Good fret polish.... no black fingers

[bhr]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

I use Flitz on all of my guitar's metal parts. Excellent non-abrasive cleaner and polisher.

Go to YouTube and search for "Clean Frets". You'll find lots of interesting ways that appear to be effective and don't involve the use of steel wool or sandpaper. For example, here's a link to MusicNomad using their guitar polish in conjunction with their Grip Guards to quickly clean and shine up frets.

 

[WDeeGee]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

I think the OP was asking about cleaning, not finishing frets after a level/crown. Seriously, Gorgomyte works great, cleans the fretboard, and no dust of any kind to deal with. It removes the stuff that makes your fingers black.

OP here. Actually the question was about polishing frets after a level/crown.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

For final polishing I use a Dremmel and a small cloth buffing wheel with Jewelers Rouge. Then clean the board thoroughly with lemon oil or lighter fluid before a final app of Fret Doctor.

 

[devastone]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

but that black stuff is where the "tone" comes from. :lmao:

Don't ever clean off you MOjo!

in all seriousness, I had a drummer for a decade that refused to clean his drums because he thought it would affect his sound.

So that's what I've been doing wrong.

Yeah, well, drummers...

OP here. Actually the question was about polishing frets after a level/crown.

Ah, my misunderstanding.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

So much steel wool hatred on this forum. I've never had a problem with it.

It's cheap as dirt, classic, effective, and its waste is easily digestible by the Earth.

Just use it with skill, care, preparation, and the right work environment and tools, and you will have no trouble. If you get it on your pickups, blow it off with compressed air afterward...but if you do it with some care, you shouldn't get any on your pickups.

When using it, wear work gloves. I've never been left with black fingers from using it on my frets and fretboards. It's not your final step. You should be polishing afterward, and then cleaning off your polishing compound with a mild solvent.

Scotchbrite is good stuff too. But I don't find it to be highly superior to steel wool, or steel wool to be particularly worthy of such strong negative feelings.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

So much steel wool hatred on this forum. I've never had a problem with it.

It's cheap as dirt, classic, effective, and its waste is easily digestible by the Earth.

Just use it with skill, care, preparation, and the right work environment and tools, and you will have no trouble. If you get it on your pickups, blow it off with compressed air afterward...but if you do it with some care, you shouldn't get any on your pickups.

When using it, wear work gloves. I've never been left with black fingers from using it on my frets and fretboards. It's not your final step. You should be polishing afterward, and then cleaning off your polishing compound with a mild solvent.

Scotchbrite is good stuff too. But I don't find it to be highly superior to steel wool, or steel wool to be particularly worthy of such strong negative feelings.

Me either -I still use it, just have to know what your doing.

There are easier faster options these days, but every time I mention steel wool on this forum, someone will lose their sh*t :lmao:

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Good fret polish.... no black fingers

Me either -I still use it, just have to know what your doing.

There are easier faster options these days, but every time I mention steel wool on this forum, someone will lose their sh*t :lmao:

I love mentioning it just to piss off a certain self-declared grizzled expert luthier and angry ranter.