do you polish it, or beat it

[Joe Nerve]

anyone here not care if their bass gets beat to all hell? I see pics of lots of nice shiny bongos, rays, and sterlings - but not too many beat on basses. i like them shiny until the first substantial nick, then i start going the other direction. my bongo is starting to look very worn in, and i kinda like it.

anyone else not polish their bass once a week?

 

[LowDownDave]

I'd agree with you Joe. Right now my basses are looking pretty minty, so I generally look after them (though I don't actually "polish" them regularly). But if something suddenly happened to one of my basses, I would probably be annoyed in the first instance, but would eventually not care as long as it didn't affect playability. I like the look of beat-up basses, and seeing as I don't plan to sell any of mine and therefore don't care about re-sale condition, I don't think I'd mind if mine took a few knocks and eventually acquired the cool beat-up, well-used look. Show us your beat-up Bongo!

 

[koogie2k]

Well, I use my Stealth Bongo and my LE Bongo when I gig. I literally beat my LE bongo to death on stage as it is a weapon and it can take it! Already nicked it at the first show and it wasn't but two weeks old. They are meant to be played and I play them. I do polish them up before a show and wipe them down after each practice, but I don't baby these things by no means. They are what I call "sterile" from the factory and it is up to me to give it character. Right now, my bongos feel like they came out of a Ultimate Fighting Championship Round....LOL.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I keep the fingerboard clean and wipe the body down, but that's about it.

 

[ras1983]

i bought my bongo to play it. it already had two dings on the headstock from the shop i bought it, so i never really cared about preserving it. actually, playing it thoroughly has made me appreciate it more. its funny; now i feel like my bass is a part of me...

 

[NoFrets80]

i treat my basses the same as i treat my car, though basses are more of an "investment" than an automobile i'd say, since they never really "wear out". i use it/them, and i maintain and care for them. i don't buy a car to run it in the ground carelessly, i don't buy a bass to treat it like crap. play it, yes, but don't beat it to death. anything that happens to them in the normal course of travel, play, etc. is simply normal wear and tear. i've never understood folks who insist on smashing basses or guitars onstage. silly and stupid if you ask me.

 

[Bill]

i treat my basses the same as i treat my car, though basses are more of an "investment" than an automobile i'd say, since they never really "wear out". i use it/them, and i maintain and care for them. i don't buy a car to run it in the ground carelessly, i don't buy a bass to treat it like crap. play it, yes, but don't beat it to death. anything that happens to them in the normal course of travel, play, etc. is simply normal wear and tear. i've never understood folks who insist on smashing basses or guitars onstage. silly and stupid if you ask me.

I'm the same way. I take care of my basses, but if they get little dings & scratches every now & then, no big deal. I usually wipe my strings after I play & sometimes give a quick wipe to the body. If I'm feeling really crazy, I'll polish it when I change strings, but I don't do that every time.

 

[bassmonkeee]

I wipe down my basses when they get too finger-printy, but I don't wipe down the neck or strings after playing.

I keep an eye on the setup, and I make sure the fingerboard doesn't get dry, but that's about it.

I use nice gigbags, Dunlop straplocks, nice straps, and I try not to bang my basses into stuff/people/drummers, etc, but that's about it.

 

[AnthonyD]

I wipe down my basses when they get too finger-printy, but I don't wipe down the neck or strings after playing.

I keep an eye on the setup, and I make sure the fingerboard doesn't get dry, but that's about it.

I use nice (cases), (Schaller) straplocks, nice straps, and I try not to bang my basses into stuff/people/drummers, etc, but that's about it.

What I was going to say...

 

[PocketGroove82]

The second day I had my new SR5 my musicstand fell over and put a scrape in the finish near the jack. It pissed me off so much for a few minutes, then I realized these things are ment to be played, and all the dings and whatnot just add character...and make the bass more mine. IMO.
I hate dinging up my gear, but as long as it sounds/plays good, it's not that big of a deal!
Then again, part of me wants to go get a custom, korean tailored velvet bass sleeve that would cover the backside so it doesn't get all scratched up from buttons/belts ect!

 

[eddybomb]

basses are tools. after using wrenches and socket sets, i tend to wipe them down so that the next time i pick them up they're not greasy and grimey. this is the same way i treat my basses...what ever happens, happens....but i try to take as good care of them as they take care of me.

ed

 

[nashman]

I like the car analogy. Whenever I have purchased a new car, I wash it all the time and really look after it. After a while, normal wear and tear takes its toll, including stone chips and dents from aholes banging their doors into it in parking lots. Once it gets its first chips, scratches and dents, I don't baby it as much but do regular maintenance on it. Same with my bass gear ...

 

[tkarter]

I treat my basses like I do any other tool I own. I intend for it to last several generations.

Not saying it won't get a scratch or two along the way but it will be treated with all the care I can muster.

tk

 

[brooklynfall]

I should treat my basses better, but I don't. Ah well. The SR5 has some nicks, nothing too horrible and nothing noticeable from the audience. The next MM I buy I will look after; it'll be my "nice" one, while the current will be my "badass" one.

 

[Caca de Kick]

There really should have been a 4th poll option for just 'player use, non polished'.

When I hear people say 'beat the instrument,' I think of guys who purposely and intentionally slam them on the floor, mash them into walls, pound on their cabinets, etc.

I just play them like any rocker would, sure they see (very) few unfortunate dings by accidentally bumping into things, but I don't beat them and I don't polish or wipe them or treat fingerboards either. They just play onstage and then go back in their cases. They might see a dusting wipe once a year while during a string change, but that's it.

 

[bovinehost]

I fling mine.

 

[Gary Raymond]

I try to keep all my instruments & amplifiers in as pristine condition as possible. Hopefully some day my great grandchildren will have them, & 30 or 40 years down the road, the better condition they are in, the more they will be worth to them.

 

[DKWilkins]

I polish them if they get gunky or sticky; other than that I really don't "shine 'em up". I try not to ding 'em into anything and wince noticably when I do

 

[midopa]

Ya I try to keep my Bongo clean and nice. But sometimes I get spontaneous fits of clumsiness that give it a scar or two.

 

[maddog]

One of many reasons to enjoy a Bongo, don't have any pretty figuring to make me worry about dinging it.