LeftyBassist.com

The online home for southpaw bassists.
It is currently March 28th, 2024, 9:12 am




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: cleaning a vintage bass
PostPosted: September 10th, 2012, 1:21 pm 
Offline

Joined: October 8th, 2009, 3:19 am
Posts: 860
Do you have any good products to use to clean dirt and grime off a vintage bass with a nitro finish. I received an early G&L L1000 bass, and while it has lots of cool mojo, it also has grime on the back of the neck and yellowing on the headstock and nut. In fact it smells a bit of cigarette smoke. Any good ideas for that?
Thanks! :)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: cleaning a vintage bass
PostPosted: September 10th, 2012, 2:31 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: March 14th, 2008, 10:57 am
Posts: 2865
learn to enjoy smoking cigars indoors? lol

I've never found anything to remove cig odor, but I do remember a discussion on it here from a year or two ago.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: cleaning a vintage bass
PostPosted: September 10th, 2012, 2:39 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 15th, 2009, 8:03 am
Posts: 1341
The smell is going to be the hard part... one of the better things to do is let the bass sit outside of its case, and leave the case open and exposed to fresh air for a really long time... it can take months. If you have an ionizer or air purifier in the same room, it'll help.

As far as a cleaner goes, this is the best stuff I've found...

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_s ... olish.html

You'll probably have to clean it several times over the course of a few weeks... a lot of times that muck and funk gets integrated with the silicone from old polishes and there's a gummy residue on your finish.

That polish will slowly break it down over time, but is gentle enough to not kill your nitro.

I'm sure people might have other great suggestions and miracle cures, but... patience and a gentle silicone-free quality polish is what I've always used.

_________________

F Bass BN5 • ZON Legacy Elite 5 • ZON Sonus Elite 5 Fretless • ZON Sonus BG5 • Fender Custom Shop '64 NOS Jazz • Fender Custom Shop '75 NOS Jazz • Fender ADE Precision • Music Man SR4


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: cleaning a vintage bass
PostPosted: September 11th, 2012, 1:14 pm 
Offline

Joined: October 8th, 2009, 3:19 am
Posts: 860
Thanks Addison I am going to give that a try :)
No AZWhoFan, I am not going to give that a try :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: cleaning a vintage bass
PostPosted: September 9th, 2013, 9:16 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 30th, 2013, 12:08 pm
Posts: 55
Thought I would share this for those that have this problem come up and for future reference.
At one time I had a side business buying, restoring, and selling antique furniture. More often than not, the finish would be coated with a greasy, grimy, sticky, layer of age old crude built up for decades. An old re-finisher/restorer gave me a tip to remove the goo. This may sound crazy but GoJo hand cleaner w/Lanolin works wonders. Very affordable, one $3 tub will last almost a lifetime for this application. Find it at most any auto parts store. It's the same stuff that mechanics use to clean their hands at the end of the day. It's amazing how it quickly and easily it cuts through the crude while leaving the original finish or bare wood and stain alone. Simple to use, just wipe it on with a soft cloth, light rub, wipe it off. A little bit goes a long way so don't gob it on. I wouldn't leave it on or let it soak, hoping it would dissolve all the goo in the first try either. It's a bit smelly so if that bothers you, find the citrus scented. It does leave a bit of a film so after getting the crude off, polish and wax.
Note: as with all cleaners try it in a small inconspicuous spot first. I've used this on all types of wood and finishes with excellent results.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group  
Design By Poker Bandits