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01-28-2007, 01:25 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Timisoara, Romania | |  Rusty and tarnished frets
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Hello there,
Problem 1:
Yesterday I was playing my 1 year old Fender HWY1 Jazz and noticed a small spot on the last fret. It looked like rust, exactly the same colour. The spot was on the side of the fret, and not where the string touches the fret. Also, the spot was not on the side where I touch the fret when double-thumpin', on the other side. I tried to remove it with my finger, and it didn't worked. Then I took a cutter and scratched the spot down. It's OK now, but was that really rust? I didn't played my bass with wet hands and didn't let any liquid to my frets... Is this normal? My bass is only one year old, and I do not travel with it through different climatic zones... When I travel by train, I store my bass in a case. So, is this normal? If yes, how can I get rid of it when it happens sometime in the future? Should I scratch it down, or should I use any other substance? I have GHS Fast Fret, is this good to rub on my frets to prevent rusting?
Problem 2:
My frets have tarnished, they're not as shiny as they were on the first day. What can I do to make them shiny again? Also, is this normal to appear after one year of playing my bass normally (1-3 hours/day)? Is there any substance made to make frets shiny again? Let's say I use a substance to clean them, is this substance good for the fingerboard or the fret glue? Again, is GHS Fast Fret good for this?
Thanks a lot guys, I hope you can help me out.
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"We think that Music stops at the ears. That is a mistake. Vibrations can be felt in all places and at all times, even with the eyes." - Victor L. Wooten
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01-28-2007, 02:10 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiBass  Hello there,
Problem 1:
Yesterday I was playing my 1 year old Fender HWY1 Jazz and noticed a small spot on the last fret. It looked like rust, exactly the same colour. The spot was on the side of the fret, and not where the string touches the fret. Also, the spot was not on the side where I touch the fret when double-thumpin', on the other side. I tried to remove it with my finger, and it didn't worked. Then I took a cutter and scratched the spot down. It's OK now, but was that really rust? I didn't played my bass with wet hands and didn't let any liquid to my frets... Is this normal? My bass is only one year old, and I do not travel with it through different climatic zones... When I travel by train, I store my bass in a case. So, is this normal? If yes, how can I get rid of it when it happens sometime in the future? Should I scratch it down, or should I use any other substance? I have GHS Fast Fret, is this good to rub on my frets to prevent rusting?
Problem 2:
My frets have tarnished, they're not as shiny as they were on the first day. What can I do to make them shiny again? Also, is this normal to appear after one year of playing my bass normally (1-3 hours/day)? Is there any substance made to make frets shiny again? Let's say I use a substance to clean them, is this substance good for the fingerboard or the fret glue? Again, is GHS Fast Fret good for this?
Thanks a lot guys, I hope you can help me out. | I've used Brasso (a metal polish) and a soft cotton cloth. Gets them very shiny. You have to mask off the fingerboard though. |
01-28-2007, 05:33 PM
| | yo. | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: atown, ca. | | | if the fingerboard is rosewood, rub some 0000 steel wool lengthwise on the board. this will clean up the board and polish the frets. peace. |
01-30-2007, 12:50 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Timisoara, Romania | | | BUMP
__________________
"We think that Music stops at the ears. That is a mistake. Vibrations can be felt in all places and at all times, even with the eyes." - Victor L. Wooten
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01-30-2007, 01:45 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gladstone, QLD, Australia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by workdaddy if the fingerboard is rosewood, rub some 0000 steel wool lengthwise on the board. this will clean up the board and polish the frets. peace. | I use 3M nylon scour pads up and down the length of the board...then I wipe it down...apply a little lemon oil...wipe it down again and WOILA!...beauty, mate! |
01-30-2007, 05:18 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: coastal N.C. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by PilbaraBass I use 3M nylon scour pads up and down the length of the board...then I wipe it down...apply a little lemon oil...wipe it down again and WOILA!...beauty, mate! |
+1!
A added benefit is that you dont get those aggravating steel wool shards in the pups. I know about the tape trick, but it's still very hard if not impossible to get it all out.
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01-30-2007, 07:33 AM
|  | Registered User | | | | | I mask off the fretboard and use some 000 or 0000 steel wool - makes 'em look like new... I also mask off the pups to keep any steel wool off them - then give the fretboard a little TLC, and I'm good to go for awhile longer... I tried scotchbrite once, but it didn't polish as well as the steel wool - left things a bit rougher...
- georgestrings |
01-30-2007, 05:47 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Orlando, FL | | | the best way to steel wool the freat board is to start out by going across it to shine up the frets themselves and to remove any extra buildup on the fretboard. Then, once you have all the frets looking shiny, you want to go down it lengthwise with the grain so that it looks good. Put some lemon oil or some old english furniture polish (my personal favorite) on with a soft polish cloth and you are in business.
Be careful when going across the fretboard though, you don't want to push too hard on the wood when you are scrubbing with the steel wool as you can wear a lot of material off, which is not a good thing. |
01-30-2007, 06:46 PM
|  | Registered User | | | | | Did you try the ol' pencil eraser trick? |
01-30-2007, 07:58 PM
| | Habitual User | | Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Charleston, WV | | | A pencil eraser. That's my #2 tool (right behind the meter) in my electronics tool box.
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01-30-2007, 09:50 PM
| | Geek | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA | | | Whether you use steel wool or some kind of pad, you really should tape off the fretboard. You don't want to be going across the grain with any kind of abrasive, imo. |
01-30-2007, 10:54 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Orlando, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by moro Whether you use steel wool or some kind of pad, you really should tape off the fretboard. You don't want to be going across the grain with any kind of abrasive, imo. | naw, going against the grain is fine to remove any gunk that has built up on the fretboard, you just need to make sure you go back over it with the grain afterwards |
02-01-2007, 03:16 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: St. Louis Metro area | | | Masking off the fret w/ painters tape and using steel wool and never dull worked great for me. At least on an old guitar I refurbished. Also never sand against the grain. It is a big no no. Use a toothbrush to remove any gunk around the frets. Also let some lem oil sit on the fretts for a while, then repeat. had awesome results on my 10+ year old guitar. |
02-01-2007, 05:48 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gladstone, QLD, Australia | | | another trick if you want them REALLY shiny...
1) mask off the board
2) dremel tool with the buff pad and toothpaste (the white stuff, NOT the gel)
3) buff clean with an old T-shirt
OHHHH MY! SHINY! |
02-04-2007, 05:20 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Timisoara, Romania | | | OK, but what about the rust?
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"We think that Music stops at the ears. That is a mistake. Vibrations can be felt in all places and at all times, even with the eyes." - Victor L. Wooten
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02-04-2007, 06:30 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Boca Raton, Florida | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MeYHymN A pencil eraser. That's my #2 tool (right behind the meter) in my electronics tool box. | I also used the pencil eraser with great success. You can also try toothpaste (the cheapest non gel type) works pretty good also.
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02-04-2007, 03:32 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gladstone, QLD, Australia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiBass OK, but what about the rust? | oh yeah....forgot...don't leave your bass out in the rain. |
02-04-2007, 03:57 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Orlando, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiBass OK, but what about the rust? |
Use some 000 steel wool, you won't need to do much as it'll take the rust right off. You can tape off the fretboard if you want to, I personally don't because there is so little rubbing needed, it usually doesn't do any damage, plus I end up going against the grain anyway at first to clean up the gunk that builds up. Go over it again with the grain to clean it right up, oil that bad boy, restring and you're good to go. |
02-05-2007, 02:36 AM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MichiBass OK, but what about the rust? | frets arenīt usually made of ferrous metal (iron, steel) so itīs unlikely itīs rust that you are seeing... Most likely itīs the copper content in "german silver" that has oxidised...
use 0000 steel wool (mask the fretboard and pickups!) to put shine on the frets... | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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