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Is it really necessary to polish your bass?

#4
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This stuff is great for fretboards.
 
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#5
100% lemon oil is excellent for fretboards

As to body and back of neck: Don't use much wax as that is just a dust/grime collector, but yes, a tiny bit of Pledge to clean it is fine, just do not leave residue. A slightly damp cloth lightly used is OK as long as the cloth is like really old, soft T-shirt. They sell "special" cloths for this, but I prefer an old T-shirt soft a butter. Make sure you do not rub very hard because any roughness in cloth can leave scratches or other surface marring.
All in all, a gentle wipe-down to all you need to get oils, sweat, other acidic body gunk off everything.
And no, there is no funk in gunk. There are however, dead skin cells, mucous and other nasty stuff.
Clean is easy.
 
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#7
well thanks for the help guys.. but i know this might be a weird addition to my question the bass I showed you guys i have.. it feels well.. like its covered with enough paint or finish? to where it doesnt feel like wood... like it would be pointless to rub oil into it.. as it wont reach the wood..

as opposed to a guitar like this Invalid Link Removed , while yes it is painted.. but you can still feel the wood.. and it could still benefit..
 
#9
I would wipe the neck after each use with a clean micro fiber towel to all the oils and grime left from my hands.
I would wipe the strings as well for the same reason w different towel.
The painted body parts I clean when I feel like it, before a gig maybe or at string change.

You don't need to clean and buff like a car unless you use overdrive.
 
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#10
stuntbass77 said:
Only if you want to get rid of the Mojo ;) I only did it with my Warwick's.
Click to expand...

Same thought. Only basses I felt it was imperative to clean and "treat" were my Warwicks with the the oil finishes. I do clean my other basses when they get mucked up enough (w/ Ernie Ball guitar polish), usually whenever I change the strings... but don't by any means feel it's necessary. I've never treated any bass necks with any kind of oils, and have heard conflicting opinions on lemon oil. Lots of people seem to thing they actually cause a neck to dry out. That sounds odd to me, and I don't really know, but what I do know is that I've owned some basses for over 20 years without ever doing anything to the necks, and they're fine. Come to think of it, I have a Warwick Fortress One with a very wooden wenge neck, that I never put anything on. It's fine. And it's close to 20 years old.

I think sometimes people worry obsessively over things they need not worry obsessively about. And sometimes people just like to take really good care of their belongings. I fall into the first category :), but not regarding my bass guitars.
 
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#13
Your bass is coated in poly - that's PLASTIC. To remove swirls is like polishing car headlights: you need grit to do it right. Most other costly instrument products only lift the grime off unless you rub like a madman; but if there's no grit (rosin, chalk, etc.) you'll get nowhere quick. Windex works just as well and is cheap and won't harm PLASTIC.

For the fretboard, just wipe it down. I have a 54 year old neck in front of me that I know the original owner of... He, I'm all that time, merely wiped after playing to remove grime. It is fine.

You can use a little lemon (flavored) oil now and again; just a dab. Smells nice. Lemon oil is just mineral oil with lemon scent added. It is not oil from lemons. 100% lemon oil is marketing BS.
 
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#17
JIO said:
It is more imperative to dress the fb with something so the wood won't dry out. (unless as some maple fb's is coated) Overly dry fb wood is not a good thing. There are commercially available products specifically for the fb.
Click to expand...
This is important. An overly dried fretboard can become so stiff that it renders the truss rod useless, not allowing for the adjustment of needed relief.
A couple of years ago, I tended to an acoustic guitar, on which the fretboard was so dried out, it required several applications of fretboard oil, before the fretboard was pliable enough to be adjusted.
 
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#18
I use feed and wax orange on the fretboard when it looks like it's drying out. That's about it. I'll clean everything off with a soft damp cloth every now and then when it looks like it needs it.

Here's a link to the feed and wax. Lakland suggests it for fingerboard conditioning and it's pretty easy to find at your local hardware store: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#19
Bajo Clarkko said:
This is important. An overly dried fretboard can become so stiff that it renders the truss rod useless, not allowing for the adjustment of needed relief.
A couple of years ago, I tended to an acoustic guitar, on which the fretboard was so dried out, it required several applications of fretboard oil, before the fretboard was pliable enough to be adjusted.
Click to expand...

I've heard this as well and was recommended to use "Dr. Ducks Axe Wax", its supposed to be great for everything on a guitar or bass, finished or unfinished, metal hardware, plastic knobs, even pickups!! I used it for 3 years living in a dessert climate so no drying out occurred with my fretboard, but i ran out unfortunately:(....
 

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