Cleaning P-Bass bass guitar electronics is an easy process when you know how to do it.
The video below shows exactly how it’s done, and once you see how easy it is, you’ll be able to do it yourself.
What helps more than anything else in lubricating and cleaning your P-Bass potentiometers is a contact cleaner with a needle applicator, as shown above and seen in the video. The needle makes for getting the lubricant where it needs to go very easy and quick.
Another thing the video mentions when it comes to screws is not to screw them down too tightly.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to screw tightness is hand tight is OK. You do not need to tighten screws to the point where they are physically bending the plastic to the body.
If your bass has an alder or basswood body, it is especially important not to tighten screws too firmly, as it is really easy to strip a screw hole due to the fact those woods are much softer compared to harder woods like ash.
In addition, pick guard screws are best adjusted by hand. Yes, it takes longer compared to a powered screwdriver, but the risk of stripping screw holes or over-tightening is decreased significantly when you perform manual adjustments.
Check out the video below to see how easy it is to clean the electronics. On the Jazz Bass, it’s even easier because the control plate is separate from the body.
Simple yet very effective. Thanks!
Take the extra time to Remove the pickguard completely so you can get at the pots. Bending your pickguard is not a good idea – especially on a vintage instrument.
If you do split the pickguard (yes, I did that), two sided tape is very thin and works well. I cracked mine by overtightening the input jack.
Are you playing that Vintage Instrument or looking at it…. This is a quick fix and a good one… Common Sense is best applied so as not to crack the pickguard; if it’s brittle – don’t bend it and if it is pliable – you should be fine…