DB Cleaning tips ??

[rikodriko]

Hi all

i have a really nice carved DB. I have recently taken it upon myself to clen it up a bit.

for the first time ever, i have removed the strings (5 year old thomastiks) and boiled them for about 90 mins. They sound great. Just like new. If you havent tried it then i would recommend it !!

As for the body, im going to use Lemon oil to clean it up, including beer stains on the bridge, oops... dont tell malcolm healy as that who i bought it off.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to lemon oil? or is that the standard for nice tonewoods?

Should i use it for thefingerboard as well?

what are your DB cleaning secrets ???

Richard

[Silvia Bluejay]

I can't help you because I only own a real DB in my dreams for the time being, but I'm bumping this in the hope someone among our experts can give you an adequate answer.

[thisnameistaken]

Lemon oil should do the job. I've never had a DB dirty enough, or rather I do have one dirty one but I quite like it dirty.

As for boiling strings: I have done that with bass guitar strings in the past when I was hard up, but I wouldn't want to do it with double bass strings as the BG strings had a tendency to break shortly afterwards and DB strings are 10x as expensive. I did pick way too hard in those days though, so that may have had something to do with it.

[hubrad]

I wouldn't use lemon oil on the body, although it is the most usual stuff for the fingerboard.
There's an excellent 'Violin Polish 1880' by Stentor.. most music shops that deal with violins will carry it, or if you can't find it we'll mail order you some. I've done my DB body all over with it twice in about 7 years or so.. the whole house smells seriously amazing for a couple of days after that!

[artisan]

err i just use pledge for cleaning mine
mind it is only an el cheapo laminate jobbie , but i do love it so.

Edited August 25, 2012 by artisan

[MandShef]

Not sure this would count as a double bass 'cleaning secret', but I was advised to give the strings a wipe with meths/alcohol wipe (careful not to get it on the fingerboard) - I've never attempted to boil the strings. As for the body, if you wipe it down with a duster after you've played, you should avoid any rosin build up (assuming you play arco?).

[rikodriko]

Thanks all.

After boiling the strings they all came up like new - sound like new - I was also told that meths is a good and cheap option for the strings, as well as being a nice tipple after a hard days work !

I went and bought lemon oil and some 'proper' instrument polish from my local string shop in hove, and it all went OK - until i loosened all the strings to get to the fingerboard, and the soundpost fell into the bass. Oops... got my old bass teacher in to reset it for a tenner though. Phew !!

His first comment was 'put the bass on its back before you do any of this stuff' - so this might be good advice for any of you that wants to try it. Also only do two strings at a time so the bridge doesnt move...

now onto that meths ... its almost 10 AM !

[Beer of the Bass]

If you're using alcohol to clean strings, Isopropyl Alcohol is a bit more pleasant to use than meths, as meths leaves a nasty smelling residue after the alcohol has evaporated (the stuff they add to make it undrinkable).