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Post by Ricketi on Dec 31, 2022 12:14:13 GMT -5
What do you all use for cleaning maple or rosewood fretboards? Especially a really gunky one.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Dec 31, 2022 14:07:09 GMT -5
I use naphtha for my nitro finished maple boards. I don't really clean rosewood but do periodically (lightly) apply lemon oil or the like. My current fave is Howard's Feed and Wax beeswax orange oil.
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Post by Ricketi on Dec 31, 2022 15:35:11 GMT -5
Does the lemon oil have a really low percentage of actual lemon oil?
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Post by Pinetree on Dec 31, 2022 17:07:34 GMT -5
Gray Scotchbrite and Simple Green for really nasty grunge. An old toothbrush is a good tool also.
My favorite Lemon Oil is Homer Formby's.
Don't know what's in it, don't care. Been using it from the 70's.
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Post by Ricketi on Dec 31, 2022 17:10:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Dec 31, 2022 17:36:37 GMT -5
Yeah, the only lemon oil I have around the house is Old English, which I haven't used on guitars. The ingredients for that are mysteriously elusive (directs me to a defunct website).
The Howard's Wax and Feed that I've been using for several years now simply says its a blend of beeswax, carnauba wax and orange oil. I used to slather on the lemon oil and let it sit then buff it out. In more recent years I just work a bit it with a finger tip.
I honestly don't think I've ever had a grody fingerboard though, but I usually wash my hands after gardening or cleaning fish before playing my guitars. 🤣
I've read conflicting info on using naphtha (lighter fluid will do) on rosewood. I wouldn't slather it on anyways.
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Post by Ricketi on Dec 31, 2022 19:52:23 GMT -5
Yeah I let things go too long on my HM Strat and then it hung on the wall for over a decade without playing . I want to start playing it again and took a closer look at it and said "yuck!". Not the way to treat an instrument. I just don't want to use the wrong stuff and wreck the board.
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Post by Pinetree on Dec 31, 2022 21:21:46 GMT -5
0000 Steel Wool is the best method, but ya gotta know what you're doing..
Put painter's tape over the pickups and an old t-shirt over the body and go to work.
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DrKev
Wholenote
It's just a guitar, it's not rocket science.
Posts: 418
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Post by DrKev on Jan 2, 2023 5:47:25 GMT -5
On unfinished fingerboards I use a damp soapy sponge and paper towels followed by conditioning oil. (I like the Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes which are oil-impregnanted wet wipes, cleans and conditions, one wet wipe will do 10+ guitars, keep it in a little zip loc bag.)
For unfinished maple fretboards and necks, tenacious dark stains can be removed with a paste/slurry of Bar Keeper's friend. Apply, let sit for two minutes, clean with a toothbrush, then wipe thoroughly off, paying particular attention to getting any slurry out from fret edges (use toothpicks or razor blades). The follow up with fretboard conditioning oil.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jan 2, 2023 12:24:36 GMT -5
On a finished board, you're just cleaning a finish. Do whatever works for other finishes and you're good. Guitar polish, naphtha, even soapy water would work, as long as you don't get water down into the fret slots.
If 0000 steel wool isn't enough or I think I'm going to have to be super aggressive, I'll clean another way. A little naphtha on a soft, used toothbrush loosens up a lot of grime and won't damage the fingerboard. If it is extra thick, it can be scraped back with a razor blade. If there is some damage to the fingerboard or I want to blend lines where I had to scrape a lot of grime (very extreme cases) I can clean up with a Norton sanding pad... I forget the actual name for them.
Naphtha won't hurt a fingerboard. It can leave it looking grey and discolored and sad, usually in the spots where there was a lot of grime, but that goes away as soon as you apply your fingerboard conditioner of choice. I like the Howard's. It dries more than other stuff and doesn't leave any sticky feeling. It also lasts for a long time, and repeated applications of other oils to maintain a dark, rich look can make the fingerboards kinda gooey over time.
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