bovinehost
Administrator
It can happen if you (a) live in a humid environment or (b) sweat a lot while playing or (c) put your pickups in the dishwasher.
It's not particularly bad for your pickups if the polepieces have a bit of oxidation on them. No degradation of tone.
If you want to avoid it, clean your bass thoroughly after each session and store it in a fairly dry place. You can also put a TINY AMOUNT of machine oil on the exposed parts of the pole pieces.
If it still oxidizes, you can rub it off with a pencil eraser if you catch it early.
My advice? Leave it alone, it's mojo!
It's not particularly bad for your pickups if the polepieces have a bit of oxidation on them. No degradation of tone.
If you want to avoid it, clean your bass thoroughly after each session and store it in a fairly dry place. You can also put a TINY AMOUNT of machine oil on the exposed parts of the pole pieces.
If it still oxidizes, you can rub it off with a pencil eraser if you catch it early.
My advice? Leave it alone, it's mojo!
bassmaniac
Well-known member
Unless the rust on your pole pieces start to look really crusty, like an old tin can that was left outside for a few years, your bass should sound the same. The rust that can build up on the pole pieces would drive me nuts too, fortumately for me, I live in a place that is dry most of the time and my hand sweat chemistry is not too harsh on strings and pole pieces.
Use a metal cleaner like Flitz or a pencil eraser to try and get the rust off the best you can.
As bovine host said, you can put a tiny amount of machine oil or WD-40 on the pole pieces after you clean them up. It will also remove some rust, and help prevent the rust from coming back if you apply it occasionally. The oil will not harm your bass, but tiny amounts are effective and will avoid a slippery mess.
Use a metal cleaner like Flitz or a pencil eraser to try and get the rust off the best you can.
As bovine host said, you can put a tiny amount of machine oil or WD-40 on the pole pieces after you clean them up. It will also remove some rust, and help prevent the rust from coming back if you apply it occasionally. The oil will not harm your bass, but tiny amounts are effective and will avoid a slippery mess.
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Shane Dubya
Member
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2003
- Messages
- 15
I've had my SUB for 2 months now and I already have some oxidation on my pup. I sweat a lot when I play. Bummer. 
So I can just take an eraser to them, or is it too late since I didn't put any machine oil on them prior to this?
So I can just take an eraser to them, or is it too late since I didn't put any machine oil on them prior to this?
Psychicpet
Well-known member
I haven't run into the rust problem myself but would cutting a piece of clear packing tape to fit over the entire pick-up surface be an option for waterproofing? You might have to re-tape every so often but it should work at keeping rust at bay and the thickness of the tape will in no way harm the magnetic field to a point of tone degredation...
just a query...
just a query...
bovinehost
Administrator
Shane: it isn't "too late" and again, the oxidation shouldn't cause you any tonal problems.
Try the pencil eraser and see if it comes off. Then just get enough machine oil (like 3+1) on the tip of your finger to be able to notice it, not like a big, fat drop or anything, just a 'sheen', and wipe it over the pole pieces.
You might even want to blot it a bit with a paper towel, it doesn't take much.
As far as clear tape goes, um, I don't know. I wouldn't tape up my pickups, but I couldn't tell you why not. Just sounds weird.
Try the pencil eraser and see if it comes off. Then just get enough machine oil (like 3+1) on the tip of your finger to be able to notice it, not like a big, fat drop or anything, just a 'sheen', and wipe it over the pole pieces.
You might even want to blot it a bit with a paper towel, it doesn't take much.
As far as clear tape goes, um, I don't know. I wouldn't tape up my pickups, but I couldn't tell you why not. Just sounds weird.
Psychicpet
Well-known member
bovinehost said:
.... yes, it's weird .... and no I've never done it .... guess I was just wanting to vicariously repair through someone else's problem... but will take full credit if it works
pete
