Basic bass maintenance

[Jayf19]

Hello,

First off I'd like to say hello to everyone as I'm new to this forum! I've been lurking on and off for the past year since I started playing with a cheapo Vantage bass. Lately I've had the opportunity to strike a deal on a Sterling5 bass and I've fallen in love more than ever with bass playing.

Now I'm wondering what kind of maintenance I should do on the bass to keep it in top notch condition (keeping in mind that I have a maple neck and fretboard). Besides neck maintenance can you guys give me some advice on other things you do to make your beauty feel good? lol

I've done a couple of searches but haven't really found general info on the subject...

Thanks!

 

[Jeff 66]

This may be more basic than you are looking for, but one thing that you should get in the habit of doing is wiping off your strings after playing. I sometimes use a cloth with some alcohol on it, other times I just give them a good wipe down with a dry cloth.

It keeps my Sunbeams sounding fresher longer. YMMV.



I suppose this applies more to rounds than to flats, but still...

 

[joroched]

http://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com/akcndfr54jdhrei567/Ultimate_Guide_ver100.pdf

 

[Jayf19]

This may be more basic than you are looking for, but one thing that you should get in the habit of doing is wiping off your strings after playing. I sometimes use a cloth with some alcohol on it, other times I just give them a good wipe down with a dry cloth.

It keeps my Sunbeams sounding fresher longer. YMMV.



I suppose this applies more to rounds than to flats, but still...

All suggestions are welcome! I never did that before, so thanks for the tip!

http://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com/akcndfr54jdhrei567/Ultimate_Guide_ver100.pdf

Oh wow!! Thanks! It's very thorough and covers a lot of precise questions I had!

 

[lonote]

Learn to do a basic set-up and you'll always have a good sounding, easy playing instrument.

 

[Rockmusician]

I would not use alcohol. It will eventually eat away at the finish. Most paint removers are alcohol based.

Wipe your entire bass down after you play it. Clean the entire bass including the fretboard, nut and bridge every time you change strings. Use a good quality guitar polish for the wood parts. You said you have a maple fretboard but for those of you who have an ebony fretboard, use a good quality pure lemon oil. You can usually get this in a bath and body store. Apply the lemon oil with a cotton swab and use a new one when it becomes dirty. Allow the oil to sit on the fretboard for a half hour or so it will penetrate into the wood. Then wipe with a soft, lint free cloth. To clean the bridge and other metal parts, I use Flitz metal polish and a Dremel tool with a soft buffing wheel on it. Most importantly, invest in a good hard shell case if you haven't already done so.

 

[ehque]

I would not use alcohol. It will eventually eat away at the finish. Most paint removers are alcohol based.

Alcohol is not the agent responsible for the paint removing. However, alcohol can dry out unfinished woods like rosewood, so use carefully.

I only wipe my bass down properly when i change my strings, and that's once a year. I quickly wipe down the neck and body with microfiber cloth after some practices.