I sweat battery acid----Icky bridge.

[DONUT]

Nice thread title,huh? Anywhoo, the bridge on my main bass is so corroded that the saddle height screws won't turn let alone even hold the correct size wrench anymore. I realize that I might need to buy new bridge parts,or maybe the whole thing. What is the best course of action to take it apart and clean things up a bit? I fear that they might have corroded too much to even save some of them at this point. Most of the moving parts are rusted frozen. Nice,huh?

Does anybody else have this problem? This bass is only a few years old.

 

If it makes a difference,the bridge is a Hipshot. Aluminum.

[Fuego]

hummmm u could dip it in some solvent like CLR or Limeaway, but the stuff is very powerful. If ya buy u new bridge u could put another hipshot but put some sort of protection on it,,,maybe laquer parts of the bridge that arent goin 2 move anytime soon or clear spray paint.

 

Fuego

[Mr. Phil]

What metal is the bridge made out of?

 

The bridge that is on my 5 string is a die cast (steel I guess) and the only thing that is slightly corroding are the screw heads holding the bridge on.

 

Also on both Ibanez basses I have the screw heads and ferrules for the neck joint are slightly corroded.

 

If you have a solvent like what was mentioned, try that first. If that doesn't work, get a new bridge.

 

I suggest Carvin. The top-loading feature is awesome once you use it for the first time.

[Fuego]

just thought,,,maybe coke would work on the corroded parts. not sure if thats true or not. Also WD40 will work well on it am sure of and it smells good lol

 

Fuego

[Mr. Phil]

Originally posted by Fuego333:

just thought,,,maybe coke would work on the corroded parts.

i'm pretty sure thats just a myth... I don't Coke is that acidic. Is it?

[DONUT]

The bridge itself is aluminum. Its a Hipshot B type. The shine is wearing off,but i don't care about that. Its the actual adjustment screws that concern me.They froze at the right time because everything plays fine. But,when I need to adjust,it'll be tough going. I probably will end up buying the replacements from WD or Allparts or even MIke Lull if they are available ( I don't know If you have to buy the whole bridge or not.) I was just wondering if there was something I can use to clean all the rust off to see where i'm at as far as what is salvageable or not.

 

Do some of you have to take bridges apart to clean them every now and then to make sure that the parts don't deteriorate?

[DONUT]

Will WD40 work? The Coke idea concerns me.

[73 P Bass]

Take the bridge off the bass and soak it in a thread loosening solvent. Worse comes to worse you can leverage the saddle screws from the back side with pliers (try and keep them on threads you don't need!).

Wipe your bass down after playing. EVERY TIME!

I worked as a bicycle mechanic for many years, and customers would come in and say "yeah I know I have really corrosive sweat, but no I don't wipe my bike down after every ride, why are my cranks corroded? Why aren't my shifters working? Why do my brakes stick?".

Hmmm.... I wonder?

I have a $2000 frame in my basement that might be trash because the rider never looked it over every now and again. The kicker is it is not the first frame his sweat has destroyed (he destroyed a $2500 carbon fiber frame 3 years ago)!

[Fuego]

wow now that sucks! 2000 bucks on a bike frame than wham! need a new one. guess am lucky that nothing corroded on me never excepts batteries. Phil,,,i think coke isnt acidic i think its a base, maybe lol besides the point! yea dont try coke, even tho its great 2 drink b4 jammin (:

 

Fuego

[Mr. Phil]

F**k soda, drink water!!

 

H2O!!!!

[73 P Bass]

Originally posted by Fuego333:

wow now that sucks! 2000 bucks on a bike frame than wham! need a new one. guess am lucky that nothing corroded on me never excepts batteries. Phil,,,i think coke isnt acidic i think its a base, maybe lol besides the point! yea dont try coke, even tho its great 2 drink b4 jammin (:

 

Fuego

Cyclist make Bass Players look like penny pinchers when it comes to GAS.

[bubba upright]

Originally posted by 73 P Bass:

Take the bridge off the bass and soak it in a thread loosening solvent. Worse comes to worse you can leverage the saddle screws from the back side with pliers (try and keep them on threads you don't need!).

Wipe your bass down after playing. EVERY TIME!

Brilliant advice! I'm always amazed at how folks will let their hardware go to crap when a simple towel works great.

 

Also, when you're finished cleaning your current bridge (or after installing a new bridge) wipe the saddles, springs and screws down with a little 3-in-1 oil. Get in the habit of applying small amounts every few months or so.

[DONUT]

Well,thats what I'm going to try. Thanks for the advice. Its not the bridge itself that is rusty. I clean my bass after every gig. Its mostly the saddle height screws that are hard to get at. The bridge itself is shiny and nice.

 

Believe me. After a gig my bass is pretty nasty and I'm not going to start out the next night with a greasy mess.

 

But if I have to take it apart every once in a while to clean the parts,so be it. I think my sweat is very acidic. Strings are a problem sometimes as well. And yes,I do wash my hands and wipe my strings. Maybe its my diet. Its not the best. Who knows. Thanks again.