Gruuve Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Hey, the Sunday gig post made me think of something...last time I thought I had my bass nicely polished (while we're off-stage, the instruments sit on stands with lights right on them) but in seeing it sitting on stage, it looked aweful! There was oil from my hand and arm on the body and even some smears on the pick-guard (it's a flame-red Musicman Stingray5 with black pick-guard). I was appalled that my instrument looked so dirty in the light when I actually thought I had it clean! Anyway, any suggestions on what to clean and/or polish the bass with? Ideally, something that won't allow the human oil to adhere to it (don't know if there is such a thing!) L8r, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Just like grandma's furniture: http://www.hkepoch.bizland.com/image/showercap.jpg Maybe you could also make it smell like grandma's house. That'll keep other people from wanting to mess with it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted November 5, 2004 Author Share Posted November 5, 2004 ROTFLMAO Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 I might be getting that camera from my newspaper sales friend today. When I took the rig photo last night I saw my bass through it. It looked like it was long overdue for a WD40 rubdown. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 I like Alembic guitar polish. It does seem to help fingerprints from sticking and if you polish the back of the neck, it makes it feel faster. Any music store stocks several brands of guitar polish. There's nothing wrong with any of them. You could also use lemon oil. Or you could use an automotive product.Meguiar's makes a lot of good polishes. Use one with the lowest number possible unless you want to strip away a layer of your finish. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 For a serious cleaning, I like to get out the old car wax. Then follow the wax job with a few spritzes of PRS polish (as Jeremy said, you can use lots of others). The key, imo, is to do the final polish with a really good cloth. I use a Scotch Brite cloth that I buy in the optical dept. at the local Wal Mart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Or...... A very old t-shirt and lemon Pledge works just fine for me. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 A very old t-shirt and lemon Pledge works just fine for me. Ditto. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Like I said: WD40 for all painted or epoxy surfaces (and lemon oil on the board). WD40 can be had for dimes on the dollar compared to guitar-brand products; ironically I still don't de-crud the bass all that often. I do the fingerboard just as often, to be truthful. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Originally posted by CMDN: Or...... A very old t-shirt and lemon Pledge works just fine for me. Splitter! http://arago4.tn.utwente.nl/stonedead/movies/life-of-brian/thumbnails/08-popular-front.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 spit and polish. ask any soldier. make sure you buy him/her a beer as well and say "thank you". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuego Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Originally posted by jeremy c: ....Meguiar's makes a lot of good polishes. .I use the mist and wipe meguiar's makes, works pretty well. just use it every now and than 2 keep that shine there 2 blind ppl when am playin outside The basses -'04 MIM Jazz bass black -'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural -Peavey FuryII blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 I have used a cotton flannel cloth for many years, as per Dan Erlewine. However, recently I got a Planet Waves cleaning cloth, the one without chemicals. Seems soft enough, does the job well, and is washable. Perfect. Oh, and NO chemicals. Ever. I play the thing, and wipe it down when finished. Sometimes during play as well, if the gig affords the possibility. And my basses are clean. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by mattulator: A very old t-shirt and lemon Pledge works just fine for me. Ditto.Another ditto. The pledge is only needed on rare occasions. Wipe down the bass with an old cotton T after each use. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Anyone know what to do when you let your 4 year old play with your bass, and he puts a small ding in the back of the neck at the 5th fret? I polish my bass (finish, and hardware) when I change the strings. Right now I'm using Gibson polish, because that's what was in stock 3 years ago. On the hardware I use a special rag SWR provided with my cabinet to polish the grill; I never have though (polished the SWR). "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 http://phinixi.com/~greenboy-/MusicImage/LugPro.jpg Here's the ticket, boys. They look especially fetching on the "toilet-top" Musicman basses. Enjoy. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by 73 P Bass: Originally posted by greenboy: http://phinixi.com/~greenboy-/MusicImage/LugPro.jpg Here's the ticket, boys. They look especially fetching on the "toilet-top" Musicman basses. Enjoy.Is that a lefty strung righty? Hard to tell with the "shower-cap". "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by 73 P Bass: Anyone know what to do when you let your 4 year old play with your bass, and he puts a small ding in the back of the neck at the 5th fret? What can you do with a kid like that? Beat on the brat with a baseball bat. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I attended two workshops on setup at BP Live. The first was with Jon Herrera. He was pretty loose about what to use, saying the commercial guitar polishes should be fine. He recommended against regular furniture polish for lacquer/hard finishes. For the fretboard, he suggested boiled linseed oil or just a cloth. We didn't discuss epoxy/hard surfaces for fretless basses. It was suggested that #0000 steel wool could be used to clean up the board, and he warned that the bits of metal wool would end up in the pickups unless they were covered. His main message was that if you kep up with your instrument, you won't get to the point of needing steel wool (the topic of reconditioning an old bass wasn't the goal). The second workshop was with Joey Lauricella (Fodera) and Anthony Jackson. Jackson was a religious zealot when it comes to care of your instrument. I don't remember what they were using on the body (other than a cotton cloth, even a cotton shirt). Maybe it was standard guitar polish. One point that was made was that fingerprints left on the lacquer will etch into the lacquer over time. If you don't wipe down your instrument often enough, you ruin the finish. This hit me hard, as I have often gone long periods of time without even wiping the body with a dry cloth. For the fretboard, Lauricella advocated light steel wool (cover and protect the rest of the instrument) and mineral oil (like at the drug store). He uses a thin coat, lets it soak in a bit, and wipes it dry. Jackson Qtips in rubbing alcohol to clean the fretboard, followed by lemon oil, and suggested we go to the local home products store and get Formby's, or whatever brand. Leaving BPLive, I had been given guitar polish and a cloth, and new strings. The next night I bought the lemon oil and got to work (in the hotel). I took off the strings, took wet Qtips (alcohol seemed a bit severe to me, and the board wasn't that dirty) and cleaned the board. Then I worked the oil in, and polished the body. After adding the new strings, it felt like a new bass (it's only 2 years old!). Now I keep cloths in the case and wipe it down. I'm converted. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by jeremy c: Originally posted by 73 P Bass: Anyone know what to do when you let your 4 year old play with your bass, and he puts a small ding in the back of the neck at the 5th fret? What can you do with a kid like that? Beat on the brat with a baseball bat.Quinny is much too cute for such bad poetry! "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I hope you know that "beat on the brat" is a Ramones song. My favorite Ramones song. Meanwhile I'm surprised that no one has suggested that for a true funky sound you must wipe down your bass neck with either fried chicken or ribs. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by jeremy c: Meanwhile I'm surprised that no one has suggested that for a true funky sound you must wipe down your bass neck with either fried chicken or ribs.Or toejam. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I just never clean mine. It's fun to pull back on a string after aiming and hit the drummer in the eye with a chunk of gooberized effluvia. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Originally posted by greenboy: It's fun to pull back on a string after aiming and hit the drummer in the eye with a chunk of gooberized effluvia.Word. Plus, the drummer's seated -- easier target than the damn g****rist, who's jumpin' around like a MF, lookin' cool but sayin' nuthin'... Plus, if you miss the drummer, usually it's 'cause you hit one of her cymbals resulting in a delightful sound effect and some extra wipedown work for her later after the show. "gooberized effluvia" -- I've gotta remember that one for the future. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCunha Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Everyone knows you rub your bass down with fish oil! I kill me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Originally posted by jeremy c: I hope you know that "beat on the brat" is a Ramones song. My favorite Ramones song. Nope, missed it. I should have guessed though from the jr. high quality of it. OT here, but my Ramones Fav. is "Chinese Rocks". I don't think Dee Dee ever worried about cleaning his bass. "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 WWLD? spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Originally posted by Dr. Sweet Willie: WWLD?Can you do crystal meth. off a Rickenbaker? "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarsia Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Well personally I haved used regular rubbing alcohol for probably the last 20 yrs. both to clean the strings ( which is where this started, as a way to prolong the life..) then I noticed how well my cleaning cloth wiped up the smudges and also cleaned the metal finishes as well, Now I wouldn't suggest this for a Vintage instrument with an old Nitrocel. finish, but for anything with a Poly finish it'll be fine & actually most of my basses have had bare rosewood fretboards & I've never seen a problem. this all started from an old B.P. article I believe from Stanley Clarke about him using "Brut" cologne to clean his strings & he said " the smell was a benefit but it was the alcohol that did the work !" I'm Todbass62 on MySpace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 "Let's use method number fifty-three, hmm?" "Yes. Elegant, painful." "And it leaves nothing behind but the great smell of Brut." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.