the bass and your nads. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basselfman Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Musashimonkey said: Don’t feed them after midnight??? I should probs stop taking mine into the bath with me.. does anyone here do fretbored care like lemon oil? Or is it all just a con Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 I do oil rosewood fretboards with "Boiled Linseed Oil". Lemon Oil for fretboards might me ok, but I once tried to use it to oil and oil-finish body. The whole bottle disappeared and the body looked no different to the bare wood. So I stick with Linseed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 When the strings need changing it's time to sell it and buy another one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 16 minutes ago, Trueno said: When the strings need changing it's time to sell it and buy another one. I guess this is the solution for some folk, when you're looking at the bass and thinking, "I bought it for £70 and the strings cost £30 to replace. Plus £30 setup..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 47 minutes ago, basselfman said: does anyone here do fretbored care like lemon oil? Or is it all just a con IIRC you shouldn't use Lemon oil on Maple...can't remember why though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Just now, TheGreek said: IIRC you shouldn't use Lemon oil on Maple...can't remember why though. Maple fretboards are lacquered. So oil won't soak in. It'll just sit there on top as a greasy mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Keep it clean and, er, that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Coilte said: ...along with some silica gel sachets. Those sachets are excellent. Normally you'd just chuck them out, but you need to leave at least one or two in your case. They'll absorb any residue moisture from the strings, and generally keep the atmosphere in the case reasonable for the bass (or guitar). I also keep a bar towel in my case, handy for wiping any excess sweat or anything off the bass (or guitar), and also stops the bass moving around in the case (if it's an after market case). Edited February 17, 2018 by Skybone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 A tip for the OP - Very light surface rust can be removed by gently rubbing the screw head (or other chrome part) with a dry brillo pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basselfman Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 11 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said: A tip for the OP - Very light surface rust can be removed by gently rubbing the screw head (or other chrome part) with a dry brillo pad. Ah thanks cat, I just got some boiled linseed oil for the frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, basselfman said: I should probs stop taking mine into the bath with me.. does anyone here do fretbored care like lemon oil? Or is it all just a con I use lemon oil on my rosewood boards if I think that they're looking a bit dry ,maybe once a year. I also clean and polish my natural finished guitars and basses with Dunlop 65 if they're looking a bit grubby. For the solid colour finishes I just use a damp cloth. Edited February 17, 2018 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 If you've oiled the fingerboard, put the old strings back on for a few days playing otherwise you're nice shiny new ones will pick up all the leftover gunk you've not been able to clean off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Lemon oil on the rosewood board. Don't leave it in the car overnight. Always transport it in at least a gig bag. Put it on a stand. All the dings my Stingray has are due to me not doing the latter in the first couple of years I had it. There is some blackening to the pole pieces on the pickup on my Stingray, which I assume is oxidation of something other than Iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 As soon as your gig has finished, make sure your bass goes into the case first. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walshy Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 1 hour ago, steantval said: As soon as your gig has finished, make sure your bass goes into the case first. This 👍🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 I thought lemon oil cleans but dries out fretboards as it is mainly solvents? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) I bought a litre of proper lemon oil from an olde fashioned DIY store 25 years ago and there's still loads left. I absolutely detest scratches and dings, dongs or marks of any description and don't understand how some basses get in such a mess. Nitro finishes will age naturally but poly finishes are really hard wearing and I imagine it would take a lot to damage the finish. My bass is the last thing to get taken out of it's bag once everything else is set up and the first thing to go away. Once a year during a string change I take off all 4 at once instead of one at a time and treat the fretboard with the lemon oil, leave it for a minute then wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. I then clean the bass with car polish - I've been using the same bottle of dark blue Colour Magic since the mid 90s on all of my dark basses. This is the same time that I change the battery whether it needs to be change or not so I can concentrate on playing and not worrying about the battery going half way through a song. That's it - plus no one gets to touch it, let alone play it. It's coming up for 2 years old and still looks brand new Edited February 18, 2018 by Delberthot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 20 minutes ago, Delberthot said: I then clean the bass with car polish - I've been using the same bottle of dark blue Colour Magic since the mid 90s on all of my dark basses. Don't know what car polish @Delberthot is using, but don't ever use a silicone polish. Beware of car polish and certainly NEVER use spray silicone furniture polish, like "Mr Sheen" or "Pledge". The furniture industry curses spray polish as it wrecks the finish and makes it sticky and prone to attract dirt. Silicone is almost impossible to remove from the surface and will make it impossible to re-spray if you, or a future owner, ever needs to re-finish the bass. If you wish to clean a lacquered bass, simply wipe it over with a soft, damp cloth with a little detergent soap, and buff it up with an old towel. If there are sticky marks from stickers, use a little white-spirit to get that off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 I use Dunlop 65 on my poly finished basses, and WD40 on the fingerboards when I change strings (graphite necks) which makes them come up all nice and shiny. My other bass has a natural Tung Oil finish and apparently a wipe with a damp cloth is all that's needed, though I'm open to any suggestions as to a 'one shot' product I can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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