Bass Guitar Care Tips

Ibanez Electric Bass

Part work of art, part mechanical feat, the electric bass guitar is a musical instrument mastered by few but admired by many. The bass can require a more exacting technique than an electric guitar, and arguments abound regarding the virtuosity of its players, such as Claypool, Wooten, Entwhistle and Flea. While they can range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, it should not be its cost you place as paramount, but rather the magic that can happen when a well cared-for instrument meets a master.

Storage

Don't expose your bass to extreme temperatures, excessive dryness or humidity, because these all can harm your wooden instrument. The optimum storage condition is relative low humidity, with a temperature around 70 degrees. Keep it in its case when you're not using it.

Travel

For gig travel, transport the bass in a hard shell case to protect it. Loosen the tuning knobs a bit to take pressure off the neck before taking off for the show.

Cleaning

The dust, dirt and sweat of the night club scene exposes your bass to some less-than-clean conditions. During play, it's a good idea to have a sweat cloth nearby to wipe away perspiration. After each gig, take a few moments to wipe down the instrument with a chamois cloth. Go over the body, neck, headstock, fingerboards, tuners, pickups and bridge. The strings need particular attention, as they can rust.

At Home Clean-Up

Maintain your bass at home by keeping the wood polished. Use a clean dry cloth and guitar polish. Do not use products designed for furniture, and never use an abrasive. Use a dry cloth on the pickups, but because they can accumulate a lot of dust, you may need to use cotton swabs to thoroughly clean them. For the hardware (bridge, strap pins, tuning heads), clean with a dry cloth. For the fingerboard, remove the strings and use a drop or two of lemon oil or fingerboard oil applied with a clean cloth. Be sure to remove excess oils. You can clean the frets with a mild jewelry cleaner.

Strings

Bass Strings

Clean the strings individually with a guitar string cleaner. Change your strings regularly--how frequently depends on how often you play. If you're playing daily, you can expect to change your strings a couple of times a month. Replace one string at a time to avoid undue tension release and resulting stress on the bass neck and bridge. Be careful when removing strings so that you do not scratch your instrument.

References

• Media Web
• Bass Notes
• Peavey