I have a 2006 Warwick Thumb BO with some serious corrosion on the frets. Since they're brass frets, I figured a polishing cloth would help - but it didn't.
Any ideas as to what causes this sort of thing? I haven't seen any of it on my other Wick frets (the Thumb is new to me and arrived with the corrosion). And how do I make it go away?
Are you sure it's not brass oxidation, or patina? Is it green? If it IS, mask off between the frets and get a good brass polish of sorts, and some 0000 grade steel wool, and with a delicate touch, clean off said patina.
it's not the green crud that you normally see on brass - it's dark, like the finish is coming off or something (i don't really think these frets have a "finish," but that's what it looks like).
I've seen it before. Try this: get yourself a ScotchBrite at your local grocery and a can of Warwick wax of Briwax (my preference). Apply a very small amount to the frets / fingerboard (a little bit goes a looooong way); no need to tape. Gently run the ScotchBrite pad up and down the fingerboard until the wax begins to dry. Remove the excess with a soft cloth or cheesecloth and buff out. This works really well with wenge necks and fingerboards.
As much as steel wool is recommended for this, I always recommend the green scrub pads used for pots and pans in the kitchen.
http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/sc..._scouring.html
The green one. I prefer these because they do the same thing but seem easier on the frets and easier to use, IMO. Also, they don't leave little metal residue behind, like steel wool. Only very fine shavings from the frets.
I've never had to use anything abrasive on brass; there's abrasives built into the polish. Start with brass polish and a clean cloth before you get crazy.
