Upkeep on my Warwick $$....what to get & do...?

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Mr Top 10

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Ok, busted. I don't have one yet. But I'm holding out hope it's just a few weeks away.

So tell me.....oil finish Corvette $$.....

1. Fingerboard care...what and how often?
2. Body wax...what kind and how often?
3. Recommended strings (mostly rock/metal) & how often to change (on average?)
4. Recommended instrument cable (into a combo for now...most likely a Warwick Blue Cab 30 for practicing).
5. Any other helpful hints?

If it sounds naive it's because I am, admitedly. I've played guitar mainly the past 20 years, but have always dabbled/written on bass...but never put much thought into my personal gear in that area. It was more an excessory to the guitar.

But that's changing....
 
The first thing you do is give yaself a pat on the back for buying such a nice bass.Ok now the fingerboard,A little lemon oil will clean & moisterize the board nicely,use sparingly about once every six months.
Body Wax,depends on how hairy you are & if it bothers you. :lol: But seriously I wax my Thumb once a week but you can get away with once a month.Use only Warwick finishing wax.Also if you do any truss rod adjustments always use the Warwick Truss Rod Tool.Hex keys will damage the end of the rod.
Strings?That's up to you. :wink:
Cable? Warwick basses sound great,a scabby cable will defeat the purpose,get a good one.
Welcome btw,I'm Greg.
 
Thanks Greg. :D

I've heard Monster cables are quite good.

Give me a specific on the lemon oil....like a furniture lemon oil...lol? Is this better than a manufactured "lube"...like something from GHS..?

What do you recommend for rock/metal, string wise? I'm likely to take a suggestion and then adjust from there....and ultimately I'll try a few things and find the right feel and tone.

Thanks...!
 
No worries mate.Any good quality cable will be fine.There's entire threads on strings,the best advise I believe is check them all out.I have Warwick EMP's on my bass right now,they're very good & last forever so they're very good value.I wanna try EBS,Ken Smith & Carl Thompson.I used Rotosounds for years when I was in a rock band but that might not work for you.What sort of bass do ya have mate?Try a good quality lemon oil for wood from a hardware store.A little goes a long way. :wink:
 
I have an old EB3....Ibanez SR405....and I used to have an old Gibson Ripper (!) :D

Do you dillute the oil or just a very modest amount straight?
 
The oil can be a real mystery,but it doesnt have to be.Google fingerboard oil & you'll find heaps or your local guitar shop should have some.Use it very sparingly undiluted,if the boards filthy some steel wool or a scotchbright pad rubbed lightly with the grain of the wood will clean it up nicely.Dont forget to tape up the pickups coz the filings will foul them.Brasso metal polish is good for the brass frets.Will you be getting a coloured oil finish?coz that doesnt need waxing,only the oil finished basses.cheers man.
 
Just one extra point on waxing... may be stating the obvious... if it's a natural finish, wax it, if it's a coloured oil finish - for the $$ that'll usually be red or black... don't wax! The clue is that you should get a tin of wax in the little pocket in the Warwick User's Kit... if it needs waxing! You can wax the back of the neck in any case, if you prefer the feel (I do)
 
That's just it tho'...I think the "colored" ones come with wax. (I thought I saw an advert for a red one that mentioned it)

How about that all you NB owners out there..? There's only a million of 'em here. :D ;)
 
Mr Top 10 said:
That's just it tho'...I think the "colored" ones come with wax. (I thought I saw an advert for a red one that mentioned it)

How about that all you NB owners out there..? There's only a million of 'em here. :D ;)
Click to expand...
We don't include a tin of wax with any colored or satin bass.
 
Thanks for the clarification. (I'm pretty sure some ebay sellers might need to be reminded of this then). :shock:

Then what's the recommended cleaning product on the colored Bucks, like the NB or burgundy...? Just a normal guitar polish?
 
I think the manual that comes with it will tell you what to do... for a coloured oil finish, I just use a dry cloth on mine... but I don't sweat much!
 
saxonbass said:
I think the manual that comes with it will tell you what to do... for a coloured oil finish, I just use a dry cloth on mine... but I don't sweat much!
Click to expand...

Same, I start w/ a damp cloth and finish w/ a dry cloth. As far as oil, the kind at the guitar shop should be fine....
 
I don't think you need to wax colored basses. I believe the wax would mess up the color finish.

As far as strings go, that's a toughie. I mean, rock and metal is so varied. Are you looking for a more bright, clangy tone that slices through the mix, or a deeper, plumper tone that adds overall heft to the mix?

I think stainless steel strings would probably be your best bet. DR Hi-Beams are really great strings. They start off really bright then after 2 months mellow out into this really great sweetspot and stay that way for another 4 or so months. And DRs can be found at most music stores. They aren't cheap, but they're worth the price.

And +1 on Monster cables. I'll only use Monster instrument and speaker cables.
 
SullenDoorNeal said:
And +1 on Monster cables. I'll only use Monster instrument and speaker cables.
Click to expand...

Same here, only monster cables...
 
jay said:
SullenDoorNeal said:
And +1 on Monster cables. I'll only use Monster instrument and speaker cables.
Click to expand...

Same here, only monster cables...
Click to expand...

I use Planet Waves cables,the circuit breaker cables are really cool coz you dont have to turn your amp off to change instruments.They're colour coded,24k gold plated plugs & a switching mechanism for noise free instrument changes.Not cheap but good.
 
I love planetwaves. I also like Ernieball Patchcords, they're just Switchcraft ends with a good quality cable, and they have kill switches.
 
Even with a colored oil finish, I can still wax the neck tho'...right?
 
Yup. They get better with age and use if you keep the neck lightly waxed. ~M~
 
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