BASS FRETBOARD CARE & MAINTENANCE 

The Neck and the Bass Guitar Fretboard: 
  Cleaning the neck and the bass guitar fretboard  is as important as it is to wash your car.  It needs to be completed once in a while to keep it in tip top shape. If the back of the neck has a lacquered finish, it can be cleaned with a good guitar polish or any polish that will clean and protect the finish. Just spray a little on a soft cloth and rub down the neck of the bass guitar, it will not only   clean and polish the neck but help remove a lot of oil from your hand. If it is not   lacquered an application of beeswax or similar will keep it in good condition.                                      

     The fretboard is like the engine of a guitar, because if it is in good shape and always tuned up, the guitar will play better just as a tune up on a car it will run better.  The bass guitar fretboard is a very important part of the   guitar, so take care of it. Here is a tip, if you run into what they call fret buzz when playing certain notes you are in need of a neck adjustment, so it means take the bass in to the shop and have it done by a professional, just as you would your car.

      Alot of your attention should be the fretboard.  If the fretboard is really filthy, remove the strings and scrub the entire bass  guitar  fretboard gently with a soft brush (do not use steel wool). This will remove most of the loose dirt.  Remember to be very careful on an acoustic bass when you remove all the strings at once so you don't end up moving the pick-up under the bridge.  If the frets are tarnished they can be cleaned with any good quality metal cleaner,  but be careful not to get any of the cleaner on the fretboard.  Repeat for all the frets.  I do not recommend using fine steel wool because the little particles tend to want to settle in the grooves next to the frets. It is a time consuming   job, but anything we do to take care of what we like to do takes time, and it will increase the life of your investment.  If the bass guitar fretboard is not lacquered it can be treated with a little lemon oil, but do not use too much and wipe off any excess.  Although, if you try to do this without removing the strings, it can be difficult, to prevent the oil from getting on the strings (but it can be done).  

     Another solution is to use Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes; also there are many polishes and cleaners available that will also work well.  How often the bass guitar  fretboard will need to be cleaned will depend upon how often you play your bass guitar.  I would guess that two or three times a year would be adequate for most players. I personally like to do it   every time I change my strings, which should be every 3 to 4 weeks.  Always keep some string cleaner around to keep your strings free the oil build up from your fingers.

     There is another thing to be aware of besides the bass  guitar fretboard, and it is the humidity you have in the room where you store your bass guitar.  You should invest in a small humidistat to monitor the area where your bass guitar is stored, because the bass fretboard and body can be damaged if the humidity is to low which causes the wood on the bass guitar to dry out and then possibly crack. This is just something to be aware of.  If you are like me then you want to take every precaution to keep your bass guitar in tip top shape, after all you paid a lot of money for it. Thats all for now, keep the shiny side out.