Gee sorry dude, I wouldn't use it on my $125 bargain basses either. A damp rag with mild soap and a little elbow grease will clean just about anything off. Carry on YMMV IMHO WHATEV, etc.
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Crusty old basses
- Thread starter ThuzzleFump
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I'm fine with battle scars, they add character. Dirt? Eww, that has to be cleaned! What's the best thing to clean a fretboard with? When I look this up I get really conflicting answers.
I've been using it for years. As far as I can tell, it hasn't hurt anything and I've used it on poly, nitro, oil, and rattlecan finishes.
One of those soft round facialInvalid Link Removedthat they sell in the cosmetics aisle of your local drugstore work great too.
Yes I do. But, it's cheaper if you just buy a can of naptha, same stuff.
Naptha is great for removing oils and it's safe for most finishes. I wouldn't use it on a really old nitro finish, a newer one, no problem. Poly, no worries at all. Cleans rosewood very well with no residue.
So does Windex. Also on older poly finishes windex can leave white spots. I will only use windex to clean up a thick poly finish like a MIM Fender.
I'm with you 100% on that. I'm working on getting a Peavey MidiBase I got last year cleaned up in anticipation of a project, and it's *funky*. I'm talking "take the tuners off so I can get all the crap off the headstock" funky. Complicating matters are the split conductive frets with a plastic fretboard overlay, and the special spring-steel bridge that has strain gages mounted underneath. I have no idea how I'm going to get that bridge clean.
Naptha is what I use for grime, no issues so far. I get it as zippo fluid (put it onto the rag, not onto the instrument), or impregnated on cotton batting already i.e. Nevr-dull. I use it mostly to clean metal parts and frets (it works miracles on tarnish), and to clean the gunk off the fingerboard before re-oiling, but it is safe for the other parts, and they get a quick clean with it when they are too dirty for just water or a mild cleaner. I follow up with a microfiber to make sure i remove any excess or residue.
Due to its dehydrating nature, it doesn't get near fretboards unless I'm about to re-oil. I don't plan to use it on my one oil finished neck either.
Wow! That sounds challenging…
I'd crowdsource it on a Peavy or midi guitar specialist site. That sounds like something that's all to easy to pooch big time just poking around and making intelligent guesses. In my IT business, I've seen more laptops get ruined by clueless techs trying to "fix "them without knowing the manufacturer's specific "take apart" instructions for a given model.
I'd start by going directly to Peavey for advice - which is probably gonna be "take it to a qualified tech." Duh!
In the absence of solid service data, if it plays, I'd be inclined to just grit my teeth and leave it alone.
Luck!
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Then you'll love my '85 Ibby MC824.
Though I don't keep the crud on for authenticity, I just don't give a hoot.
I'll never understand the mindset of people who allow their instruments to gather filth. 
Like my guns & dirt bikes, I clean my basses after each use.
I've owned some of my basses for 20+ years & hundreds of gigs, and they still look like new.
Oh, and the only things I use are Dunlop polish, pure lemon oil, and the occasional small brush & soapy water (for initial deep-cleaning of pawnshop finds).
Like my guns & dirt bikes, I clean my basses after each use.
I've owned some of my basses for 20+ years & hundreds of gigs, and they still look like new.
Oh, and the only things I use are Dunlop polish, pure lemon oil, and the occasional small brush & soapy water (for initial deep-cleaning of pawnshop finds).
After having looked at it a little more closely, I'm actually not that worried about breaking anything on it except for the motherboard. Everything else I can fix/replace, but of course I'd rather avoid making more work for myself. I do appreciate the concern, though!
I heard an art restoration specialist on a radio interview and he said, "We use a mild enzymatic solution..." to clean paintings. In other words, spit.
My husband is a retired painter and knows how to do about everything with wood and finishes, so I go to him for advice. There are a lot ways to clean wood depending on the finish. I start with a mild cleaner like Murphy's Oil Soap, Dr. Bronner's (both soaps) or a diluted, gentle detergent cleaner. Probably the most important things to use are time and patience. And, obvious as it may seem, avoid sharp, rough and hard objects. Covering tool edges with thick cotton t-shirt fabric can help avoid disasters. I use tools with rounder edges, soft wooden tools, and the t-shirt. A bass with a "natural" finish, something like tung oil, is probably safest with one of the soaps, but always check with the bass manufacturer. You can also test a small out-of-the-way area, but let it dry fully before you continue.
To get back to the OP's question, I am not a germophobe yet I always appreciate getting a bass that's nice and spiffed up, and I'm a little disappointed to get a groty one. Downright annoyed when it's disgusting. There's no reason for that -- it's basic good manners and common sense. Duh.
No problems on TalkBass. Just got a beautiful bass from roccobass and I swear he waxed it and polished the chrome. That just creates good feelings and a positive experience.
ThuzzleFump appears to be very easily pleased
I "liked" the posts to acknowledge that people made them and I read them. Maybe it's too much. Fixed. No more offending yellow banners.
