Brightening The Wood?

[WarwickStreamerProM]

I have a 2000 Warwick Streamer Pro M Honey stained 4 string. It has been played A LOT in its years. The wood on the body isn't looking as beautiful and bright anymore. What do you guys use to bring your basses back to their glorious look. I don't really want to sand and refinish I just want to make her beautiful again. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hardy]

Good question, I only know sanding as an option.

 

[jester]

Good question, I only know sanding as an option.

That's what I would do, light sand and apply an oil finish. But the wood will again get darker in time, so one could perhaps just accept its aged look.

 

[Florin]

Lemon oil and scotch brite

 

[Florin]

Ah wait, honey stained? In your avatar it looks natural oil. First check if it is natural wood or it has some sort of solid finish. Wet your finger and rub the wood (that doesn't sound right), if the wood absorbs the water it is natural, if not it is a solid finish.
If it is natural oil finish, lemon oil and scotchbrite will do the trick.

 

[WarwickStreamerProM]

I guess warwick calls the color Honey Violin Transparent Satin. It is supposed to look like my avatar photo. It just looks darker now and dull. I really don't want to sand it. I may just say the hell with it and keep its "aged" look.

 

[Florin]

SO it has a satin layer, right? Wood does not absorb water?

 

[WarwickStreamerProM]

Yes satin

 

[Hoggles]

Yes satin

A company call "Music Nomad" makes a product for satin finishes. It's called "guitar detailer".

I use their F1 fret oil exclusively...and I've used their gloss finish cleaner. They make good stuff.

 

[WarwickStreamerProM]

Ended up buying Feed-N-Wax. Stuff is amazing. Supposed to be equivalent to the Warwick Suface Wax.

 

[Hoggles]

Just a heads up... The Warwick wax is not intended for the fretboard. It's recommended to use one of the many fretboard specific oils/conditioners available.

Just from your pic, it looks like you're putting the Howards on the board. If it's essentially the same as Warwicks wax, you may not want to be putting that on the fb. Wax and fretboards don't go well together. Can get sticky.

 

[jester]

Just a heads up... The Warwick wax is not intended for the fretboard. It's recommended to use one of the many fretboard specific oils/conditioners available.

Just from your pic, it looks like you're putting the Howards on the board. If it's essentially the same as Warwicks wax, you may not want to be putting that on the fb. Wax and fretboards don't go well together. Can get sticky.

I used to think the same until I discovered Warwick wax can condition a fretboard brilliantly. Care should be taken though to not leave residue on, which is pretty easy to do.

 

[Nachobassman]

Ended up buying Feed-N-Wax. Stuff is amazing. Supposed to be equivalent to the Warwick Suface Wax.

Hola,
As Hoggle said, please be careful using Warwick wax or any other wa on a satin finished instrument, you will riun the finish.
Wax is onli intended for natural finishes.

 

[WarwickStreamerProM]

I tested it on the fretboard of my Fakenbacker, and my father tested it on the fretboard of his Ibanez cheapy guitar. Worked really well so figured it would be safe. Needed to rehydrate the neck because it was drying right out. Did the whole bass and it came out beautifully. Thanks for all your input though.

 

[jester]

I tested it on the fretboard of my Fakenbacker, and my father tested it on the fretboard of his Ibanez cheapy guitar. Worked really well so figured it would be safe. Needed to rehydrate the neck because it was drying right out. Did the whole bass and it came out beautifully. Thanks for all your input though.

Wax tends to stay on the surface of wood so it's best to first rehydrate the board with some lemon oil then apply it for that final sheen, always cleaning up well at the end. Not sure if it will make any future applications of lemon oil problematic to be honest, but I wouldn't expect too much trouble. Enjoy the bass.