dirty fretboard

[beni]

quick question, how can i clean my filthy fretboard without wrecking anything?

[midnite_man]

Re: dirty fretboard

Good question, beni. I, too, would like to know what the consensus is on this issue.
Thanks for posting this!

-Bob

[Zerberus]

Re: dirty fretboard

Finished maple or a raw wood like Ebony, rosewood or Pau ferro?

YES, there is an ESSENTIAL difference

[beni]

Re: dirty fretboard

rosewood

[Multi]

Re: dirty fretboard

i read about this stuff called guitar honey that's supposed to be good. never seen it though.

[midnite_man]

Re: dirty fretboard

maple and rosewood

[rhmcfarland]

Re: dirty fretboard

get some ultra fine steel wool. go across the grain lightly. you can also buff your frets in the process for a nice shine. then go over the rosewood with some lemon oil.

[Zerberus]

Re: dirty fretboard

Maple: a dab of soap and warm water, anything else wille "degloss" the fretboard

Rosewod / Ebony / PF, et al: Either as RHMC said with grade 0000 steel wool, or with a scraper if the gunk is really bad. A rag and Naphta (Lighter fluid) also works great, but stay away from the naphtha on axes finished in nitro. Once it´s clean, oil the board with lemon oil or bore oil and you should be good to go

[Nightburst]

Re: dirty fretboard

An old toothbrush can do miracles as well

[Jeff_H]

Re: dirty fretboard

Saliva according to Dan Erlwine.

[beni]

Re: dirty fretboard

someone reccomended using windex on a toothbrush and then putting "bore oil?" on it so the wood doesnt dry out and crack. what do you think?

[Jeff_H]

Re: dirty fretboard

I use gun oil on my rosewood and my ebony boards. I really like it. You can buy it anyplace that sells firearm supplies. Works great for me.

Seriously, Dan Erlwine suggest NOT using anything with chemicals on it to clean your fretboard. Napthala if you have to, but that's it. He says that there is very little that gets on a fretboard that saliva won't take off. Spit into a papertowl or a rag, rub on, let sit if necessary and wipe off. It is designed to start digesting food in our mouths....I use this method on my boards and it actually works.

I would stay away from the windex.

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: dirty fretboard

http://www.gibson.com/magazines/amplifier/1997/12/tip.html

that's in the gibson repair columns. this will make ANY freboard look bran new. absolutely no harm done, doesn't take too long either. i did it to my destroyers old, grimy fretboard. try it out

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: dirty fretboard

just thought i should add... my rosewood fretboard was BLACK. (BLACK!!!) it felt wierd, oily. i used the link above, and now it looks BETTER than when i bought it.

did you guys know that rosewood is actually red!?

[ArtieToo]

Re: dirty fretboard

I use Guitar Honey also. It does work great.