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Originally Posted by Infidelity  Is there any way of removing a gunky looking thing in fret board that looks like this? I have tried oils but it doesn't work since this bass have a satin finish..   |
If that's simple "finger gunk", then higher purity (e.g. 90% or higher) isopropyl rubbing alcohol (you can find it at any grocery or drug store) on a cotton ball will get it off and will dry quickly without soaking into or drying out the wood--IME. That's what I used on my
maple neck and it worked perfectly without any negative consequencies. With as much mess as you have there, I think you'll need a small handful of cotton balls to get all that off!
Washing your hands before you play reduces that gunk build up too.
Some people are afraid that using alcohol will dry out their wood and cause problems. In reality, alcohol will only be on the surface of the wood for a matter of
seconds and won't be on there long enough to soak in. Any excess alcohol that takes more than about 10 seconds to evaporate can be wiped off with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. On a satin finished maple neck, I don't think quick use of fast drying alcohol will hurt anything.
Also, I don't see any need to OIL a satin finished neck. The oil isn't even going to penetrate the wood since it's already sealed with that satin finish. I never understood why musicians want to oil their necks. Oil collects and holds dust and dirty. Putting oil on your neck isn't much different, IMO, than putting
glue on it. The neck should be clean, IMO, and you should only worry about oiling the wood if it is starting to dry out. I live in Alaska which is considered arid as far as air quality (yes, we have water but our air is extremely dry). In fact, our climate is considered to be as dry as the desert areas of Arizona and Nevada. So, IMO, unless you live
here or in Arizona or Nevada, you probably won't ever encounter a time when you should need to moisturize your basses neck with oils.
I'm sure someone else will post some reason why I'm wrong and you should slather your instrument in axel grease. Granted, I'm not a furniture builder but I have lived in this
very dry climate for many years. I've had one bass for 14 years here and I don't oil it, when I clean the fingerboard I use alcohol, it has a rosewood fingerboard--never had a drying, cracking, fret level, or warping problem with it.
Meh...my 2 cents.
