Bass+Corrosion Problem (Seeking Advice)
 

Hello TalkBass Friends!
I Call to you for some help, my bass is deteriorating and I don't know why.
I had my Infinity closed in her premium Rockcase for 4 to 5 months.
At that time I was buried in my university studies, didn't have a band anyway so she was just sleeping for all that time.
The case was kept at a corner of my apartment that has no heating or humidity of any kind near it.
So it is safe to say that the bass was kept safe... so I thought.

When I took my bass out for a jam after all that time, its tuners where almost rotten, had a green goo on them that when I tried to remove it, it took away the tuner's black paint with it.
I decided to take it to the Warwick dealer nearby, give it a nice setup (and also change the D tuner which had a problem long before this issue).



He claimed that this is totally normal and it happens to all warwick hardware, mostly on gold.
So I just cleaned all the goo off and since this was not messing with my playing, kept it like that.

After a month, this plague has spread on all metal parts of my bass.




It is really weird, even on the lowest parts of the bass that have the max distance from where the problem started (tuners).




At first, I was thinking: "I'll just change the other 3 tuners too...".
Now I have to change the WHOLE hardware!

What worries me the most is what is happening on the fretboard (tried to picture it the best I can):



It is like it is now affecting the fretboard's wood also.
The metal parts I can change, but this is destroying my lovely bass.

The only product I have used for maintenance is the original Warwick Wax, nothing more and have always taken care of it. Why is this happening? What can I do to stop it?
Can this rust hurt the wood close to it?

I am not a paranoid person that want his instruments to be forever like on the first day of purchase, but I don't like this.

Please help!!!

The parts are brass. They're oxidizing and turning green.

My guess is the salt from the air is causing this, carried with the wind. You're surrounded by water- if it was fresh water, this wouldn't happen.

The metals react to the salt and you should be able to remove this by disassembling the affected parts and wiping them with a damp cloth- distilled water would be a good thing. Once they're clean and dry, I would inspect them closely for damage that affects their operation. If the damage is only cosmetic, it's your call about replacing them.

Gold plated parts do have some problems with wear, but usually from not being cleaned after direct contact with skin, sweat and clothing. Nickel-plated parts seem to last longer.

You can remove the deposits on the frets using mild abrasives, like Scotch Brite or steel wool, but I don't know what's available where you are. Clean the fretboard with mineral spirits, let it dry completely (you won't be able to smell it if it's dry) and wax it. You might want to talk to someone who does instrument repairs, too- I would be surprised if they haven't seen this before and they should know what to do.

syndroam - I agree with 1958Bassman, as I responded to you on the other forum. What your experiencing is corrosion from salt in the air. Your instrument needs to be wiped down, dried completely, and if you're going to be storing it for many months - I'd get a hardcase rather than gig-bag. The environment should be cool and dry for best results. I hope this helps...best of luck.

I used Scratch-X and Q-tips to clean the corrosion off of my Streamer's metal parts after I bought it, but they're the gold hardware.