will sweat destroy my bass?

[Bongolation]

Sweat will kill a pickup stone dead if it gets on exposed coil wires.

Happens all the time.

Even with potting and enamel wire coating, a literally microscopic nick in a coil wire's coating will admit enough to start corrosion going.

 

[Phalex]

My basses get the sweat washed off of them when the occasional drink gets spilled on them.

I wouldn't worry about the finish on the body as much as I'd worry about the residue on the neck. That might slow you down.

 

[Dbassmon]

you have a lot people paying a premium for road worn or vintage or relic'ed instruments. If that is what you mean when you say destroy your bass, then that is certainly all in how you look at it.

Its a bass, it's made to be played, not a museum piece. Sweat is good, new instrument = unplayed (bad)

 

[fhm555]

...you have a lot people paying a premium for road worn or vintage or relic'ed instruments...

Never understood the desire to claim someone else's sweat as their own.

 

[arsie]

Perspiration is actually pretty strong stuff when it comes to rusting metal.

 

[Bongolation]

Perspiration is actually pretty strong stuff when it comes to rusting metal.

About like seawater.

 

[BroKenSticKs]

If your sweat is very salty or or acidic it could corrode the bridge and hardware. When I was a guitar tech i had a customer that brought his guitars to me about every 3 to 6 months to replace the bridge (it was beyond salvaging). The guy's sweat must have been like battery acid or something.

My bridge is heavily corroded after a years worth of sweat. I don't mind so much with my roadworn bass, but i will definitely pay better attention to wiping down anything i don't want destroyed in the future.