It makes sense: you want the tightest grain and the heaviest wood to press your frets into or to carve into a tongue extension. Long ago, somebody figured out that dense hardwoods make the best fretboards. This is more of a take-your-time kind of chore, so maybe grab a beverage before you start. Clear off your workbench, kitchen counter, dining room table, pool table, etc. It helps to have a wide, flat surface measuring approximately five times the amount of space you think you’ll need. Once you’ve gathered all of the right materials, make sure to find a good space for deep cleaning. Look for “#0000” or “super fine” steel wool at any hardware store, paint shop, or online retailer-don’t use the stuff you use to clear off scrambled eggs from your cast iron. If you’re going to use an abrasive material on a fretboard, just stick to steel wool.Īny Steel Wool Other Than #0000: The brand of steel wool doesn’t matter, but the gauge does. Even 800-grit will create hills and valleys in the fretboard, or worse, create uneven wear on the frets. But that’s really the only reason you ought to use sandpaper on a neck. Sandpaper comes in handy if the player wants to strip the finish from a fretboard or neck. Sometimes, a player will like the shape and feel of a neck but hate the finish. Sandpaper: You’ll hear more about different fretboard varieties and the different ways to clean them later on in this piece. I’m all about using household products to take care of guitar repair tasks, but it’s sometimes best to stick with the stuff that was designed for instruments. ![]() But the aerosolized wood polishes like Pledge usually contain solvents that can be harmful to the guitar’s finish. Pledge or Wood Polish Spray: Lemon oil is a great thing to use on fretboards, especially to return a dark sheen to the wood if it’s dried out. But it should not under any circumstances be used as a cleaning agent-especially on a fretboard. It’s a great thing to use for cleaning up excess glue or for removing binding from a guitar body or neck. ![]() Nail polish remover (acetone) is specifically designed to strip that kind of lacquer or finish. In addition to the list of things you do need, there are also a few things that should absolutely never be used to clean your guitar.Īcetone/Nail Polish Remover: Naptha is okay to use because it doesn’t react with guitar finish. Just be sure to use caution when working with it-use a paper towel or cloth to apply it, and and don’t let it near an open flame. What makes it great for guitar cleaning is that it doesn’t react with nitro or poly finishes, and it evaporates quickly without causing wood to expand. Naphtha (Ronsonol/Zippo lighter fluid also works): Naphtha (and lighter fluid, mineral spirits) is a solvent often used for breaking up oils, like the stuff your fingers leave behind on the fretboard. Just make sure to get it all off when cleaning it up because Murphy's can get crusty if it’s left to dry out-what we call “Murph Boogers” or “soap snot.” Vegetable Oil Soap (We prefer Murphy’s): Potassium vegetable oil-based soap is marvelously gentle on wood. Altogether, everything on this list can be acquired for less than $50. Fretboard Cleaning Material Dos and Don’tsīelow is a list of crucial materials for fretboard cleaning and general guitar maintenance. Be sure to look up your model’s specs before you start cleaning to ensure that you’re using the right products for your guitar’s fretboard. Whether your frets are pressed into elegant and streaky ebony or directly into the pine neck like Leo Fender and Doc Kauffman used to do, it’s a good idea to keep the foundation of your frets clean to prevent this from happening.īelow, this guide will walk through the process for cleaning and maintaining three common fretboard varieties: unfinished wood, finished wood with unfinished frets, and completely lacquered necks. ![]() ![]() If left uncleaned, buildup from the fretboard can work its way onto the strings, limiting their ability to resonate and significantly impeding your guitar’s sonic performance. It’s also the piece of the guitar that comes in contact with your hands most frequently and gets the dirtiest as a result. It’s the contact point between the notes you play and the body of the guitar-the stabilizing bedrock of the frets. Despite being just a thin strip of hardwood glued down to the neck, a fretboard is one of the guitar’s most important components.
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