Hi folks, first post so please be gentle...
So I got my hands on a old(ish) Ibanez AS80 and at first the fretboard just looked a bit dirty but on first clean (using dunlop 01) the cloth came away with a dark brown stain. I kept going but it just kept coming off.
I did a few googles and found a forum suggesting the stain was the cleaner sucking the life out of the Rosewood (sorry forgot to mention, it's a Rosewood board). I fear I was doing harm and asked around. Dunlop techs reassured me the 01 cleaner would not do this and this was either a manufacturer or owner stain. They said it would come out but would take some doing and the amount of cleaning and end result would depend on the cleaner used.
So my question is, does anyone have any experience of removing the stain from a fretboard, or even has tried ebonising a rosewood board, what stain did you use and why on earth why? Any help pointers or suggestions gratefully taken on board.
I do like the grain and colour of Rosewood and I am starting to see a real nice colour coming out but will I ever get it to show properly...
Cheers
Jools
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I do not know for sure but I don't think you will be able to remove it.
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if it’s coming away dark brown then that’s the stain they used, not black
if Fiebings is used on raw wood, and rubbed back well a few minutes later, it doesn’t lift at all. But it’s likely this was done to the Ibanez after it left the factory as they have never been shy of a light board, and likely done on top of a fretboard oil
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i suppose it depends on whether it's a deep stain or a surface laquer. i think if i took a baby wipe & some pent up aggression to mine i could probably get most of it off.
maybe experiment carefully & watch out for glued-on bits (binding, etc) if using strong solvents. & consider non-workshop things. for example, superdrug acetone-free nail varnish remover is amazing for getting years-old stickers off guitars. babywipes good for a quick non-harsh clean up. you don't always have to go full on chemical warfare to get a good result.
It may be slightly less harsh or diluted, but thats just my own speculation as there is no chemical content listings on the bottle..
Which, if any legal eagles are about, would that then mean its not something as harsh or hazardous as naphtha?
I’ve heard as the board is moisturised it can soften the wood, particularly under the frets if it seeps into the groove where the tang is which cant be reached to be wiped off.