Is this mold or ancient 80s buffing compound?

[Mrtoodamnsabre]

Bought an old 80s Sabre and have found white residue in some spots, it smells like a basement sorta, I just chalked it up to a bad case, haven’t taken off the neck cavity but I did notice similar white residue around there between the neck and the pickguard.

but this pickup lever is absolutely covered in it, I’d imagine if it were mold it would be all over the preamp.

if it’s mold what do I do? Should I return it? Neck seems to be in good working order doesn’t seem warped or anything, plays good, doesn’t buzz or anything

 

[two fingers]

Literally put the bass (with the control cavity open) in the sun for a few minutes when you can. Then wipe out the "stuff" with a damp cloth and leave it open to dry.

The sun kills everything....smells, bacteria, mold, whatever.

 

[two fingers]

And, by the way..... 80s is "ancient"????

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Bought an old 80s Sabre and have found white residue in some spots, it smells like a basement sorta, I just chalked it up to a bad case, haven’t taken off the neck cavity but I did notice similar white residue around there between the neck and the pickguard.

but this pickup lever is absolutely covered in it, I’d imagine if it were mold it would be all over the preamp.

if it’s mold what do I do? Should I return it? Neck seems to be in good working order doesn’t seem warped or anything, plays good, doesn’t buzz or anything

The white stuff on the switch housing looks like normal corrosion of the aluminum part. No big deal, it's not hurting anything. You can scrub it off if you want to.

White powder in the neck pocket gap is probably buffing compound residue. Someone probably buffed it up fairly recently.

 

[Mrtoodamnsabre]

Didn’t know aluminum corroded white! Thanks so much! That’s a huge relief!

The white stuff on the switch housing looks like normal corrosion of the aluminum part. No big deal, it's not hurting anything. You can scrub it off if you want to.

White powder in the neck pocket gap is probably buffing compound residue. Someone probably buffed it up fairly recently.

 

[Mrtoodamnsabre]

And, by the way..... 80s is "ancient"????

I say it as a joke, as me and this bass are as old as one another

 

[Mastodon2]

Literally put the bass (with the control cavity open) in the sun for a few minutes when you can. Then wipe out the "stuff" with a damp cloth and leave it open to dry.

The sun kills everything....smells, bacteria, mold, whatever.

Having worked as a microbiologist once upon time, the above unfortunately isn't true. Many bacteria and molds are hardy enough to withstand extended periods of dryness and UV light exposure that they'd get from being outdoors and even if you can get rid of the surface 'bloom', mold and some bacteria are spore-forming, so they can regenerate from those spores again once suitable conditions present themselves.

If the bass genuinely is moldy, I'd give the affected areas a wash with an anti-mold treatment and then air them out to evaporate off any moisture.

 

[two fingers]

Having worked as a microbiologist once upon time, the above unfortunately isn't true. Many bacteria and molds are hardy enough to withstand extended periods of dryness and UV light exposure that they'd get from being outdoors and even if you can get rid of the surface 'bloom', mold and some bacteria are spore-forming, so they can regenerate from those spores again once suitable conditions present themselves.

If the bass genuinely is moldy, I'd give the affected areas a wash with an anti-mold treatment and then air them out to evaporate off any moisture.

I'm going to defer to you on that. I'm sure there are some molds than can withstand sun. That said, I have never encountered one. I've had moldy bass cases, briefcases, flower pots that mainly were in shade, etc. Setting them in the sun always did the trick. It even gets rids of smoke smell in plush case lining. I'm sure I'm not coming across the variety of molds you've encountered.

 

[lug]

DON"T TOUCH IT! That may look like mold, but it's actually mojo incarnate! Extremely valuable!

 

[tpaul]

fact

DON"T TOUCH IT! That may look like mold, but it's actually mojo incarnate! Extremely valuable!

Sorry to disillusion you, but there ain't no white mojo.

 

[lug]

Sorry to disillusion you, but there ain't no white mojo.

 

[B-Mac]

Bought an old 80s Sabre and have found white residue in some spots, it smells like a basement sorta, I just chalked it up to a bad case, haven’t taken off the neck cavity but I did notice similar white residue around there between the neck and the pickguard.

but this pickup lever is absolutely covered in it, I’d imagine if it were mold it would be all over the preamp.

if it’s mold what do I do? Should I return it? Neck seems to be in good working order doesn’t seem warped or anything, plays good, doesn’t buzz or anything

Mold has a noticeable smell.

 

[Funkinthetrunk]

And, by the way..... 80s is "ancient"????

Damn, I must be prehistoric then.

 

[tpaul]

Damn, I must be prehistoric then.

I predate technology, according to my kids.

 

[DanAdams]

White vinegar takes care of almost all molds quickly and effectively. Plus it's non toxic, safe for surfaces, and almost free.

 

[WG Plum]

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

I've always thought "nuke it in place" would be the only way to really be sure. Nothing leaves.

 

[Killing Floor]

I’d sell it in the TB classified or by DM to @Killing Floor for an extreme discount. It’s not safe to have in your possession. That’s brain eating amoeba for sure. Only trust a specially trained bass removal expert. Save yourself.

 

[dalkowski]

weight?

 

[P. Aaron]

I predate technology, according to my kids.

Let me introduce you to Keith Richards.