Finish question - rough on back of neck

[richardloz]

Hi there, have just purchased a 91 model Essence which shows some wear on the finish.  I am hoping to get some advice on where to progress with this.  Details below.
 
The body seems well played and shows some wear, so need to get some polish on that, but thats ok. The one area that I am not sure what to do about is the neck. When you play the bass the back of the neck between about the nut and the 7th fret (in fact it is pretty much the entire neck although worse down low) feels quite worn and rough like all the finish has worn from there. If anyone can suggest what the best way would be to rectify this it would be most appreciated. Hope the pics are clear enough, but my photography leaves a lot to be desired  
 
Thanks
 
Richard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[grateful]

Hi Richard.  Could it possibly be dirt?  In the English Lake District, one encounters gates made of sawn timber that are as smooth as an Alembic's neck from the touch of millions of hands (patination).  Have you tried cleaning it?  
 
Mark

[richardloz]

Hey Mark
 
Nope I am going to do that as a first step tonight.  As usual, always think the worst before trying the simple things. I have in the past just had to wipe my basses over, but if this is dirt it is pretty ground in so what would you recommend for cleaning purposes in this case.
 
Cheers
 
Richard

[white_cloud]

Hi Richard,
 
Why not hand it to a local luthier with a good rep and ask him to give it some TLC?
 
Yes, it might be a bit of an outlay, but the results could be special! I know a chap who had an epic 5 in a similar situation as you. He liked his Alembic, but after the luthier gave it the treatment he LOVED it!
 
John.

[grateful]

Hi Richard, I've just noticed on your photo of the headstock some white residue round the logo that looks like furniture polish.  I'm pretty sure isopropyl alcohol (propan-2-ol in IUPAC nomenclature)  would be harmless to the finish (which doesn't look really damaged from your photos) and should remove most things.
 
Lemon oil could work too:  it certainly removes the grease from fingers that's on the fingerboard and is harmless to the finish.
 
Mark

[richardloz]

John
 
I did chat to a luthier today and he was asking $1350 to refinish, which I dont really want to do, nor can I afford right at the moment.
 
Mark
 
I may try the lemon oil as I do have some of that here at home.  Sometime tonight possibly after I have spent some hours polishing the bridge.  I tell you these basses do require some work compared to my old BC Rich which I basically havent touched in the 21 years I have had it, but I can already see from the way that the brass is coming up so far that it is definitely going to be worth the labour of love required.
 
Cheers
 
Richard

[tbrannon]

Richard,
 
It'll be worth the time invested once you're done. I always disassemble my basses and clean 'em up when I first get them.  It's my 'getting to know you' time.  
 
Once you cleaned it, put it back together and adjusted the action you'll know that bass like the back of your hand and will feel incredibly comfortable on it.
 
Enjoy~

[terryc]

One way to check whether the finish has worn away or it is dirt is put some lemon oil on the area..if it soaks in it definitley bare wood, if it doesn't then it is dirt.
If the latter then a fine polishing compound( as used by french polishers to get the final sheen) to remove the said dirt. Don't rub in the ditection of the grain but use a figure of eight action.
Cleaning an instrument is not rocket science but there are plenty of threads on this site to help.

[terryc]

One way to check whether the finish has worn away or it is dirt is put some lemon oil on the area..if it soaks in it definitley bare wood, if it doesn't then it is dirt.
If the latter then a fine polishing compound( as used by french polishers to get the final sheen) to remove the said dirt. Don't rub in the direction of the grain but use a figure of eight action.
Cleaning an instrument is not rocket science but there are plenty of threads on this site to help.

[richardloz]

Cleaning the bass has been loads of fun.  I reckon I probably spent about 3 hours last night on the brass and only got through about half of it.  I dont think it has ever been cleaned, so there is 16 years of grime and tarnish to be removed.
 
I am certainly looking forward to putting it back together once cleaned and having a good play of it.  On the day I brought it home, my wife after seeing me watching TV siad i thought you would be playing your new bass, to whcih I responded that it needs some work doing and is not yet ready to be played.
 
Hopefully by the weekend I will have finished the cleaning process so as I can finally run it up and become familiar with it.
 
Richard

[mica]

Acetone is another solvent that will not harm the finish, but will get grime and even superglue out of the way.  
 
If the finish has some dings on the back of the neck that are distracting when you play, you might try filing them with superglue. It's reversible with acetone as I've just mentioned, and it can be sanded smooth so that your touch won't be disrupted.  
 
Do be careful around the logo. It's held fast with 3 pins and glue, but vigorous polishing can pull up at the top tip of the cloud. The pins are at the bottom of the circle and at the left and right tips of the cloud. We use these cloths to clean logos that aren't super dirty. It cleans the flat part nice and shiny, but leaves the recesses so the antiquing isn't stripped away.

[richardloz]

Thanks for that info Mica. I will give the finish a good clean, but I guess after 16 years of being played there has to be some wear.  I think that the finish on the back of the neck has actually rubbed off over the years hence the rough feel.  If this is the case would a light sanding hurt.  I do not want to do anything that may risk damage to the bass at all.
 
I was wondering about the logo and the best way to go about cleaning that, so thanks for the tip  
 
Richard

[keurosix]

Hi Rich,
I see you found the right posting area for tech advise! Follow Mica's advise, because she is Alembic family and works on them every day. From the pictures it's still hard to tell if the finish is worn off or if it is just built up dirt. The acetone wash will determine the next course of action. I have filled in cracks and dings on my basses with superglue to great success. That's a great tip. Another thing to consider: IF the neck area finish has worn off, a luthier can clean it up and refinish only that area to seal out any harmful dirt or moisture penetration to the wood. This should not be anywhere as expensive as a full refinish as quoted. Post some pics when you get the brass back on. The finish has a lovely yellow age to it, as evidenced around the removed tail piece. She is a beautiful bass. Congrats again!
Kris

[richardloz]

Thanks Kris
 
I finally did get the bridge backk together and back on her last night.  It only took me about 6 hours of polishing to get it all nice and shiny.  Just goes to show what 16 years of tarnish and grime can do I guess.
 
Not a pleasant task, but definitely a great way to learn about the bass for sure.  She also has new strings on, went for a medium light 40 => 100 possibly shold have gone medium which is what I usually use, but availability here in Perth on a Sunday is not the greatest.
 
Anyway will see how they go.  Have started the setup process, which once again is a learning curve as I have basically not touched my BC Rich in the 21 years I have owed it.  Still have a lot more adjusting to do as I would like to get the action lower than what it is currently, although I do have a really annoying buzz on the E string 3rd fret that I just cant seem to get rid of.
 
Anyway I will persevere more with it and see where I can get to before it drives me mad.  Like everyone has said, its a learning experience and a great way to learn about your bass and setting things up just right for yourself.
 
Hopefully I will get a chance to do some more on her tonight and tomorrow.  Will definitely take some more pics when I get a chance which wont be for about another week or so as my daughter has the camera with her in Sydney at the moment.
 
Cheers
 
Richard

[keurosix]

Hi Richard,
How's the bass? Have you had a single moment away from it yet? Each time I get a new Alembic, I can't put it down for months on end, and when I'm not playing it, I'm thinking about it! Have you solved the 3rd fret buzz on the E string? Do the 1st and 2nd frets buzz too? A slight nut height adjustment might correct this on the bass side only. Or, a minor fret filing by an experienced luthier. They know how to knock down a high spot on one fret without affecting the others - something I wouldn't mess with without the special tools and trained eye. My luthier once told me that if you don't know how to dress frets, you can actually make the problem move to another fret, and can chase the problem down the line! That's why I pay him and he does the work!
More pics???
Kris