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Warwick Maintenance! help!

bill_banwell

bill_banwell

Oct 19, 2002
2,074
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England
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#1
Hi Guys, just a quick question about how to keep my 1990 Streamer Stage I, looking and feeling it's best in between gig's etc! mainly body and neck.. apart from the beeswax that Warwick provide you with on purchase of the bass, is there anything else that can keep the wood clean and smooth??

Many thanks in advance,

Bill.
 
#5
Besides waxing, you must clean the wood before applying it. Use paper towels and alcohol or naphtha and wipe the back of the neck and the body. You'll be surprised the amount of dirt that will come off. Then apply the wax and give it a good rub.

Also, don't forget the fingerboard, do the same procedure every time you change strings.

Otherwise you'll just wax dirt into the wood.
 
#7
bill_banwell said:
Hi Guys, just a quick question about how to keep my 1990 Streamer Stage I, looking and feeling it's best in between gig's etc! mainly body and neck.. apart from the beeswax that Warwick provide you with on purchase of the bass, is there anything else that can keep the wood clean and smooth??

Many thanks in advance,

Bill.
Click to expand...
You know what I have found to be a wonderful additional item to this waxing routine. No harsh chenicals. Melamine sponges. (Aka Mr clean magic erasers) used dry they are actually extremely mild abrasives (think like 50,000 grit) gently removes all the buildup and gunk and even removes the oxidisation from the frets. Leaves the surface with an almost polished sheen then wipe off the dust. wax as a sealant on the body only don't wax the neck. As a side note this works great to de - gloss poly neck backs also (the melamine)..
 
#8
Igor Porto said:
Besides waxing, you must clean the wood before applying it. Use paper towels and alcohol or naphtha and wipe the back of the neck and the body. You'll be surprised the amount of dirt that will come off. Then apply the wax and give it a good rub.

Also, don't forget the fingerboard, do the same procedure every time you change strings.

Otherwise you'll just wax dirt into the wood.
Click to expand...

Never, ever wax the neck or fingerboard!
 
#9
Thanks for the responses! i think i'm going to look into getting some rubbing alcohol or this Naphtha stuff I've been reading about.. i just want to keep the Maple wood dirt free, non sticky and feeling dry and smooth.. the back of the neck always seem's to feel quite sticky, and i'm trying to find that nice dry clean smooth feel!
 
#11
bill_banwell said:
Thanks for the responses! i think i'm going to look into getting some rubbing alcohol or this Naphtha stuff I've been reading about.. i just want to keep the Maple wood dirt free, non sticky and feeling dry and smooth.. the back of the neck always seem's to feel quite sticky, and i'm trying to find that nice dry clean smooth feel!
Click to expand...
Not rubbing alcohol!!! It contains water... not a good thing if you are trying to remove stains from wood. As this will simply carry the dirt into the woods by absorption instead used denatured alcohol or naphtha as previously described . The hope is that the dirt is only captured into the wax surface and the solvent NAPTHA or alcohol will remove the dirt along with the wax remove the stained wood surface with a mild abrasive as I described then reapply the wax to the now clean surface to protect it from further penetration.
 
#14
Also never never use a steel wool pad when cleaning wenge. The tiny pieces of metal will come off and get stuck in the tiny pores of the wood. Then when you play you feel every one of them cutting your fingertips.
Have you gone to the Warwick website? Several links there on what you're attempting to do. And as others say, they do know what they are talking about.
 
#15
mmbongo said:
Wax clogs the pores in the wenge and makes the neck messy and sticky. Warwick warns to NEVER wax the neck, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they're talking about :)
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't clog anything and Warwick never said that. In fact Warwick says the opposite!

Here's the paragraph on neck care extracted from the Warwick manual (applies to all models). It's on page 17.

"Tips for Neck Care

You can use our Warwick Beeswax for all necks treated with Natural Oil Finish. Apply the beeswax with a polishing cloth using circular movements. After applying wait 2 to 3 minutes and then remove the excess with a dry polishing cloth. The beeswax should be applied a minimum of two times per year, more depending on how frequently the instrument is played. A more frequent application of beeswax will keep your instrument looking great, as it ages over time. After playing clean the neck surface and fingerboard regularly with a dry polishing cloth."

You can download it here:

Invalid Link Removed

;)
 
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#17
Igor Porto said:
No, it doesn't clog anything and Warwick never said that. In fact Warwick says the opposite!

Here's the paragraph on neck care extracted from the Warwick manual (applies to all models). It's on page 17.

"Tips for Neck Care

You can use our Warwick Beeswax for all necks treated with Natural Oil Finish.

;)
Click to expand...

I says you 'can'. It does not say you should. That just means it won't void your warranty or turn you neck into sawdust. Elsewhere in the manual it says to not wax the neck, as the oils from your hands keeps it smooth. Fingerboard should be treated with normal fingerboard cleaner/oil.
 
#18
What neck / fingerboard woods are we talking about? Not being contentious, I'm just not sure what comes on the Stage I. My old Streamer Pro M had a 3 piece wenge neck and wenge fingerboard. I do recall having to knock-down the grain every so often with a ScotchBrite pad...such is the nature of wenge.

A great alternative is BriWax which was recommended by Rob Elrick.

Riis
 
#19
Wipe your bass down with Naptha before waxing. . . .very important to keep it clean.

The beeswax works great if used as directed but you must have a clean bass to start with.

If you want to darken your bass and not use beeswax you can use gun oil (TRUOIL) which works wonders on wood.

Or you can use any regular carnuba wax like McGuire's - as someone else mentioned earlier - just stay away from anything with silicone in it!

My Warwick Corvette$$ German is an amazingly beautiful bass. It's one of the few instruments I have that I keep spotless and shiny simply because it truly looks (and plays) like a work of art!!
 
#20
Quick response to OP...

The beeswax can be a little slow to work with. I have a '93 Stage I and found that getting any "butcher's block" type of wax works just as well and takes less time (less than half the time). It's more of a liquid than the thicker Warwick wax.

Also, I have to disagree with anyone who says that it chokes the pores of the instrument. The wax binds with the gunk jammed in the pores and the buffing process pulls the grime out (along with the wax)
 

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