Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Tru-Oil and Wax'd my Stingray neck....
- Thread starter JoshuaTSP
- Start date
From the EBMM site:
How do I maintain the neck on my new Music Man bass?
For everyday cleaning, use a small dose of high-grade lemon oil. For the fretboard, use Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes Fretboard Conditioner. If the neck is very dirty, give us a call or email us at [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Since the neck is finished only with gunstock oil and wax blend, it is more susceptible to humidity changes. An occasional truss rod adjustment will halp keep your bass playing factory-new. If you are getting fret buzz (plugged in only, of course) raise the action by turning the trussrod wheel counter-clockwise, to lower the action turn it clockwise.
An infrequent dose of gunstock oil will help to keep the neck maintained; we recommend and use Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, but any good quality gunstock oil will work. Clean neck first. Use a small amount of Tru-oil, leave it on for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a paper towel. Then apply Birchwood-Casey Gunstock Wax. Be sure to douse the paper towel with water before disposing of it! Read the wax and oil manufacturer's instructions regarding disposal of these used paper towels.
Birchwood-Casey products are available at most sporting goods or gun stores, or direct. Their web address is Invalid Link Removed.
Rosewood fingerboards should not be treated with gunstock oil; instead they should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil.
For cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. Keep in mind that if the dirt or grease has been worked into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend unless exercised with extremely fine sandpaper (1200-1600 grit), and even then very sparingly. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps!
Some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal on unfinished necks.
Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these oils or waxes.
How do I maintain the neck on my new Music Man bass?
For everyday cleaning, use a small dose of high-grade lemon oil. For the fretboard, use Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes Fretboard Conditioner. If the neck is very dirty, give us a call or email us at [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Since the neck is finished only with gunstock oil and wax blend, it is more susceptible to humidity changes. An occasional truss rod adjustment will halp keep your bass playing factory-new. If you are getting fret buzz (plugged in only, of course) raise the action by turning the trussrod wheel counter-clockwise, to lower the action turn it clockwise.
An infrequent dose of gunstock oil will help to keep the neck maintained; we recommend and use Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil, but any good quality gunstock oil will work. Clean neck first. Use a small amount of Tru-oil, leave it on for 5 minutes, then wipe it off with a paper towel. Then apply Birchwood-Casey Gunstock Wax. Be sure to douse the paper towel with water before disposing of it! Read the wax and oil manufacturer's instructions regarding disposal of these used paper towels.
Birchwood-Casey products are available at most sporting goods or gun stores, or direct. Their web address is Invalid Link Removed.
Rosewood fingerboards should not be treated with gunstock oil; instead they should be treated with a high grade of lemon oil.
For cleaning, try using the same high grade of lemon oil to clean the entire neck, both maple and rosewood fretboards. Keep in mind that if the dirt or grease has been worked into the wood, it cannot be removed except by sanding it down, which we do not recommend unless exercised with extremely fine sandpaper (1200-1600 grit), and even then very sparingly. It is better to keep it clean in the first place. Washing your hands first helps!
Some discoloration after many hours of playing is normal on unfinished necks.
Be sure to follow all of the manufacturers recommended safety precautions when using any of these oils or waxes.
Just play it a lot so your hand oils soak in
Totally agree. I'm not sure if those "oils" would help cleaning or making it harder to run my left-hand on the bass neck.
After doing some searching....it sounds like people are ditching their stingrays because of the instability of the neck. 
I wonder if this has to do with the lack of care and maintenance of the neck?
Certainly sounds like it.
I'm sure the necks are slightly more unstable then a finished neck, but if taken care of, I don't see how it could be a deal breaker?
I wonder if this has to do with the lack of care and maintenance of the neck?
Certainly sounds like it.
I'm sure the necks are slightly more unstable then a finished neck, but if taken care of, I don't see how it could be a deal breaker?
After doing some searching....it sounds like people are ditching their stingrays because of the instability of the neck.
I wonder if this has to do with the lack of care and maintenance of the neck?
Certainly sounds like it.
I'm sure the necks are slightly more unstable then a finished neck, but if taken care of, I don't see how it could be a deal breaker?
I know of people with dozens of EB Stingrays, and I never heard of anyone "ditching" one of those due to neck "instability." If anything, Stingray's are built like finely finished tanks and have rock-solid necks attached with 6 bolts.
I think the point of the Tru-Oil is to re-moisturize the neck,and the wax seals it in?
I do play it a lot....but just about any bass requires some maintenance......
The Tru-Oil is actually a mixture of tung, linseed, and gosh-what-else so it actually produces a protective, although not super-durable finish. I usually do about 3 coats with a rub-out between each. #0000 steel wool and/or well-worn ScotchBrite pads work nicely.
Riis
Say what?
I totally agree. My 'Ray seems super solid.
It was just one thread but a few people said they had to adjust their necks every two weeks. One guy even said his 'ray changed from case to stage!!
That's what I did.....minus the steel wool.
I applied the Tru-Oil 3 times in 5 min increments....wiping thoroughly after each coat with paper towel.
Then I applied one coat of the wax. It was tacky at first....but this morning it was silky smooth.
Close enough! A little bit of Tru-Oil goes a loooong way and its fairly forgiving during the rub-out. I use BriWax for the final treatment....suggested by Rob Elrick.
Riis
- Dec 5, 2002
- 4,165
- 2,254
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Ernie Ball Music Man/Sterling By Music Man
I must be playing different Music Man basses. Thing is, if you hang around long enough, you're going to find a thread about every single imaginable (and sometimes unimaginable) issue with every single bass.
If there were some sort of intrinsic stability issue with Stingray necks finished in oil and wax - and there isn't - then I'd imagine they'd go back to a poly finish. I have no idea how many Stingrays have been sold over the years, but I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of them are being played with no problems at all.
A few anecdotal comments by people who obsess over bass gear (I include myself) does not constitute a trend.
FWIW, I do the oil/wax treatment maybe once a year. Three to four coats of gunstock oil with light sanding between each coat (let it dry first, of course). Then a light coat of wax after which I hit it with a Scotchbrite. Smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom.
As far as the truss rod adjustments go, I've never had a bass (except for some graphite necked models) that didn't occasionally need a tweak. *shrugs* Maybe it's a bigger deal to some than it is to me?
Don't have a clue but I will say this: if you apply multiple coats with adequate dry / cure time between each, the resulting finish will last surprisingly long in most cases. If it starts to dull, just zap it with a small amt. of wax / steel wool to renew the luster. OTOH, I've found that an oil finish will not offer much protection in the presence of ongoing finger / thumb contact. Case in point: my walnut Cirrus looks great save for a certain area around the bridge pup where I rest my thumb. I really need to work on my floating thumb technique or install a ramp!
Riis
My old standby hunting gun has a hand applied Tru-oil finish. Did it myself 25 years ago. Trust me, ya aint got to worry about a thing. I'm not sure why y'all bother reapplying it, but I am unware of its use on a neck. Good stuff. And I love the way it smells. Petroluem aromatics. Yum!
