Rubbing alcohol and rosewood

EagleMoon · #1 02-10-2009, 01:54 AM

I was cleaning the strings on my '08 Fender jazz with a rag and some rubbing alcohol, and some red tint came off on the rag from the neck. Is this normal? I've never had this happen with a rosewood neck before.

62bass · #2 02-10-2009, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

I was cleaning the strings on my '08 Fender jazz with a rag and some rubbing alcohol, and some red tint came off on the rag from the neck. Is this normal? I've never had this happen with a rosewood neck before.

They might have used a dye to colour the rosewood.

EagleMoon · #3 02-10-2009, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62bass

They might have used a dye to colour the rosewood.

Does that happen a lot? I'm just concerned because I usually use alcohol quite a bit to wipe down my strings. I don't want my neck to start looking bad.

Jefenator · #4 02-10-2009, 02:51 AM

I treat rosewood and ebony fingerboards with oil when I change strings, to keep them from drying out. (I've seen cracks develop in the past - best to avoid that.)

Seems to me alcohol would have the absolute opposite effect, i.e. it would dissolve the natural oils and cause the board to dry out very quickly.

If I was going to wipe down the strings with an alcohol soaked rag, I'd probably put some sheet plastic between the strings and the fretboard to protect the latter.

But I'm not a luthier.

YMMV

62bass · #5 02-10-2009, 10:53 AM

If you oil the fingerboard once in a while with mineral oil the alcohol you use to clean your strings won't dry it out. You'd have to keep regularly saturating the fingerboard with alcohol to do that. Quit worrying and enjoy playing your bass.

EagleMoon · #6 02-10-2009, 11:13 AM

It's a brand new bass, would it be drying out already? I haven't bass but about a month or so. I just usually put a little alcohol on a a thin towel, wrap it around the string and rub it up and down. I've never had rust colored residue come off on my towel before. Would oiling it keep that from happening then? The neck doesn't look dry at all.

RMay · #7 02-10-2009, 12:37 PM

New fretboard drying out already? That depends on how often rubbing alcohol gets on the board, but if I understand correctly this is the first time you noticed residue come off so it's fair to say no worries. Conditioning the fretboard with mineral oil, linseed, lemon, or household product Old English everytime after you wipe down the strings would be a good practice and guard an ebony or rwd board from drying out. Do your best to guard that board from the alcohol and strings from the oil. Let the oil dry on the fretboard. You should be impressed with how it brings out the grain. Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes Fretboard Condition is a great product. Their Wonder Wipes String Cleaner eliminates acid, dirt and grime while maximizing the life and tone of your strings.

**Jeremy Allen** · #8 02-10-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

I was cleaning the strings on my '08 Fender jazz with a rag and some rubbing alcohol, and some red tint came off on the rag from the neck. Is this normal? I've never had this happen with a rosewood neck before.

That has happened to me before. My luthier told me to clean the fingerboard with denatured alcohol instead, and I noticed that much less in the way of red "stuff" seemed to come off. After you clean it with the denatured alcohol ("Sunnyside Denatured Alcohol Solvent," available at any hardware store), he said, oil it with mineral oil (baby oil) to keep it from drying out. It sure looks great when I do this.

I'd be interested to hear what other luthiers say.

billoetjen · #9 02-10-2009, 12:49 PM

Weird, thought it was just me. I treat all fingerboards with my proprietary miracle oil (mineral oil with a little added lemon oil). Recently, I treated my brand-new SX p ("rosewood" fingerboard) and for the next week or so, my fingertips got stained from playing. Hhmmm. Thought that the bass used a stain to make the fingerboard look more like real rosewood or more consistent or something. Made me a little nervous, what with all the accusations about toxic substances turning up in Chinese products....

It stopped staining after a couple of weeks.

GeoffByrne · #10 02-10-2009, 01:05 PM

If you must use a cleaning agent on your fretboard, why not use 'Liquid Gold' which will clean & oil your fretboard simultaneously - that's what I use & it's recommended for expensive antique furniture.

EagleMoon · #11 02-10-2009, 03:30 PM

Thanks for all the good information about oiling the fretboard, but does everyone think this is dye? That was my main concern. I've had lots of basses with rosewood and this is the first time I've had this happen. I could maybe see it on a cheap bass, but an MIA Fender?

Turnaround · #12 02-10-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

Thanks for all the good information about oiling the fretboard, but does everyone think this is dye? That was my main concern. I've had lots of basses with rosewood and this is the first time I've had this happen. I could maybe see it on a cheap bass, but an MIA Fender?

Many manufacturers dye their boards - even on middle-grade instruments ($1000 price range). They do it to even out the colour and give a kind of ebony look. On the cheapest instruments it's done to make the fingerboard look like rosewood when it isn't or when a really inferior quality rosewood is used. Note that "rosewood" is a generic term and covers many varieties of woods - some of which don't look very rosewoodish.

The colour may come off these boards a bit, but at the same time the woods will absorb some of the natural oil from your hands as you play and will actually improve in colour over time. The use of a fingerboard conditioner (as mentioned by other posters) will help to maintain colour. But if your board really starts to look poorly, you can re-dye it. Not a big deal.

EagleMoon · #13 02-10-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnaround

Many manufacturers dye their boards - even on middle-grade instruments ($1000 price range). They do it to even out the colour and give a kind of ebony look. On the cheapest instruments it's done to make the fingerboard look like rosewood when it isn't or when a really inferior quality rosewood is used. Note that "rosewood" is a generic term and covers many varieties of woods - some of which don't look very rosewoodish.

The colour may come off these boards a bit, but at the same time the woods will absorb some of the natural oil from your hands as you play and will actually improve in colour over time. The use of a fingerboard conditioner (as mentioned by other posters) will help to maintain colour. But if your board really starts to look poorly, you can re-dye it. Not a big deal.

Interesting. I'm surprised they don't use something that won't rub off. The fingerboard is pretty dark so it very well could be dyed.