Fender American Elite Precision Bass Owners Manual - Page 29

CARE AND MAINTENANCE Your Fender® bass guitar is precisely crafted to give you years of satisfaction and enjoyment. Occasional routine maintenance will go a long way toward keeping it looking, sounding and playing great for many years. Several helpful tips are listed here: Keep it clean. Dirt, dust, sweat, skin oil, smoke and other pollutants can prematurely age your bass's finish and hardware. Wipe the strings, neck and bridge often with a lint-free cloth regularly. Use Fender-approved polish on the finished surfaces, and wipe metal parts clean with a soft, dry polishing cloth (visit the Accessories section of fender.com for recommendations). wood/furniture oil. Apply with a lint-free cloth, rub in, let soak, wipe off excess and let dry. And remember-no oil on finished surfaces (including maple fingerboards). Tighten the strap buttons. They do loosen sometimes. Use a standard Phillips head screwdriver to periodically check and tighten strap buttons. Set up and adjust. Familiarize yourself with the setup and adjustment procedures in this manual and on www.fender.com, or visit your Authorized Fender Service Center for routine seasonal adjustments. Oil the fingerboard. The natural oils in unfinished rosewood, ebony and pau ferro fingerboards can dry out. Keep these fingerboards beautiful by periodically hydrating them with lemon oil, boiled linseed oil or other non silicone-based Avoid climate extremes whenever possible. Extremes in temperature and humidity can damage your bass. If such exposure can't be helped, however, loosen the strings to minimize damage, and let a cold instrument warm up gradually before opening its case to avoid finish checking. Lacquer finishes. Lacquer is a natural wood finish long used on fine furniture and musical instruments. If your bass has a lacquer finish, do read the "Lacquer Finishes: Precautions and Care" card that came with it. Try not to expose lacquer finishes for very long to plastics, synthetics and surgical rubber tubing (it's used on some guitar stands and straps), all of which react adversely with lacquer and can mar the finish. Also note that checking, shrinkage and discoloration are all natural elements of the aging process of lacquer finishes. The lacquer finish on your bass will take on its own distinctive appearance over time from this type of wear, and though preferred by some, it is not covered under the Fender warranty. 2299