cleaning fender 2008 USA J bass neck (maple) with WD40

bobulibobium · #1 02-18-2010, 10:10 PM

hi, ive been recommended by a friend to use WD-40 as a way of cleaning my basses maple neck, maple fret board and frets. there has been grime building up on the fretboard, and the back of the neck has become a bit sticky, and not as smooth as it was when i first bought it.

ive heard certain cleaning items should not be used on lacquered necks/fretboards, and i was wondering if the members of tb thought that WD-40 was a safe product to use and not destroy the finish on my neck.

any other cleaning items to recommend as an alternative would be appreciated.

BadB · #2 02-18-2010, 10:16 PM

Uh, that's a new one. WD40 is a rust preventative/water displacer, so I would vote no.

bobulibobium · #3 02-18-2010, 10:30 PM

thats what i thought when reading the can, it didnt seem like a good choice. the guy seems insistant it will work, but i have this feeling im gonna destroy my neck if i do

Slax · #4 02-18-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobulibobium

thats what i thought when reading the can, it didnt seem like a good choice. the guy seems insistant it will work, but i have this feeling im gonna destroy my neck if i do

If that's the case, insist he does it first on his guitar/bass and then still not do it. jk

RFord04 · #5 02-18-2010, 10:39 PM

Sounds like a really bad idea to me.

bobulibobium · #6 02-18-2010, 11:25 PM

im glad you guys agree, cause i allmost went out and bought myself a can of this stuff, and it would be silly to spend money to ruin my bass.

any alternative suggestions to achieve what i want to do to my neck?

GlennW · #7 02-19-2010, 06:25 AM

For the frets I tape off the fingerboard (before cleaning) and use 0000 steel wool.

I've found denatured alcohol to be a finish friendly cleaner.

I recently tried some Goof-Off and wouldn't recommend it, too aggressive.

THand · #8 02-19-2010, 06:29 AM

naptha (aka, lighter fluid)

Andy_D · #9 02-19-2010, 08:18 AM

How about a wet cloth for starters. since it's maple everything should be sealed and you should do no harm so long as it's not dripping wet. For tough spots try some rubbing alcohol which evaporates quickly. As always test anything you try on a small inconspicuous spot. In other words start with the least aggressive approach and work your way up.

testing1two · #10 02-19-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THand

naptha (aka, lighter fluid)

+1

Naphtha will remove the grime and a good guitar polish will restore the "slick" feeling. For future cleaning, a damp cloth or liquid guitar polish will do the trick.

If you want to polish frets, you have several options. The fastest method is to use micro-mesh abrasive cloth (I use MX1200 for frets) in conjunction with fingerboard guards from Stew Mac. This allows you to quickly polish the frets without masking the fingerboard. A small sheet of Micro Mesh is around $3 from Micro-Surface and the fingerboard guards are $6 from Stew Mac.

https://micro-surface.com/index.php?...age=page&id=15

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting...rd_Guards.html

The other method is to mask the fingerboard using blue painters tape and then polish the frets using metal polish and a cotton cloth (or a Dremel with a polishing wheel).

I would avoid steel wool unless you have a shop with an air compressor to thoroughly remove the filings and extra time to mask off your pickups. In addition to being needlessly messy, steel wool doesn't polish frets nearly as well as the two methods described above.

Stradavus · #11 02-19-2010, 07:57 PM

http://www.gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html

I use this stuff. Works like a charm for grime and one bottle lasts me about 5 years.

pasta4lnch · #12 02-19-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_D

How about a wet cloth for starters. since it's maple everything should be sealed and you should do no harm so long as it's not dripping wet. For tough spots try some rubbing alcohol which evaporates quickly. As always test anything you try on a small inconspicuous spot. In other words start with the least aggressive approach and work your way up.

+1

Eric Moesle · #13 02-21-2010, 03:54 PM

FWIW, WD-40 is in fact and excellent cleaner. It removes sticky residue from labels and tape, and is gently on finishes.

GroovinOnFunk · #14 01-28-2011, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stradavus

http://www.gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html

I use this stuff. Works like a charm for grime and one bottle lasts me about 5 years.

crap, lol... the description says nothing about maple fretboards.

I have a dunlop fretboard lemon oil based product that straight up says "DO NOT USE ON MAPLE FRET BOARDS"