Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

[CTN]

Specifically the grain.

I have rosewood on three of my guitars, and I can never get the grain really cleaned of all the finger grime in there. Granted, I clean them of finger grime almost every time I do a string change, but over the years, the grime kinda gets stuck in the grain of the fretboard and won't come out.

How I make clean again?

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

I use an old toothbrush, and naphta...

Curious as to what others might use.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Toothbrush and lemon oil.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

ive heard alot of suggestions for naphta and then alot of folks say it will dry the oils out of the wood.. Ive seen guys use damp rag with warm water, murphys oil soap. So Im anxious to see the consensius. Ive never played one enough to mung it up.. I wipe after each play and wash my hands before.. Im AR that way.. So, when the time comes.....

 

[whatshisname]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

I just clean mine off, when I oil my boards. Soak a bit of lemon oil in, let it sit for a while, and then rub it down with a clean rag.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Dude... grime and funk makes your guitar sound better... as do chips, dings and cigarette burns.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

naphta won't hurt the board as long as you re-oil it after. I use a toothbrush and lemon oil also, but occasionally i clean the entire board with 00000 steel wool. that usually takes care of any stubborn grime.

 

[bigdaddy]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Good old lighter fiuid and a rag works for me , don't forget to fill the Zippo.

 

[cayle_6]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Toothbursh and 00 grade steel wool, then lemon oil.

 

[Kam]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

I have literally never cleaned or oiled a fretboard.

And they're all fine. I don't know what the big deal is, really.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Yeah, I could see doing that if you got somebody else's guitar that was gunked up, but it's your own funk. I mean, James Jamerson used to keep his bass strings on even to the point of heavy rust and they were covered in grease (chicken grease by his own words) and his TONE was THE tone of the 60's R'n'B scene.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Another vote for lemon oil and a toothbrush.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

I do lemon oil mine whenever the girls look thirsty!

 

[Moonsorrow]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Lemon Oil all the way!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Good old lighter fiuid and a rag works for me , don't forget to fill the Zippo.

Lighter fluid = Naphta

 

[SabbathFan0220]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Naphtha on a rag or toothbrush to clean, then re-hydrate with the oil of your choice.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Wet Q-tip

 

[Coma]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Dude... grime and funk makes your guitar sound better... as do chips, dings and cigarette burns.

This has indeed been emipirically proven.

That being said, I once handed in a guitar for fret dressing, and the techie said it was the absolutely filthiest fretboard he'd ever seen. I started cleaning 'em regularly after that... :15:

 

[uOpt]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

Electric toothbrush. Better than manual, softer and swifter.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Cleaning rosewood fretboards...

I use an old toothbrush and lemon oil. Just give it a scrub down after applying the lemon oil, then polish it clean with a rag.