general maintenance:
1. always wipe down the guitar after play
2. always loosen the strings during transport, especially in harsh temperature conditions. some ppl think this is troublesome, having to retune and having to do truss rod adjustments. but i think a cracked neck is even more troublesome.
3. it helps to loosen the truss when you release string tension. this becomes a must when you totally remove the strings. if u leave your instrument destringed for long periods the neck will gradually bow backwards. after restringing it will take some time to bow back. such is wood.
i use planet waves 3-part maintenance set: polish, carnauba wax and some spray. applying all 3 sets is a major pain in the ass, but most of the time just the spray will do. spray easy to use and smells nice (???)
i have dunlop lemon oil but i only use it if i can see signs of the rosewood fretboard drying out.
i usually clean all the hardware using rifle cleaning oil. singer oil sewing machine oil or whatever the generic name is will do.
i usually cant be bothered to clean the frets.
i clean the electronics with contact cleaner, but only if they are problematic. contact spray, contact cleaner, whatever. not cheap, i think 8 bucks a can. something like wd-40, but it cleans and is non-conductive, so it doesn't short circuit electronics. but of course after spraying wait for it to dry.
for polish cloth, go to daiso and get a suitable microfibre cloth. something for 'cleaning kitchen' or 'glass' will do. i guarantee you it is the most bang for the buck, $2.
chamois is nice and soft but difficult to clean and maintain. when it starts picking up dirt u risk scratching the finish.
for strings, i tried ghs fastfret. didnt really dig it. then i got stringlife. it works but is quite expensive, bought from davis or zen (forgot) for 12 or 20 bucks i think. now, whenever there's a need, i just clean the strings using methylated spirit.
it's an old trick to boil strings. dont do it. boiling removes dirt and grime making the string brighter, but corrodes the string and shortens whatever little life it has left.
you can also soak it in methylated spirit. maybe u can make a string cleaning tube. i did this before but now can't be bothered, i just wipe. it works but you will notice that the frets eat into the strings as much as the strings eat into the frets, just that the wear is normally hidden. i use stainless steel rounds some more.
wanna check with y'all, how do we maintain or care for out lovely basses? from the head stock, to the neck, the frets, the string and the body? what solution to use for what wood, to removing rust from the screws or polishing the body up? share your answers please! thks!
