Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

[poweredbysoul]

I just picked up a charvel san dimas model with maple fretboard, very light finish if any on it. Now the fretboard is getting pretty black from playing.
I have Dunlop guitar cleaner polish but its not working. What do you recommend?

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Naphtha

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Leave it?

 

[theodie]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Manchowder!

 

[theodie]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Naphtha

Besides my suggestion, this is correct.

 

[poweredbysoul]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

What is naptha and where do I get it?

 

[beandip]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Naphtha is lighter fluid for refillable zippo style lighters. Ronson is the most popular brand.

Another thing to keep in mind to try is a mild detergent and warm water on a soft cloth. Regular Dove liquid soap is a mild detergent, as are a few other soaps. Using this along with some elbow grease will probably give you a better result than naphtha alone.

 

[poweredbysoul]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

OK Thanks.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

IMO- for those unfinished maple fretboards, they need to be scrubbed and oiled regularly.

Go to the hardware store and get some of that artificial steel wool pads- in ultra fine. Put some naphtha or Dunlop fretboard cleaner on it, and lightly scrub the fretboard till clean. Let it dry.

Afterwards, put some linseed oil on a rag, and put a light coat on the fretboard.Let dry overnight.

After that, put some carnauba wax on it to seal in the oil.

This should be done a few times a year as needed.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

If it has a gloss lacquer, a damp rag followed by a dry cloth should remove 99.9% of anthing that's on there; assuming we're talking basic dirt, sweat and dried skin cells. If the finish is worn down to the wood and showing brown spots, nothing will work--welcome to the world of maple fingerboards. On a lacquered board, regular applications of carnauba wax will delay the deterioration of the finish.

You've gotten some good suggestions for cleaning and maintaining an oil-finished board.

Bill

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

Helpful tips here

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f21/jem77-dy-maple-restore-72916.html

 

[357mag]

Re: Cleaning a maple fretboard, best cleaner?

I'd be suspicious about putting flammable lighter fluid on a musical instrument. Kinda like putting WD40 in a Steinway.