Luke Duke
PRSlustologist
After a recent thread I started and saw very few people burnish, or even know what it is I decided to do some education. I changed strings on my Heritage on Thursday D!ck was a wonderful assistant/student and took pictures of the process as we went.
Here is the fingerboard before anything was done, note the cloudiness of the frets from oils, and sweat.
Next it's good to wipe down the neck with a preliminary cleaner, you can use Dunlop 65, or Planet Waves Mirror finish....whatever you have around.
But I prefer good, old fashioned funiture polish, it doesn't have all the waxes that you'll find in the guitar polishes.
Usually I'll use a clean house rag, but that night I used just a regular paper towel. You'll get your paper towel looking like this probably.
I masked the fingerboard wood with post it notes, amazing little inventions, they are sticky, but leave no residue. If you will look here in these pictures you will see the lines from the strings on the frets.
Here I am burnishing the fretwire with 0000 grade steel wool.
Here it is burnished.
Here is a comparison of a burnished fret, to a non-burnished fret. Note the cloudiness of the left fret when compared to the one on the right.
Now when you get high beside the neck pup make sure that every time you move your mask you clean it so as to minimize the filings that could potentially get on your guitar. This is picture is the back mask extending over the pup from the 22nd fret. If you look closely you can see the shavings pulled into pattens by the polepieces. Now be careful when you take this one off so as not to dump the shavings on the pup. Also by the 19-22 fret your post-it notes are about worn out so hold them with your free fingers to make sure they don't move around.
Now After I'm done I use air pressure to make sure there are no filing on my guitar.
Then I oil the fingerboard, I use Kyser Dr. Stringfellow's Lem Oil.
You put in some more elbow grease and your papertowel will pick up even more dirt, and grit.
See how she shines?
Hope this helps you guys have better feeling, better playing guitars! A special thanks to D!ck for being the photographer.
Luke
Here is the fingerboard before anything was done, note the cloudiness of the frets from oils, and sweat.
Next it's good to wipe down the neck with a preliminary cleaner, you can use Dunlop 65, or Planet Waves Mirror finish....whatever you have around.
But I prefer good, old fashioned funiture polish, it doesn't have all the waxes that you'll find in the guitar polishes.
Usually I'll use a clean house rag, but that night I used just a regular paper towel. You'll get your paper towel looking like this probably.
I masked the fingerboard wood with post it notes, amazing little inventions, they are sticky, but leave no residue. If you will look here in these pictures you will see the lines from the strings on the frets.
Here I am burnishing the fretwire with 0000 grade steel wool.
Here it is burnished.
Here is a comparison of a burnished fret, to a non-burnished fret. Note the cloudiness of the left fret when compared to the one on the right.
Now when you get high beside the neck pup make sure that every time you move your mask you clean it so as to minimize the filings that could potentially get on your guitar. This is picture is the back mask extending over the pup from the 22nd fret. If you look closely you can see the shavings pulled into pattens by the polepieces. Now be careful when you take this one off so as not to dump the shavings on the pup. Also by the 19-22 fret your post-it notes are about worn out so hold them with your free fingers to make sure they don't move around.
Now After I'm done I use air pressure to make sure there are no filing on my guitar.
Then I oil the fingerboard, I use Kyser Dr. Stringfellow's Lem Oil.
You put in some more elbow grease and your papertowel will pick up even more dirt, and grit.
See how she shines?
Hope this helps you guys have better feeling, better playing guitars! A special thanks to D!ck for being the photographer.
Luke
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