Polishing Frets

[bigbassman75]

I was wondering if anyone knows a product or way to polish up your frets?

I have been playing My P Bass for almost 10 years now and just noticed yesterday the frets are forming a black goop on them past the 12 fret. The goop is easily scrapped off but the frets have lost their brass shine. They look very lackluster compared to my new Jazz Bass.

Is their any techniques or products out there i can use to restore them to their natural shine?

[HaMMerHeD]

I have a set of these:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting...t=3&xsr=230948

And I find they work rather well.

[daveman50]

#0000 steel wool. Just make sure you tape off the area around the pickups - you don't want the little bits of steel wool gettin' in there - and clean up real well right away. You can tape off the fingerboard as well (use two strips of painter's tape and just reuse them, moving from fret to fret).

[Liam76]

I got ambitious one day and polished the jumbo frets on my 5-string. I did like above and taped off the wood, used 0000 steel wool and polished with 3M rubbing compound with some mild buffing.

[Mtnman]

I use a Dremel with a little felt polishing wheel with some polishing compound on my frets. They come out gleaming like the sun. Also, like was already stated, make sure you tape off the fretboard. I use the blue masking tape that doesn't leave glue residue behind.

I've tried using steel wool, but the little wool boogers get all over the magnets from the p'ups and can be a nightmare to get rid of. Plus you get those little steel splinters in your fingertips. OUCH!!!

[Vincent P]

Originally Posted by daveman50

#0000 steel wool. Just make sure you tape off the area around the pickups - you don't want the little bits of steel wool gettin' in there - and clean up real well right away. You can tape off the fingerboard as well (use two strips of painter's tape and just reuse them, moving from fret to fret).

Works like a charm!!!

[Growly Lytes]

Nevr-Dull Magic Wadding Polish - Made In the U.S Its great !
Autosol Cream Poilish - Has won many awards , Made In Germany.
Thats what i use.

[audioglenn]

All of the above are good suggestions. You can also find some good videos on youtube. Worth watching.

[droskobass]

this is all you need! and a little elbow grease!

http://www.jimdunlop.com/product/mic...olishing-cloth

[Tom Cat]

+1 #0000 Steel wool
Might want to tape off your pick ups as well.

[ddnidd1]

If you use steel wool, just hold the bass vertically - body up and headstock down. No need to tape off the pickups. The filings drop to the ground.

[DiabolusInMusic]

Originally Posted by daveman50

#0000 steel wool. Just make sure you tape off the area around the pickups - you don't want the little bits of steel wool gettin' in there - and clean up real well right away. You can tape off the fingerboard as well (use two strips of painter's tape and just reuse them, moving from fret to fret).

This to a T. Don't forget the tape.

[SamanthaCay]

I never got why people use steel wool.
In the time it would take for me to do a good job of it and clean up the mess left behind, I could already be done using fine grit sandpapers.

The way I like to do it is to tape off the board, and using a piece of 220 stuck to one side of a 1/4" X 1/4" stick, I then use that to sand the entire fret starting on the side and rolling the stick to the top as I sand back and forth, then move to the other side and repeat.

Once that's done I move through the grits up to 600 using the same technique.

Last I take a rubber strop and aluminium oxide powder to apply a final polish.

[Randyt]

Originally Posted by SamanthaCay

I never got why people use steel wool.
In the time it would take for me to do a good job of it and clean up the mess left behind, I could already be done using fine grit sandpapers.

The way I like to do it is to tape off the board, and using a piece of 220 stuck to one side of a 1/4" X 1/4" stick, I then use that to sand the entire fret starting on the side and rolling the stick to the top as I sand back and forth, then move to the other side and repeat.

Once that's done I move through the grits up to 600 using the same technique.

Last I take a rubber strop and aluminium oxide powder to apply a final polish.

I have used many different techniques with great success, but I personally wouldnt use anything heavier than 800 grit (wet sandding paper) IME...i usually use 1000 to 1500 grit paper...

[rmars]

Originally Posted by SamanthaCay

..... using a piece of 220 ......

I use 320 for leveling frets.... would never used 220 for polishing. Your going to take off too much too quickly. I really like 3M Polishing paper from Stewmac but steel wool works fine. Highly recommend you tape off the pickup no matter what anyone else says because any material from the steel wool or the frets can and will work it's way into the pickup.