Author Topic: Bridge Polish Bib  (Read 960 times)

rustyg61

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Bridge Polish Bib
« on: March 18, 2011, 01:40:57 PM »
This may have already been covered, but here's an idea I had to protect my bass while polishing the bridge. I took a towel & cut 2 slits in it to go under the bridge & tailpiece, then slid it under the strings & bridge & around the tailpiece. This protects the wood from the black residue from the polish. You can use the same towel around the nut too. I used the Eagle One Never Dull wadding polish that Joey suggested, & it works great! In about 5 seconds the tarnish is gone & the shine is back! Then I sealed it with VO5 in the gold tube (also Joey's suggestion). Here are some pictures -  

 

 

Rusty
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billostech

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2011, 02:31:37 PM »
Great suggestion Rusty.  
I followed your instructions and both of my basses have shiny bridges, nuts, and tail pieces. The Eagle One Never Dull works great. Thanks Joey!!!
I have not tried the VO5 yet. Where is Joey's post on it.

JuancarlinBass

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2011, 03:11:12 PM »
I have a question, though. In the almost two years I've spent with my beloved Epic 5, I have never polished the bridge/nut/tailpiece. It seems like I should, since they are looking a little bit dull already. I am, however, VERY afraid of wearing out the wood by unscrewing/screwing the tailpiece. I have a suspicion it might be screwed with machine screws on inserts (just as the control cavity and truss rods cover plates are), but am not sure, and certainly am not willing to do the test.  
Can anyone tell me whether  those are directly screwed on the wood, or with inserts? In any case, are there any other experiences (besides this one, which I consider a wonderful option) on polishing bridge and tailpiece, which result in an unharmed body finished? Thank you very much in advance!

rustyg61

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2011, 05:43:14 PM »
Here's Joey's post on using VO5 to  prolong the shine on brass -  
 
http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/2448.html?1038492414
Rusty
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billostech

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2011, 09:34:20 AM »
Thanks Rusty.

rustyg61

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2011, 09:36:33 AM »
You're welcome!
Rusty
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billostech

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2011, 09:52:28 AM »
Juan, I should have took some decent before pics, but here are the after:

 


tbrannon

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2011, 09:58:14 AM »
Cool little trick!
 
I would still recommend taking the whole bridge off and apart at some point for cleaning.  It really helped me understand the design of the instrument, which then made it easier for me to tackle setups, etc.  Plus, you take the bridge apart and start looking at the super simple, yet elegant design and it makes you appreciate the folks at Alembic even more than you already do.

rustyg61

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2011, 04:29:01 PM »
Looks great Bill! I'm sure at some point I will totally disassemble my bridge to do a thourough cleaning, but the towel works for the post-gig cleaning I do after each performance. I would suggest that if you do remove your bridge for cleaning, first tighten the adjustment screws until they bottom out on the baseplate, & count the number of turns on the screws. Then when you put it back on the bass, you can set it back to the same height it was before & keep your same action. Someone suggested taking a picture of your bridge before you disassemble it too so you can see the orientation & position of the saddles for reassembly. You will still probably have to do some minor tweeking to set your action & intonation, but at least you will be in the ballpark.
Rusty
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bigredbass

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2011, 10:43:50 PM »
Juan Carlos, I believe if you follow the bridge height screws into the body, you should be able to see them going into metal inserts in the body.  I can't say for sure if this is standard construction spec across all Alembic instruments (Mica . . . . . ?), but I would be surprised IF yours is screwing directly into the top of the body.
 
Remember we're talking about polishing ONLY the unfinished parts here . . . so do NOT try and use a brass polish on clear-finish or plated parts (anything with a chrome or gold-plate or black finish).  So generally we're talking about the bridge and adjustable nut on most, but not all, Alembics.  If all of your hardware is gold or chrome or black plated, do NOT do this, as it can scuff the plated bits just like sandpapaer.  
 
Also, on most Alembics, the tailpiece and the brass back cover plates are clear plated, so we don't want to brass polish these either.
 
Generally on plated parts (both of mine have gold tuning keys), a little automotive wax works well, JUST a little.  And be sure you use wax, NOT wax-polish.  In auto refinishing circles, wax is only wax:  A polishing wax usually includes a bit of polishing compound, which again, can tend to act like fine sandpaper on finished parts, so be sure which one you're about to use.
 
BTW, a good wax is also a great guitar polish if you have clear gloss finish on your basses like me.  I'm a huge Barry Meguiar fan (I'm Car Crazy!) so you can guess I'm not using Mother's . . . .  Again, be sure it's wax and not polish.
 
The Eagle One Nev'r Dull is FAST on brass, but can leave quite a bit of black residue, so be sure you get it all off with a clean, dry rag.  I also put rags under mine if I do it on the bass, can not get a good answer from Eagle One that it's as inert as the other things in my cleanup bucket, so Rusty has the right idea.
 
J o e y

bigredbass

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2011, 10:51:16 PM »
Bill, I ran across the VO5 tip in a 'Hints from Heloise' ( . . . yeah, I can't believe a full-growed man was reading that stuff, either !) about keeping sterling silver houseware shiny after it's polished.
 
It's completely organic, harmless to finishes and electronics, and provides some protective film to the newly-polished metal.  Cheap, works great.  A little dab'll do ya !  You'll be pleasantly surprised just how long the shiny bits will stay shiny after you do this.  
 
J o e y

billostech

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2011, 11:53:17 PM »
Thanks again Joey. I plan on removing the bridges and giving them a good cleaning this weekend as Rusty suggested. I will appy the VO5 at that time.

rustyg61

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2011, 11:53:44 PM »
Thanks for clarifying that Joey! I failed to mention that I did not use the Nevr-Dull on my tailpiece because it is clearcoated. What do you use to apply the VO5? I just put a small amount on an old T shirt & rubbed it into the shirt, then rubbed down the brass. I noticed that I still got a small amount of black residue when applying the VO5 even though I cleaned the brass thoroughly after using the Nevr-Dull, so it acts like a cleaner & sealer.
Rusty
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mario_farufyno

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2011, 06:56:06 AM »
Not just a bass, this is an Alembic!

cozmik_cowboy

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Bridge Polish Bib
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2011, 07:51:11 AM »
Great info, Joey - but as a former (way former) VO5 user (hair, not brass), I feel obligated to point out that a little dab'll do ya was Brill Cream.  
 
Peter
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