Cleaning your bass guitar may not have crossed your mind just yet but if you’re somebody who is regularly playing bass, and contemplating doing gigs soon, taking care of your instrument is something that should rank pretty high on your list of priorities.
Not only is a clean instrument aesthetically more pleasing but it’s also good for the life of the bass guitar. Just imagine practicing on bass with dirty frets and rusty strings, then close your eyes and imagine practicing on the same bass when it’s sparkling clean and has got fresh strings.
While putting on new strings every month may not be practical as they do tend to cost quite a bit but cleaning your instrument is relatively easy and something that won’t take much of your time either. It’s as important as learning to play chords on the bass and will do wonders for playability. Let’s get started, shall we!
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Cleaning Your Bass Guitar- With Easy Steps
Bass guitars are made out of wood and metal, and if you have been practicing non-stop on your instrument for months, or even played the frets casually, there can be quite a bit of dirt and oil buildup in the tight space between the frets and the brass pieces in between (that’s also called a fret!).
The frets will also get quite dirty- unless you’ve wiped the frets every time you’ve ever picked your guitar, they’re sure to get dirty.
You may also consider a quick trip to the music shop but trust me, doing minor repairs and occasional cleanups on your own can save you a lot of money in the long run. And needless to mention, you will also be learning a lot about your instrument in the process, so there’s really no reason not to clean your bass guitar on your own.
The maintenance should take you about half an hour at most, and if you aren’t doing string replacements, it should only take a couple of minutes.
This post is going to be all about ways you can get rid of all of that dirt and oil buildup on the frets of your bass guitar. Let’s get started, shall we?
A Bunch Of Things Before We Get Started
For the most, a bass guitar looks and feels quite similar to a typical guitar, so it should not come as a shock that the way you would clean a bass guitar is almost exactly the same way that you would care for any other guitar.
You do have a longer fretboard and much thicker strings, but other than that, the two instruments are pretty much the same when it comes to cleaning the parts. This just means that when you are trying to clean the bass guitar, you should pay attention to what you are doing as this can help you later on when you may need to clean guitars in the future.
You don’t really need much to get started, but a WD-40, some oil (for dabbing on your frets), and a clean cloth can come in very handy. I would highly recommend getting a nylon fiber cloth for polishing your bass guitar exterior.
Not only does a clean bass guitar feel good in your hands but you may also find the sound quality improves significantly! There is really no reason to not clean your instrument. Even if you would rather take a trip to the luthier, learning to take care of the bass guitar can come in really handy and it can even save you lots of money in the long run. Beyond just cleaning, selecting the right mini guitar amplifier can significantly enhance your practice sessions.
Let’s Get Cleaning
Cleaning a bass guitar isn’t a secret art, and there are some easy steps that you can follow in order to get a pretty clean instrument afterwards.
The way I like to clean my instruments- both bass and guitar is- I will first remove the strings from the tuning pegs, and take them off, then clean the fretboard, the body and finally- the hardware and electronics on the instrument. I will also get all the blemishes and scratches on the body and try to get my bass guitar looking as fresh as possible.
Most things don’t need much technical ability to get cleaned but if you spot something that could use help from an expert, you can always visit the local music shop for servicing your instrument. It usually doesn’t cost much, and with some luck, you will be able to walk away with an instrument that looks as good as new.
There aren’t many parts on a bass guitar, and these are the parts that we are going to be cleaning:
Strings
Strings are one of the key components of the bass guitar that contribute to the sound of the instrument more than any other parts. If you’ve got old strings or the strings have begun to show wear, they have probably lost brightness in tone as well.
If possible, you should try swapping your strings out with new ones every once in a while- at least for about three months.
The main cause of strings getting dirty is the oil and sweat that comes from your very own fingers. Regardless of how clean you think your hands and fingers are- we mammals have sweat glands in our body that secrete sweat. It isn’t that apparent when you just get started playing on an instrument, but over a period of many months, you will slowly realize that your fretboard (and strings) getting dirtier.
The best way to clean oil is soap- but that can ruin the wood material frets are made out of. So, it’s a good idea to take out the strings first, then dip the strings in soap- wait, that sounds like a terrible idea! Some players do recommend boiling old strings and claim that it brings new life to worn strings.
Personally, I have yet to notice a miraculous cure for old strings. You can also try cleaning strings with a good string cleaner. However, if your strings are beyond repair, you should replace them with new strings. Learning how to string an electric guitar properly is crucial to ensure optimal sound and playability after replacement.
I have also got a cleaning cloth which works great for polishing the varnish on my instrument. If you don’t have a soft cloth, just make sure that you aren’t rubbing too hard as you might get scratches on the body.
Body
The body of a bass guitar is something you should cherish- after all, it’s your favorite instrument, and if you don’t keep the instrument in a perfect state, it might lose its value in reselling. You probably don’t want to sell your instrument but keeping the instrument in good health and without scratches and dents should be your top priority.
There isn’t much to cleaning the body on a bass guitar but still, you should be careful not to damage the finish in the process. Needless to say, you should also make sure that you aren’t actually putting dust and grime on the body with your dirty hands – a quick rinse will make your hands clean.
Next, you should also grab a polish and try gently polishing the surface of your bass guitar body. The kind of finish and tonewoods you’ve got also matter when talking about the choice of polish. Linseed oil works quite well on my bass guitar but that may not be good for your instrument.
As for the cleaning motions, just wipe the body in a single gentle motion and wipe as many times as needed. If you do see tiny dents and don’t want that to mess with the looks, a visit to the luthier can do wonders for you. Personally, I keep great care of my instruments but sometimes, dents and scratches are unavailable- it’s not much of an issue for me- it just adds a bit of character to the instrument.
Hardware and Electronics
The hardware on your bass guitar may be something that doesn’t require much attention but you would still need to get back to it from time to time. But what do I mean by the hardware, exactly?
The hardware on your bass guitar entails the bridge, volume and tone knobs, tuning heads, and any metal or plastic parts that might be on the neck or body of your bass guitar. If it’s just a bit of dirt that has accumulated on your bass hardware, a soft cloth will do the trick. If you find that the brass hardware on your bass guitar is looking discolored, an inexpensive brass polish will also do the job.
As for cleaning the electronics, you shouldn’t get any liquid near your guitar pickups. Getting water or alcohol into the pickups can mess up the electronic components irreversibly. Even any pure alcohol that has gotten in can leave nasty residues that can cause problems.
Lastly, if the pickup covers on your bass are looking dull, you can simply take them off after removing the strings, then clean them or swap them out with fresh-looking replacements. This can give new life to your bass guitar.
The tuning pegs, essential for accurately tuning a bass guitar, can also be lubricated with a good lubricating agent like WD-40 if you feel like they are getting rusty. This helps with pretty much anything that’s stiff, and needs to move more, so getting WD-40 is always a good idea- will always come in handy in the future.
We are only talking about the looks of the bass guitar here but you can try changing the bass guitar pickups out with something that feels a bit brighter or darker depending on your taste.
Fretboard and Frets
After you’ve taken the strings off the bass guitar, it’s a good idea to clean the frets of the instrument properly. It’s not that hard but you should be gentle with your cleaning routine.
I find that the fretboard deserves the most care- because if you don’t like how it looks and feels on the fretboard, you won’t get better at the instrument. Lemon oil works great on instruments but not all woods work well with it- just check what kind of oil you have, and if it’s safe for your instrument. Usually, rosewood and ebony frets can be cleaned with pretty much any mineral oil without any issues.
If you have a maple fretboard, lemon oil is a bad idea. Just select an oil that works safely- get some of it on a soft clean cloth and wipe the frets with that. If there is excess oil on the frets, you should clean that off the frets too.
I find that a microfiber towel paired with steel wool also works nicely but you should ease up with the scrubbing. If you rub too hard, you can mess up the intonation on the frets.
A fret cleaning kit would also be great for cleaning the fretboard and I would recommend this one.
You may be tempted to use soap-based cleaner or detergents on the fingerboard as this can damage the wood on your bass guitar fretboard. For those seeking unique tonal qualities, understanding the characteristics and playability of a fretless bass can open new creative avenues.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning your bass guitar and keeping the components nice and shiny shouldn’t take much time. The tips on this post are all tried and tested, and if you are careful about what products you use and don’t let the components get dirty, you can prolong the freshness of your new bass guitar for a long time.
Personally, I don’t mind discolorations on hardware or the body but if you would like to cover that up, quick sprays will do the trick for you. But you should be careful about spraying directly on the wood as it’s not always the best idea to layer paints on top.
Not only does cleaning the bass guitar help you achieve a refined look but it will also serve as motivation for your practice of bass scales. While you are cleaning the parts of your instrument, changing the old strings with fresh ones is also a good idea as that can breathe new life into your bass guitar. I recommend getting a fret cleaning kit if you are serious about this.
If you are somebody who doesn’t pay much attention to tidy frets, you should certainly consider cleaning the frets regularly. This helps prevents excessive dirt and oil buildup on your instrument – and when you do decide to change the strings, you won’t be looking at a huge pile of dirt on your instrument.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lemon oil safe for cleaning the frets of my bass guitar?
Lemon oil can sometimes damage frets if the type of wood on your fingerboard is maple. Maple frets are usually finished in lacquer, so applying lemon oil or any other oil does nothing for the frets.
What household item can be used to clean my bass guitar?
If you’re in a pinch, you can use a few drops of white distilled vinegar with a soft clean cloth. It doesn’t damage the finish on the body of your bass guitar and doesn’t cost much as well.