How to clean a bass

[selowitch]

You call it “not cleaning your basses.”
I call it “an organic relic job.”


Guitar cleaning products are like haircare products in that most of them are probably not necessary.

 

[OregonJim]

People are going to tell you that you unequivocally MUST have a thin coat of lemon-flavored oil on your board at all times or it will splinter like a ship against the rocks.

All of them will be sitting on furniture made of wood, in houses made of wood, with doors and trim made of wood and they will never give any thought about why none of that stuff splits into pieces without regularly smearing lemon oil on any of it.

All that wood that you mentioned has been sealed with paint or some other finish. Have you never seen what happens to the wood on an unfinished fence, porch or barn? Cracks/splits/warping galore...

 

[Peteyboy]

Since I've apparently become a compulsive hand-washer my basses stay much cleaner.

 

[Kael]

Someone recommended steel wool. Don't use that. Steel particles can get in magnetic pickups and trash them. Just get a lint free cloth and wipe it off. Periodically oil the fingerboard if it gets thirsty. I think I still have an ancient bottle of Dr Ducks axe wax I used for that.

 

[aprod]

I have been using Dr Duck's for years. Great product, safe for all finishes.
Ducks Deluxe : Dr.Duck's Ax Wax & String Lube : World Headquarters

 

[/\/\3phist0]

All that wood that you mentioned has been sealed with paint or some other finish. Have you never seen what happens to the wood on an unfinished fence, porch or barn? Cracks/splits/warping galore...

Is your fence made of rosewood?

Do you expose your fretboard to:
Sun, acid rain, snow, wide humidity swings, huge temperature swings?
The framework supporting your home doesn't get sealed,will last for 100s of years. The undersides of floorboards don't get finished.

If you are going to make an analogy make a valid one.

The undersides, and insides of furniture is NOT finished or sealed.
Ever see antiques roadshow? Seems like there is plenty of raw woodworks that are several hundred(s) of years old, and have held up well.

The majority of the moisture is lost from endgrain (the vascular system of the plant.) Sealing the endgrain is a preventative method that is far more effective over time than an oil film on the surface.
Oil is not "moisture"
Oil softens and weakens the fibers.
"Lemon oil" is mineral oil with acids and solvents.
Oiled wood holds dirt/dust.

Oil as a sealer, as a cosmetic facelift is fine just don't buy into the marketing hype.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

The most important; change strings frequently and get/keep the gunk off your fretboard. I prefer 0000 steel wool to get the crap off the fretboard and polish up the frets. I then will wipe down all painted surfaces with turtle wax. There’s a lot of other stuff I do, but what I’ve outlined is what I’d consider the bare minimum.

I oil a fingerboard once upon purchase with a VERY light coat of oil, on/off super quick. And never do it again. Rosewood just doesn’t need it, it’s oily enough.

If you’ve got a maple board and it’s still shiny, you can just pull the strings and clean the gunk off with a terrycloth and some of that turtle wax.

I polish/wipe down the finish with a spray all the timeand give it a good wash every string change. keeps it beautiful & shiny! and gets the gunk build up at bay, I played a friends bass once & was appalled at that gunk on his bass!! I try not to get all ocd on it, but I'll wipe off the strings with Fast fretor a string cleaner after every session! the fretboard gets a wipe or oiled when it looks dry or once a year.frets get a gromite polish at that time,too.
I avoid getting too finnicky, but like most I gross out at others neglect! like my friends filthy bass so I kinda went nuts on mine after! like when you get in someones filthy car, and you over clean yours after!

 

[Jared Houseman]

I just wipe down the body with a little bit of alcohol to remove fingerprints. I try to wipe my strings down after I play if I remember. I rarely clean my fingerboards but will wipe them down with a slightly damp rag when they get too grimy.

On my fretlesses/uprights ill go over the finger board with high grit sand paper (usually 800 then 1500) to polish out any groves worn in by the strings. Its not really necessary unless you have plastic fret lines that wear slower than the wood around them.

 

[NikosP75]

Steel Wool is for the frets, not sure why it will get into the electronics of the bass. After polishing the frets with it a simple magnet will remove all the metal dusting extremely fast and with hardly any effort. A wipe with a little bit of fretboard oil and then a clean cloth, and you are golden.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Steel Wool is for the frets, not sure why it will get into the electronics of the bass. After polishing the frets with it a simple magnet will remove all the metal dusting extremely fast and with hardly any effort. A wipe with a little bit of fretboard oil and then a clean cloth, and you are golden.

Explain the advantage of steel wool over synthetic ?

 

[GreyBeard]

I realized that I barely ever clean my basses. I dust them once every couple weeks, but that's about it.
I used to have a cleaning kit in the form of a sponge that you rubbed against the strings and the neck. It had some alcohol to dissolve patina and then a wax. It did give back some "zing" to my bass, but I also felt that it built wax on the strings. I ran out and can't say I miss it.

Are there cleaning habits that you'd recommend to keep an instrument in top shape?

My cleaning habits are similar to yours. I clean mine when I change strings and that is about it.

 

[NikosP75]

Explain the advantage of steel wool over synthetic ?

None, I have used steel wool because it was available to me and a magnet because there are plenty on the fridge.....

 

[baileyboy]

... change strings frequently...

I don't do this...

...keep the gunk off your fretboard...with a terrycloth...

...but I do this each time I play.

 

[Matty Koff]

I personally just stocked up on a bunch of music nomad stuff. The first thing of theirs I tried is their string fuel. Kind of smells like a Pina Colada, which I enjoy, but it both cleans and lubes my strings, which they also provide a cloth to wipe off the excess. Strings end up lasting longer, and it's less friction on your fingertips too.

For maple laminate fretboards I usually just use what I would clean the body with, for unfinished boards they have their F-ONE oil. If my fretboard is looking dry/chalky I will pour a little bit on to a rag and wipe down every fret and then come back and do it again with dry cloth to wipe off the excess just to make it pretty.

I use their "ONE" formula for gloss finishes for my guitars and basses.. and then I bought their "Detailer" to try with my Nitrosatin P-bass the next time I change its strings. Usually, I would just use a lightly damp cloth followed by a dry cloth on a satin finish, but I got curious.

In the past I've used Dunlop's cleaning stuff. Like 6 different cleaners in one pack or something. Just as good as anything else I've used.

I pretty much give a good thorough cleaning everytime I change the strings. And then if I'm mindful I wipe my strings down with the String fuel before and after playing. Other than that the dead flesh and dust that collects tends to stay there until the next string change.

There are plenty of options for guitar polish and cleaner.. just make sure you know what kind of finish your instrument has. Some chemicals may not play well with various finish types.

At the same time.. I've certainly allowed my fair share of gunk and funk to coat my strings for periods of time.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

None, I have used steel wool because it was available to me and a magnet because there are plenty on the fridge.....

I tend to avoid things that have drawbacks, with no advantage .
I also counsel against things that can cause damage, especially when there is an alternative.
I cannot tell you how many old basses that have furry magnets and pole pieces rusting steel wool fragments that I've cleaned up over the decades.
People aren't always careful with the cleaning. A pickguard when rubbed with a dry cloth builds up a negative charge, and will attract the fragments.
A rusty sliver left behind can get under the skin, tetanus?
You CAN use steel wool. It's just not optimal, is easily avoided.
An eraser works well to polish frets.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

When I change strings, in addition to checking my set up, i clean the body with a piece of old T shirt and a little windex. Since all my basses have rosewood ebony or PF boards I wipe them down with a slightly dampened piece of old T shirt followed by a dry piece of same. If frets are looking dull i’ll hit them with a used green scotchbrite pad followed by some polish on a rag then buff with a clean cloth.
Other than that, any used bass that comes into my possession gets completely broken down and all components scrubbed and sanitized, then put back together with new strings and a complete set up.

I got a funny story about a bass I won on Ebay many years ago, I t was around Hurricane Katrina time.I was all excited to recieve it, and when I got it it was in rough shape, a little more than what was shown in the photos.of course it was so bad. I figured it would be Okay with a little cleaning & elbow grease! but upon closer inspection It was filthy! it had a thin layer of film and gunk in the usual places, I grossed out so I disassembled the entire bass to give it a deep cleansing!I was shocked at the amount of filth i found! caked up ketchup under the pickups! I even found sesame seeds under the bridge! I got so appalled I decided to repaint the bass. stipped the paint washed with Napatha & replaced the neck since it had dings & some gouges. I shoulve returned it, but I got it at such a cheap deal I decided it was easier to keep it& avoid the hassle! I nick named it the flood Bass "Katrina"! it took a lot of work but came out real well! MY new #1! got a really great warmoth reverse tele neck,Wenge/EbonyFB! love that Neck!!

 

[NikosP75]

I tend to avoid things that have drawbacks, with no advantage .

I said I don't see an advantage, never saw a drawback either though. I am happy with the results I get from steel wool and the extra 5 seconds it takes me to run the magnet over the fretboard don't bother me.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I said I don't see an advantage, never saw a drawback either though. I am happy with the results I get from steel wool and the extra 5 seconds it takes me to run the magnet over the fretboard don't bother me.

I'm not picking on you do what you want:
It is yours.
I'm information / experience / fact sharing for the silent readership.

 

[jza57]

Jaco cleaned his basses with fried chicken grease on his hands . Really helped his glissando .

 

[fhm555]

I got a funny story about a bass I won on Ebay many years ago, I t was around Hurricane Katrina time.I was all excited to recieve it, and when I got it it was in rough shape, a little more than what was shown in the photos.of course it was so bad. I figured it would be Okay with a little cleaning & elbow grease! but upon closer inspection It was filthy! it had a thin layer of film and gunk in the usual places, I grossed out so I disassembled the entire bass to give it a deep cleansing!I was shocked at the amount of filth i found! caked up ketchup under the pickups! I even found sesame seeds under the bridge! I got so appalled I decided to repaint the bass. stipped the paint washed with Napatha & replaced the neck since it had dings & some gouges. I shoulve returned it, but I got it at such a cheap deal I decided it was easier to keep it& avoid the hassle! I nick named it the flood Bass "Katrina"! it took a lot of work but came out real well! MY new #1! got a really great warmoth reverse tele neck,Wenge/EbonyFB! love that Neck!!

I got an old p bass from a pawnshop dirt cheap because it had no output when plugged in. It was covered in some kind of sticky stuff with lint hair etc stuck all over it. I thought it was black but when I got it home and started cleaning the gunk off, it was dark brown and was in really good shape. While I had it apart i found the wires from the pickup had been snipped just above where they were soldered to the pot, so I fixed that and replaced The pickguard since it was broken and taped back together just ahead of the jack. When I got done, it looked and played great.