Detailing a bass

[notalent]

So I just bought a used bass, and it is pretty dirty. It was used as one of the main basses for a touring muscisian and has a grime along the frets, in the bridge, and a greyish streak on the back of the neck where your hand rests.

I'd like to take it all down: remove the string, tuners, bridge, and clean everything. I know which cleaners to use on the wood--but for cleaning the chrome parts what's the best way?

Has anyone else done this sort of deep cleaning?

[Steveaux]

Alcohol.

[VroomVroom]

For cleaning, I'd use an all-purpose/general cleaner. Something like Meguiar's APC, Four Star White Lightning, etc.... I avoid Simple Green at all costs. It leaves a filmy residue that's very difficult to remove. Dilute the cleaner 3:1 (or so...you can use it 'straight', but you're really just wasting product at that point unless the grime is baked on) and use a nylon brush for agitation.

If you're OCD (like me), you can use an automotive sealant or wax to protect the chrome. All of this stuff, as you can guess, can be found at your favorite discount auto parts store. Lots of common ground between cleaning, polishing, and protecting when it comes to vehicles and basses.

Good luck and have fun with it. I enjoy this process, even if I'm usually the only one who notices the results.

EDIT
Should've added... you can certainly use your favorite chrome/metal polish on stubborn bits, and paint polishes work great too. I actually prefer the latter as they (generally) polish via abrasives as opposed to chemicals. It makes working in tight spots and on small pieces a bit easier.

[notalent]

Originally Posted by VroomVroom

paint polishes work great too. I actually prefer the latter as they (generally) polish via abrasives as opposed to chemicals. It makes working in tight spots and on small pieces a bit easier.

Which polishes do you use? I have a pretty god bit of detailing stuff for my cars (rotary polisher, different grades of polishes, waxes...) But I would be afraid to get out the large rotary to work on the bass. Is there something reasonably priced I can attach to my drill?

[VroomVroom]

Alright...we're speaking the same language. You should be able to work by hand - if the plating is damaged enough to require machine polishing, it's probably worth considering having the item blasted and re-dipped.

My recent favorites are Meguiar's #105 & #205. Both work great by hand - especially so on chrome - and #205 finishes beautifully. My go-to sealant for durability is Four Star UPP. Two coats with 24 hours curing time in-between, and the chrome will be protected for at least a year.

For the clear on bodies I tend to start with Meg's Scratch-X. It's very gentle, and is designed to be used by hand. It breaks down very cleanly, and is very effective on light scratches and swirling. You can certainly get more aggressive if needed, but then it definitely becomes a case-by-case thing. For instruments in need of more work I also like Menzerna polishes, mostly because they utilize the same size of micro-abrasives throughout their product line. Makes it very easy to gauge the effort required, and even easier to jewel down to a perfect finish.

Speaking to your drill - if you want to go this route - Craftsman (and others, I'm sure) offer jeweler's rouge kits that can do some wonderful things to correct mild etching (i.e. sweat stains) in metal finishes. You have to be careful on chrome/nickel, as plating is a different animal than, say, polished stainless or aluminum, but the results can be stunning. I'd probably save this as a last-ditch effort...basically if you're pretty much resigned to having the item replated, and otherwise couldn't make things any worse.

I hope that helps. I don't want to bore you to tears or go off on a tangent, but I could talk detailing all day.

[notalent]

Thanks for all the great info! Once I jump into the project I'll update this thread with questions!