Two Questions

In_Da_Groove · #1 12-26-2009, 11:21 PM

I hope this is the right place to post these questions, on the back of the neck of my bass the wood seems like its getting a little dry what can I put on it too add a little moisture. Also there are some fingure prints on my pick ups that are not coming off when I try to just wipe it with a cloth what can I clean them with??? Thanks for reading...

slyjoe · #2 12-27-2009, 06:44 AM

That's 3 questions, assuming question 1 is whether or not this is the right place.

What type of finish is on the neck?

I haven't heard of fingerprints not coming off with just a cloth - sorry.

Meatrus · #3 12-27-2009, 06:46 AM

Its hard to say about the wood drying without knowing what type of finish, or bass it is. My guess based on nothing at the moment, is its not dry and its just a spot where your hand rubs it when playing maybe?

The fingerprints on the pickups: do you mean the pole pieces of the pickups? If so I guess it will be the grease/sweat from your fingers which has corroded onto them. If it is this just a tiny bit of 3 in 1 oil on a cloth should get it off. If that doesent work you may want to try sanding with something like a scotch pad, I wouldnt use normal steel wool as the magnets in the pups will attract bits of it.

Hope this helps, its as best as I can do without knowing more, like what bass/finish, and where the prints are.

In_Da_Groove · #4 12-27-2009, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the reply's, the bass is a musicman sterling the fingure board of the neck is rosewood and the back is maple. It could be in my head but the back of the neck seems dry, I have other basses that have a maple neck and it does not seem as dry, I dunno I am not to knowledgeable when it comes to woods but its just not one spot the whole back of the neck seems a lil dryer then usual, maybe its just the finish? Any input would be appreciated. Also I kinda have ocd when it comes to keeping my basses clean lol these prints r driving me nuts!!! They are located on the magnets of the pickups, I just got the bass and it was a floor model it was kinda messy before I had the salesmen clean it up. I do no the bass was there for awhile and the only reason why I purchased it was because I got a great deal on it.

NKUSigEp · #5 12-27-2009, 03:23 PM

I've always used Old English furniture polish for years with great results. Some swear by neat's foot oil or boiled linseed oil. There's a lot of stuff out there that works pretty well. As for your pickups, a little warm water and a drop or two of soap should get rid of the smudges. If not, try some rubbing alcohol or acetone BUT be EXTREMELY careful with this stuff! You can (and probably will) ruin the finish of your bass and/or ruin the gloss on the pickup!

Bobster · #6 12-27-2009, 03:50 PM

Here's a very good video specifically for cleaning EBMM rosewood fretboard necks.

http://www.ernieball.com/forums/musi...ple-necks.html

Meatrus · #7 12-27-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by In_Da_Groove

Thanks for the reply's, the bass is a musicman sterling the fingure board of the neck is rosewood and the back is maple. It could be in my head but the back of the neck seems dry, I have other basses that have a maple neck and it does not seem as dry, I dunno I am not to knowledgeable when it comes to woods but its just not one spot the whole back of the neck seems a lil dryer then usual, maybe its just the finish? Any input would be appreciated. Also I kinda have ocd when it comes to keeping my basses clean lol these prints r driving me nuts!!! They are located on the magnets of the pickups, I just got the bass and it was a floor model it was kinda messy before I had the salesmen clean it up. I do no the bass was there for awhile and the only reason why I purchased it was because I got a great deal on it.

I get you, I would leave the neck alone, sounds to me like it will just be a patch of finish which has worn thinner. I have never heard of oiling the back of your neck, and I think it would be next to useless to do so as the finish will stop it penetrating anyway.

The finger prints on the pole pieces sound like what I thought, and quite common. A good scrubbing with a little oil on a wrag should do it. If not do as I advised earlier (a fine abrasive of some kind). I would guess its corrosion you have (no big deal) and not just dirt/oil, but you will know if the oil doesn't work.

walterw · #8 12-27-2009, 08:55 PM

yikes, keep acetone away from your guitar! it will instantly melt any plastic or finish.

"cleaning" with 3-in-one oil sounds odd too, as you'd just be leaving a film of oil that you would then need to use something else to clean off.

also, furniture polish leaves thing like wax and silicone on the guitar, not good things for stuff that gets handled constantly, unlike tables and chairs. it also makes future finish repairs way harder.

a little bit of water on a paper towel can work wonders, and doesn't damage anything or leave anything behind.

what do you mean by "dry", anyway? that doesn't really make sense.

NKUSigEp · #9 12-27-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

yikes, keep acetone away from your guitar! it will instantly melt any plastic or finish.

Yeah, probably best to heed this advice. If you're on TB asking, you probably don't have the expertise needed for the job. I (stupidly) forgot to mention DO NOT use it on the plastic at all, only the metal parts.

My previous post was in regards to oiling the fretboard as well...the back of the neck shouldn't require anything as it is finished unless someone sanded or stripped it. What do you mean by "it feels dry"?

Pilgrim · #10 12-27-2009, 09:59 PM

Short answer - don't mess with the back of the neck. Necks don't get "dry".

Don't get acetone anywhere near a bass; it may damage the finish, and it will almost certainly damage any plastics it comes in contact with.

Oil is a bad idea - it attracts dust. Any oil film you leave behind will turn into a dust magnet.

Steel wool should never be used on or near pickups - the magnets in the pickups will gather all kinds of small metal pieces from the steel wool - very bad combination.

If there are marks on the pickups, you could try a damp (NOT wet) towel as mentioned above - rub them and you will basically just get abrasive action from the towel you use. Dry the surface well afterwards.

If you can post pictures it will help. But if you have some marks on exposed pole pieces, it really doesn't hurt anything. If they are slightly oxidized or rusty you could possibly use something like a Scotchgard pad to rub them (it's made of non-magnetic material), but you stand a good chance of leaving scratch marks on the pickup covers when you do it.

Bobster · #11 12-27-2009, 10:08 PM

Guys, MusicMan Sterling necks have an oil finish. Check the video I mention in the earlier post.

Tru-Oil and Gunstock Wax are the recommended things to rejuvenate the neck.

Thanks

Pilgrim · #12 12-27-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobster

Guys, MusicMan Sterling necks have an oil finish. Check the video I mention in the earlier post.

Tru-Oil and Gunstock Wax are the recommended things to rejuvenate the neck.

Thanks

Just to follow up - if I interpret correctly, which I may not - none of the oil finishes mentioned above leave an oily residue similar to that left by lubricating oil. Very different things.

That said, I like Tru-Oil but it's not just oil. It's a mixture of linseed oil and varnish, and it dries to a hard shell finish. Other common woodworking oils like WATCO (Danish Oil) absorb and leave no residue. Most oil finishes will cause some color shift in the wood. I would not normally use them on a bass or guitar neck in the circumstances above - they're likely to cause the neck being two different colors. Better to let it wear normally.

Bobster · #13 12-27-2009, 10:40 PM

Hi Pilgrim,

This is taken directly from the FAQ at MusicMan. Here's the link: http://www.music-man.com/faq/music-m...-man-bass.html

How do I maintain the neck on my new Music Man bass?
For everyday cleaning, use a small dose of high-grade lemon oil. For the fretboard, use Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes Fretboard Conditioner. If the neck is very dirty, give us a call or email us at musicman_customerservice@ernieball.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Since the neck is finished only with gunstock oil and wax blend, it is more susceptible to humidity changes. An occasional truss rod adjustment will halp keep your bass playing factory-new. If you are getting fret buzz (plugged in only, of course) raise the action by turning the trussrod wheel counter-clockwise, to lower the action turn it clockwise.

An infrequent dose of gunstock oil will help to keep the neck maintained; we recommend and use Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, but any good quality gunstock oil will work. Clean neck first. Use a small amount of Tru-oil, leave it on for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a paper towel. Then apply Birchwood-Casey Gunstock Wax. Be sure to douse the paper towel with water before disposing of it! Read the wax and oil manufacturer's instructions regarding disposal of these used paper towels.

Birchwood-Casey products are available at most sporting goods or gun stores, or direct. Their web address is http://www.birchwoodcasey.com.

Rosewood fingerboards should not be treated with gunstock oil; instead they should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil.

For cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. Keep in mind that if the dirt or grease has been worked into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend unless exercised with extremely fine sandpaper (1200-1600 grit), and even then very sparingly. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps!

Some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal on unfinished necks.

Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these oils or waxes.

Meatrus · #14 12-28-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Short answer - don't mess with the back of the neck. Necks don't get "dry".

Don't get acetone anywhere near a bass; it may damage the finish, and it will almost certainly damage any plastics it comes in contact with.

Oil is a bad idea - it attracts dust. Any oil film you leave behind will turn into a dust magnet.

Steel wool should never be used on or near pickups - the magnets in the pickups will gather all kinds of small metal pieces from the steel wool - very bad combination.

If there are marks on the pickups, you could try a damp (NOT wet) towel as mentioned above - rub them and you will basically just get abrasive action from the towel you use. Dry the surface well afterwards.

If you can post pictures it will help. But if you have some marks on exposed pole pieces, it really doesn't hurt anything. If they are slightly oxidized or rusty you could possibly use something like a Scotchgard pad to rub them (it's made of non-magnetic material), but you stand a good chance of leaving scratch marks on the pickup covers when you do it.

That last suggestion seems familiar

! And I don't think anyone suggested steel wool, you just repeated what I said again about it being a bad thing.

If you don't use oil like an idiot it wont attract dust, I said a tiny amount. I use it all the time on guns worth many times the value of a Stingray, and obviously a dust magnet wouldn't be good in this situation. Some oils will attract dust badly, WD40 for one, I normally use something a bit more specialist for the guns, but if I'm out of that 3 in 1 is a good substitute.

Not everyone is completely incompetent, and I see no reason why something that can be a risk if you are shouldn't be suggested.