Can I use brasso on the frets on a Rosewood fingerboard?

[Damani311]

Just curious, before I screw up this cheap bass that I just bought. It's so cheap the frets, which looks like some cheap alloy or brass, are pretty tarnished/oxidized or w/e and Lemon Oil isn't touching it.

Also should I keep using the oil on the fretboard until black stuff stops coming off? Or at some point am I starting to do damage?

[Melo]

I'd use #0000 steel wool to polish the frets and wood, then apply a little lemon oil.

[62bass]

I've used Brasso successfully to polish frets. Mask the fingerboard. Polish with a soft cotton cloth.

[kraigo]

+1 on mask the fingerboard. If you get the Brasso in the grain of the rosewood you'll never get it out.

Did I mention "mask the fingerboard"?

KO

[dave@sparrow5.w]

If they're really tarnished, I'd go for the #0000 wire wool and lemon oil but first mask your pick-up's unless you want to spend the next 10 years trying to get tiny bits of wire wool away from the magnets!

I use any fairly close woven cloth laid over the PU's and taped down all around the edges with masking tape. The steel bits will be attracted to the PU's but on top of the cloth. When I'm done and everything is dusted down, carefully unpeel the tape and roll the cloth up from the edges to trap the wire bits. Simple but a pain if you don't do it.

Gouranga

Dave

PS Anyone know if I can change my ID? Don't know how I ended up with it!!

[gafbass02]

Gorgomyte mate, it's the way forward!

[BobKos]

I must have got lucky. I used Brasso to clean up the frets on my Reverend Rumblefish. I didn't have any problems with marking the rosewood board. I worked one fret at a time and didn't let the stuff dry. In reading this thread, I won't try it again without masking.

[Jazzdogg]

This also works:

http://www.nevrdull.com/

[Basehead]

I've used Brasso to clean the frets of all of my instuments, BUT I would definitely take the time to mask the fretboard. Steel wool (#0000) also works, but the I just don't want to deal with the fine pieces of wire wool.

[Munjibunga]

I don't know about that, but I knew a guy in the Marines who drank a can of Brasso hoping it would make him sick enough to get out. He got out that day.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Damani311

Just curious, before I screw up this cheap bass that I just bought. It's so cheap the frets, which looks like some cheap alloy or brass, are pretty tarnished/oxidized or w/e and Lemon Oil isn't touching it.

Also should I keep using the oil on the fretboard until black stuff stops coming off? Or at some point am I starting to do damage?

Get some Liberon brand 0000 steel wool, much finer than domestic hardware store 0000.

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by JLS

Get some Liberon brand 0000 steel wool, much finer than domestic hardware store 0000.

+1 Best steel wool I've found

Or use bronze wool, a Scotchbrite pad or Micromesh brand abrasive - none of which will be attracted to p'ups

[ReidK]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

I don't know about that, but I knew a guy in the Marines who drank a can of Brasso hoping it would make him sick enough to get out. He got out that day.

In a horizontal box?

Reid