How to clean/polish fingerboard?

[boondox]

Gotta get rid of some grime. Will pledge do the trick?

[lethargytartare]

Probably. I just use 0000 steel wool now -- which also works great for polishing the frets.

[JustDavid]

Coated or uncoated? Or, maple or rosewood.

& please, not Pledge.

[darkstorm]

Grocery store spray furniture polish like pledge is semi ok. But something like dunlops deep fretboard conditioneing spray is better imo. I do my fretboards once a year. But some prefer to do couple times a year or so, if sweats a lot conditions for playing.

[boondox]

RW uncoated

[Chrisk-K]

0000 steel wool followed by lemon oil.

[ko stradivarius]

If you use steel wool just make sure you dont get any of the particles near your pickups just so it doesn't collect on them.
And with lemon oil, don't mistake it with lemon juice. Pledge and the like have added ingredients to them which may get a little waxy. Ive used it on other things but oddly enough, not furniture.
Go to a place that sells the aromatherapy crap and get 100% lemon oil in the 1/2 oz bottles. Whole foods sells the small bottles for around $6.
I just use lemon oil on my rosewood and ebony necks. For maple and my Ric I just use Alembic supreme polish.
YMMV

[boynamedsuse]

I use and recommend lemon oil, but to be clear, the lemon oil used to clean and condition fretboards is not made from lemons. For example:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PWLemonOil/

[Rick Auricchio]

I greatly prefer a Scotchbrite pad instead of steel wool. Steel wool particles can break off and get embedded in the wood grain. They'll end up in your fingers...that hurts. And they can rust.

[azfryguy]

I would use dunlop or name branded unless its a maple board but I assume its just standard rosewood

[Luckie]

I use dunlop lemon oil. Makes my boards look great.
For cleaning gunk, use wood soap then re-oil.

[Cade]

Have a look at Chrome Frets. It's on my Christmas list ...

http://www.chromefrets.co.uk/

[Baron Von Vik]

It's mineral oil-based. I use it on all my instruments.

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Chrisk-K

0000 steel wool followed by lemon oil.

That's what I do too. But since real lemon oil evaporates pretty fast, I also rub down the fingerboards with "bore oil" after the lemon treatment. That is oil used on the inside of woodwind instruments. You can get it at any shop that sells horn stuff. The combo treatment takes a long time to dry out.

Some wide tape over your pickups is a good precaution before starting to keep them from being covered with hard to remove steel fuzz.

[Growly Lytes]

Looks like everybody has there `own` tricks when it comes to cleaning so i quess as long as your FB dont shrink no worries !

[Dangit]

I do this every restring:

1. Gorgomyte to clean everything up (I've made some seriously green frets shine again with this stuff)

2. Fret Doctor or Dunlop Ultimate Lemon Oil.

[doktorfeelgood]

And I use GHS Fast Fret to clean my strings between gigs but I use this stuff to clean my RW board at every re-string. It IS, IMO, the best out there. And unless yer board is REALLY funky, you won't need steel wool with this. Just a clean cotton rag.
Gives a RW board a nice, almost honey color when it dries and last's quite awhile. )-(

http://gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

I greatly prefer a Scotchbrite pad instead of steel wool. Steel wool particles can break off and get embedded in the wood grain. They'll end up in your fingers...that hurts. And they can rust.

+1 on the Scotchbrite pad.

And I have been using Fender Fretboard Conditioner by Meguiar's for a few years now, love this stuff. Cleans and lubes.

I just cleaned up a MIM Precision RW fretboard that it had appeared someone waited until their hands were as dirty as can be before playing. Clean as a whistle now.

Be careful not to over-lube your board. I wipe off the excess frequently, and I only lube a board once a year at the most. Over-lubing can soften the wood and loosen the frets.

[doktorfeelgood]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

+1 on the Scotchbrite pad.

And I have been using Fender Fretboard Conditioner by Meguiar's for a few years now, love this stuff. Cleans and lubes.

I just cleaned up a MIM Precision RW fretboard that it had appeared someone waited until their hands were as dirty as can be before playing. Clean as a whistle now.

Be careful not to over-lube your board. I wipe off the excess frequently, and I only lube a board once a year at the most. Over-lubing can soften the wood and loosen the frets.

Yeah, over-lubing a board can be very bad. I never spray any
cleaner/lube directly on the board. Always spray on a rag and clean the board with that. That way I never get excess on a board that soaks under the frets. )-(

[The Man 53]

What about a Rickenbacker that has a finished fret board? I have been using the fast fret, but it doesn't finish really well. Kind of greasy looking after playing, but it wipes right off.