Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

[lucalm]

Hi Everyone!

I recently acquired an Old Ibanez Bass that has a maple neck, but the fretboard is really dark and stained...

is there a way to clean up or brighten up that unfinished maple neck?

I don't need it to look brend new, but I don't want it to look like rosewood either...

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Lemon Oil; but it will color it with n amber tint...which...IMHO looks awesome.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Lemon oil is a very good recommendation–I second it!

Light sanding might also get some of it off, but I would be extremely careful–use steel wool or pretty high grit sandpaper. And then finish with a coat of Mineral Oil or Lemon Oil.

 

[AniML]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Try naptha (lighter fluid). It is an excellent cleaner for wood

 

[ErikH]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

For maple, put some painters tape over the pickups. Take some 0000 steel wool and run it across the fretboard to remove the gunk, and even a few passes over the frets. Blow it all clear of any steel wool bits with canned air, then wipe it down with mineral spirits. Apply a light amount of lemon oil and rub in, wipe off any excess. I say a light amount because maple has tighter pores than rosewood so will not soak up as much.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

I love the look of a dirty maple board.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Try naptha (lighter fluid). It is an excellent cleaner for wood

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Or mineral spirits.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Not sure if Gorgomyte might do anything, maybe worth a shot?

 

[stalkon0]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

+1 on lemon oil.

Naptha will probably work if Your fretboard is dirty because of fats & stains. It's an organic solvent, so it should (?) do good.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

+1 on lemon oil.

Naptha will probably work if Your fretboard is dirty because of fats & stains. It's an organic solvent, so it should (?) do good.

lemon oil has become my go-to on rosewood and ebony. tried different things over the years and a plain lemon oil with no wax has been doing fine.

only have one guitar with a totally unfinished maple board to the point of getting finger marks on it. and it gets them quickly. haven't had it long enough to tell if naptha will have any issues, but I've read for years about other people using it and I ran it past the builder before doing it. as of now, it looks like I'll be needed to do it at every string change...which might impact my decision to go with another totally unfinished maple board. lol!

 

[thebowl]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Naptha to clean it, then Mineral oil to replenish the wood. Don't go nuts with the mineral oil. A thin coat, wiped off after a few minutes.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

Got any pics of it? I love the look of a dirty maple fretboard!! The neck on the 5150 is just absolutely beautiful to me. I'm trying to get all of my maple necks to look like that by playing them.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Cleaning an Old unfinished maple fretboard

^^^^ fretboard, not neck is what I meant to say.