| Author | Message | ||
| rv_bass
Member Username: rv_bass Post Number: 61 Registered: 8-2014 |
I recently purchased a 1967 Starfire Bass, which looks as though it has not been polished in a very long time. Should I polish the body of the bass with my Alembic guitar polish and the neck with lemon oil? Should I oil the neck only (rose wood finger board) and not polish the body? Should I not polish or oil any part of the bass? I guess the experts on Antique Road Show would recommend not polishing the body, but thought I'd see what you all have to say. Thanks, Rob | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6198 Registered: 7-2004 |
Treat the fingerboard with lemon oil. Go ahead and polish the guitar. The Alembic polish won't hurt, and patina on a guitar is a very different story from patina on a Tiffany brass lamp. The issue with guitars is not cleaning them. Rather, it is refinishing them. You can do the best refinish in the world on a pre-CBS Strat that looks like hell, and easily devalue it by $10K! But, as a general rule, people are not interested in preserving built up crud and grime on guitars. At least that's my experience. Bill, tgo | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1556 Registered: 1-2005 |
I might be a little careful with the polishing at first - I have an early-'70s Guild M-85, and polishing the back of the neck with Alembic polish, some of the red came off on the cloth. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8595 Registered: 6-2000 |
Try cleaning with a soft damp cloth first - not wet, just a little damp. Have a dry cloth nearby to dry it off immediately. That will tell you a lot right away, and it's not destructive. Use distilled water if you want to be extra careful. | ||
| rv_bass
Member Username: rv_bass Post Number: 63 Registered: 8-2014 |
Thanks everyone for the advice. I will try the damp cloth first to see what happens and then proceed (or not) from there. Rob |
