Strings off....what now?

[Journey55]

I just took my string off my bass so they could get clean (first time cleaning them) I was wondering if it'd be a good idea to seize this opportunity and clean the rest of the bass......and how/with what?

 

[mmbongo]

I always lemon oil the board (assuming it's not maple) and polish the frets while the strings are off.

 

[Bassamatic]

Polish the bass, chrome, etc. with a good auto polish. Use a soft toothbrush to clean all the crevices. I even take the bridge apart to clean and polish under all the bridge parts. Same around the tuners. It makes a big difference!

 

[Pilgrim]

Buy some guitar polish at a local music store and use it. Even better, if you can get Virtuoso cleaner and Virtuoso polish, use them. Virtuoso Premium Polish and Cleaner - Home

I'm one of the "dead string" fans, so IMO you don't need to clean strings....I leave them on forever and don't mess with them.

 

[Ubersheist]

For cleaning grit off the fingerboard and the back of the neck, I use spit. Seriously. It works good. Sometimes I use the oil rub that the manufacturer gave me for one of my basses. Other then that, I've never done anything to them other then dust them when they get lonely and unused. One of the basses is a 40 year old bass, too, and it's still in great shape and plays wonderfully.

 

[fearceol]

For cleaning grit off the fingerboard and the back of the neck, I use spit. Seriously. It works good. Sometimes I use the oil rub that the manufacturer gave me for one of my basses. Other then that, I've never done anything to them other then dust them when they get lonely and unused. One of the basses is a 40 year old bass, too, and it's still in great shape and plays wonderfully.

+1. I wash my hands each time I pick up the bass. So, a quick wipe with a damp cloth on the fretboard is sufficient. I can never understand how some people manage to get all kinds of dirt and gunk on the FB. The strings I usually wipe down with denatured alcohol (taking care to protect the FB) after playing. Makes them last longer.