Cleaning “gunk” of a rosewood fretboard

monkey42

My fretboard is in need of de gunk ing..

I’ve never had to do this before (usually sold the guitar within a couple of years) so this one has done well to stay with me.

anyway, I’ve done you tube and google and see many different ways. A lot of people seem to use 0000 steel wool which frightens the crap out of me.

what do you guys use and how do you go about it

thanks in advance

monkey42

The irony…just found this


https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/248026/cleaning-gunk-off-fretboard/p1

but if anyone else has anything to add that would be great

ditchboy

I just bought some ax wax which brought mine up a treat. 

mo6020

Yeh just give it a wipe down/dig out with some lemon oil and then wax it if it needs it.

floeighty2

Miracle Cloth (the one with lemon oil is the one I’ve got/use), it’s brilliant for sorting out the fretboard from gunk/tarnished frets etc and you only need a tiny piece at a time. 

DoctorX

Lighter fluid.

Lestratcaster

I use the Dunlop 01 fretboard cleaner, then condition after with the 65 Lemon oil. Thankfully I restring often enough that it doesn't get to a serious over gunk stage but I change a lot of strings on learner guitars that's fretboards are disgusting. Usually a bit of elbow grease works without the need for anything overly abrasive.

I've read some use lighter fluid but I've not tried it. Supposed to dissolve the manky stuff easily.

Penn

Lighter fluid works well. I’ve also been using this and it’s good 

https://www.crimsonguitars.com/products/fretboard-cleaner-and-restorative-set

davros

Yep, zippo or ronsonol lighter fluid then your lemon oil/ fretboard conditioner of choice. A stanley knife/single edge razor blade will help if it's really minging.

skunkwerx

How bad's the gunk?

I use Liberon 0000 steel wool for fret polishing, maybe 3 times a year or whenever the guitars been sat for a long period and the frets get a bit tarnished.. not sure if tarnish is the right word but you know..

I use a fret collar but.. may as well not haha, I'm fairly careless about protecting the board.. as you can see in the image below where the steel wool has hit the board due to my lack of care. Its cosmetic and I'm never gonna sell these and being the fretboard is kind of a high traffic area it will all wear to something else sooner or later so I really couldnt care less.. but I understand some people would care.. 

The strings here are meant to be black btw.. haha!

Anyway, after I did the frets I lemon oiled the board so, as you can see it doesn't hide the steel wool marks. Though I suppose after a while finger oils go back on and it darkens them up again. 

So food for thought if you go for an abrasive method on the wood. 

Though if you steel wooled the board evenly I guess you wouldnt notice much change.. 

Steel wool makes a mess and its best to tape off your pickups otherwise bits will get stuck to them and you'll never get them off.. I just lay a cloth over the pickups and risk it LOL never had any stick but I'm more careful up the dusty end. 

This is an ebony board so likely shows up marks worse. 

But generally I play most days and it never really gets any build up.. 



Mainly because my hands are clean before playing and every time after playing I get a cloth, dunlop do yellow ones that I have a bunch of, and thoroughly wipe the strings down, including the underneath of them, frets and the board. Takes 2 minutes but keeps things much cleaner and prevents the need for more invasive cleaning/polishing intervals. I also wipe
the back of the neck down whilst I'm at it. 

Dunlop do a kit which has 01 cleaner & prep and 02 deep conditioner. 

Dunlop 01 seemed similar to Naphtha/lighter fluid (not actually sure whats in Dunlop 01 but when I used it it was similar to naphtha as it evaporated fast and dried the board a little, hence why Dunlop do the kit with 02) but I liked it, it cleaned good. 

02 Deep conditioner is for all intents and purposes just generic guitar lemon oil, which is not lemon oil at all, its coloured/scented Mineral oils. 

What I'm saying is, if you use something like lighter fluid or dunlop 01, or an abrasive method, you could follow up with lemon oil after if the boards left a little drier than you like. 

Personally I only ever use lemon oil, maybe twice a year when I do the frets, usually dunlops, which granted isnt really a 'cleaner' but for light stuff it can be used for cleaning the same way spitting on something and wiping it would.. 

Have I mentioned spitting on your board and wiping it off? Personally I dont but it's a thing dont ya know! Seriously.. 

Theres the credit card/razor blade method for scraping off.. debris.. at your own risk as you need to be careful. 

The other thing is, forego all that and simply use a very lightly damp cloth. See if that budges anything before stepping it up a notch. 

BobHillman

Many years ago I read an article by Stephen Delft in IM&RW about fretboard cleaning, and he recommended using Blutac to remove any steel wool that found its way onto them.

Scotchbrite is a better alternative to steel wool, as it is non magnetic.

Mr_Claw

DoctorX said:

Lighter fluid.

Yep, lighter fluid. Plus 0000 steel wool or something similar. If using steel wool make sure you tape over your pickups and pots to stop any filings from getting in there. 

Then re-oil with mineral oil or something like montypresso or carnuba or gun stock wax (don't use any oil or wax that could go rancid or damage the wood). Mineral oil is the cheapest good oil option. Wipe it on; leave it a little while; wipe it off completely and leave for couple of days. Wax is more immediate: wipe on; buff out; play.  

guitars4you

BobHillman said:

Many years ago I read an article by Stephen Delft in IM&RW about fretboard cleaning, and he recommended using Blutac to remove any steel wool that found its way onto them.

Scotchbrite is a better alternative to steel wool, as it is non magnetic.

Showing your age remembering such articles - I agree with Scotchbrite

robgilmo

Steel wool close to magnets?
I use ISO or meths, I dont do oil or wax or anything like that, never felt the need. Brasso to polish frets.

fretmeister

I refuse to remove tone from my guitars.

Sarge

Mineral oil and a toothbrush.
it really is that simple. 

robgilmo

fretmeister said:

I refuse to remove tone from my guitars.

Mojo.

strtdv

Gerlitz guitar honey used to be highly rated, I still have a bottle and it works well, been at least 10 years since I bought it though

donbot

Firm bristle toothbrush and a bit of lemoil. No need to waste money on anything else.