The New Standard Bass - Care of Your New Bass

Care of Your New Bass

Congratulations on your purchase. To ensure in many years of enjoyment, please follow these important suggestions for keeping your instrument playable and healthy.

FINGERBOARD: Should be wiped clean at the end of every playing session and whenever it feels sticky or dirty. A clean cotton cloth is best. No polish or oil is needed, though an occasional rub with linseed or mineral oil will help the fingerboard remain beatiful and impervious to moisture. 4/0 steel wool can be used to rub in the oil; it will also remove most residues present on the board. Any oil should be wiped off after 2-3 minutes, and the fingerboard and strings buffed with a soft cloth.

BRIDGE: Must be kept straight and centered at all times. After turning adjusters, be sure to check the feet for straightness by placing a straightedge across them. Know your fingerboard or tailpiece, do the following: Lower string tension a bit on all 4 strings; lay the bass on a carpeted floor or bench on its back; hold the bridge top with several fingers and firmly but gently ease it back into position. Keep the bridge free of rosin and dirt. Occasionally turn the bridge adjusters, even if you do not need to adjust them; this will prevent sticking where the wheel meets the bridge.

FINISH: Needs to be kept free of accumulated rosin and dust. Wipe regularly with a clean cotton cloth, preferably slightly misted with clean water. Only polishes without silicones or oils should be used, as those materials can penetrate into minute cracks and open seams, preventing adequate future re-gluing. Oz and Guardsman polishes are safe to use.

HUMIDITY: Laminated basses are less prone to humidity-related problems, such as open seams and cracks. Hybrid and carved basses should be kept in a relatively humidity-constant environment. Winter humidity rates of 35-45% are ideal; 45-60% in the summer. Rapid changes in relative humidity and temperature are most dangerous to your instrument. It is an excellent idea to purchase and use a hygrometer. Only room humidifiers and whole-house central heating humidifiers are effective; sponge-filled tubes which are placed iinside the bass are not.

STRINGS: Keep clean and check often for separations in the windings; replace when tone suffers or response becomes less immediate. Some strings can give 4-5 years service; others may last only a few months.

SOUNDPOST: Your bass will swell in the humid summer and shrink in the dry winter. As a result, the tension on the soundpost will change also; looser in the summer, tighter in the winter. Laminated basses can better tolerate imperfect soundpost tension. Hybrid and carved basses need to be monitored more carefully. Flatback basses with carved tops generally require both a summer and winter soundpost. Soundpost adjustment may be needed when the bass loses tone or feels either "tight" or "sluggish".

We hope these suggestions help you enjoy your instruement for many years.