I find that that cloth takes more elbow grease to clean the frets than the steel wool does.
[tech] How-to: Fretboard Care
- Thread starter Regor
- Start date
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Jon S57
New Member
I just joined this forum to thank Dendroaspis and you for this particularly excellent tip. Earlier today, I dyed a inlayed rosewood LP backplate with saddle dye to have it match the rest of the ebony on the guitar. It came out fine but I got some dye on the mother of pearl and abalone which bummed me out. I did a quick Google search for "saddle dye" "clean" "inlay" and found this forum and thread. I followed Regor's and Dendroaspis' instructions - worked like a charm! Y'all are awesome, thanks very much.
Jon S.
That's what we're here for. Stick around, you won't regret it.
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7stringTorment
Member
YES I AGREE THAT THIS POSTING HAS BEEN RATHER HELPFUL ..I WILL DEFINITIVELY BE INCLUDING DYING MY FRET BOARD BLACK ALONG WITH MY FUTURE MODS.
Jon S57
New Member
Thanks again, Regor.
Piledriver
Well-Known Member
can i use normal lemon oil?
thanks
R
thanks
R
FortePenance
Well-Known Member
Yes.
Can you use Lemon Oil on an Ebony Fretboard?
Scootman1911
Well-Known Member
Alright so my frets are dirty as hell and I want to clean them. I read your guide and found some steel wool but you say you use 0000 grade steel wool and all I have at my house is 0 grade. Would that be fine to use or is it too course?
I don't know. I'd imagine it'd be too coarse. But I've never used 0 grade steel wool before. I use 0000, and I do have to put some muscle into cleaning the fret, but I'd rather put muscle into it and 'barely' clean it, than wear away the fret too quickly.
My suggestion would be to test it on, say, the 22nd/24th fret and see how it works.
My suggestion would be to test it on, say, the 22nd/24th fret and see how it works.
Scootman1911
Well-Known Member
Alright well I'll try it out on the 24th fret and see how it is. I would go out and buy some 0000 steel wool but this is much more convenient if it works. Plus, I don't feel like going over to the hardware store just to get some lol
If it were my guitar(s)... I would
Scootman1911
Well-Known Member
Well how much does a pack of 0000 cost?
FortePenance
Well-Known Member
Scootman1911
Well-Known Member
Alright I'll get some next time. I just used the 0 grade and it worked fine. I was just careful to check my progress to make sure I didn't wear it down too bad. Like I'd go over the fret once or twice and look at it and did that until it was clean.
Neilzord
.Metal.
Last time I was doing a similar process to my guitar I realised I had some small magnets on my other desk.
Magnets make cleaning up all steel-wool mess extra easy
Magnets make cleaning up all steel-wool mess extra easy
jarledge
Well-Known Member
I use mineral oil. It is cheaper and does a better job IMO. Lemon oil is sometimes a misnomer. Some are blends of naptha, or linseed or other oils with lemon scent. If it is real lemon oil it can be acidic which can speed the buildup of corrosion on your frets.
As far as cleaning the fret board goes I use Tub O'Towels cleaning wipes from auto zone. They clean up everything... even the thickest most gunky baked on finger cheese. If you really need to get in there you can use a stiff tooth brush.
I used food grade mineral that you can buy at home depot. It is noncorrosive and nonreactive. If you have a super dry fret board and aren't going to need oil in large quantity Bore oil is excellent. It is also a petroleum distillate much like mineral oil only more viscous.
You also don't need to tape off your ebony or rosewood fret board when using 0000 steel wool to polish your frets assuming you go the direction of the grain of the fretboard. You can use 1200 or greater (depending on level of corrosion and working back up through the grits.) sand paper to polish frets and not worry about taping off a rosewood or ebony fret board. If they need a light polish then go the direction of the neck. If it is more serious then tape off the neck and use fine sanding paper, mineral oil in the place of water, and go across the neck with the direction of the fret. This is to ensure that on the off chance you don't get it polished out all the way the micro groves created while sanding/polishing will run the same direction of your bends.
As already stated, if you go the steel wool route then place a magnet inside the piece you are using. Keeps it all together a little better.
As far as cleaning the fret board goes I use Tub O'Towels cleaning wipes from auto zone. They clean up everything... even the thickest most gunky baked on finger cheese. If you really need to get in there you can use a stiff tooth brush.
I used food grade mineral that you can buy at home depot. It is noncorrosive and nonreactive. If you have a super dry fret board and aren't going to need oil in large quantity Bore oil is excellent. It is also a petroleum distillate much like mineral oil only more viscous.
You also don't need to tape off your ebony or rosewood fret board when using 0000 steel wool to polish your frets assuming you go the direction of the grain of the fretboard. You can use 1200 or greater (depending on level of corrosion and working back up through the grits.) sand paper to polish frets and not worry about taping off a rosewood or ebony fret board. If they need a light polish then go the direction of the neck. If it is more serious then tape off the neck and use fine sanding paper, mineral oil in the place of water, and go across the neck with the direction of the fret. This is to ensure that on the off chance you don't get it polished out all the way the micro groves created while sanding/polishing will run the same direction of your bends.
As already stated, if you go the steel wool route then place a magnet inside the piece you are using. Keeps it all together a little better.
mrjones_ass
Well-Known Member
You guys dont have problems after dying fretboards with your finger turning black?
I have heard some horror stories about dying fretboards with problems like that long after the dying.
I have heard some horror stories about dying fretboards with problems like that long after the dying.
jarledge
Well-Known Member
I will get new guitars that will bleed off dye. It really depends i guess. I have had old guitars that still bleed off dye even after i have cleaned the finger cheese and corrosion off the fret board and frets.
ryanscott6
Well-Known Member
Great writeup! After I tape mine up, I use a dremel with a polishing wheel with a little polishing compound. I use Simichrome Polish.
