Cleaning the fingerboard...
 

Apologies if this ought be somewhere else or if it's previously been posted.
My fingerboard is getting increasingly dirty due to sweat and my hands are slowly turning a dark hulkish colour as a result. I've never bothered to clean it before but I'm determined to do so now, I'm sick of having dirty hands as a result of dirty playing!
If possible, could anyone recommend a good method of cleaning my fingerboard? Something that won't in turn ruin either the strings or wood...:)

If it's ebony, alcohol.

I'd go for something that will condition the wood. Lemon oil, or maybe something like Fast Fret.

Alcohol works great if you have a bunch of rosin caked on the strings and fingerboard, but you need to be careful with it. Only use 99% alcohol as repeated use of diluted alcohol can warp the wood. DO NOT let the alcohol come into contact with the varnish.

For normal cleaning, I'd rather use ultra fine steel wool. Grade 000 or 0000. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/0000-Steel-Woo.../dp/B001DT1U10

Naptha. Then maintain your board with Fast Fret after EVERY time you play it.

Most manufacturers recommend Pure Lemon Oil for rosewood and ebony fretboards. You can get it at Whole Foods and most bath and body type of stores.

Cool, thanks for the good advice guys. I'll get on it. It's a Shen SB 100 (with ebony fingerboard) so I may try the alcohol. I'll probably try dampening a cloth with it, PaulCannon.

If using alcohol, it would make sense to have the boar board re-oiled with one of the drying oils.

Dunlop System 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit

The Dunlop System 65 Guitar Maintenance Kit contains 1 each of every Dunlop guitar care product: Formula 65 Polish, Bodygloss 65 Cream of Carnauba Wax, Ultraglide 65 String Saver, Fingerboard 01 Cleaner/Prep, Fingerboard 02 Conditioner, and 2 cotton polish cloths.NOTE: Fingerboard 01 Cleaner/Prep and Fingerboard 02 Conditioner are not for use with maple fingerboards.Includes:Formula 65 PolishBodygloss 65 Cream of Carnauba WaxUltraglide 65 String SaverFingerboard 01 Cleaner/PrepFingerboard 02 Conditioner2 cotton polish cloths

Paging Paul Warmbottom.:rollno:

Always good to keep your boar oiled! :hyper:

i use ghs fast fret, but when i was in college i used acne scrubbing pads, now that i have an ebony fretboard i might do some research about the fast fret

To you bass guitar guys, I don't know if your products work for double bass fingerboards, or not, but do you realize you're in the DB forum?

I'm surprised at all the recommendations for Fast Fret. I've used it on the strings to help them feel less gummy, but I've never heard of using it at a conditioner for the entire board. Seems like a waste to me, given the size of a double bass fingerboard.

sorry not a lot of sleep missed that this was a db thread

Linseed oil
 

Not long ago I refinish my FB with bethlehem finger board oil, with is just linseed oil, buffer w wool and it will be clean and seal so ur sweat won't penetrate the wood and raise the grain, I keep applying the oil every week, it is keeping my FB clean and fast....

The tech I know suggest linseed oil as well, spend the extra buck or two and get pure boiled linseed. You can get it at home improvement stores and an $8 can will last you a lifetime. Lem-oil can dry out the board according to him. Since Martin sends all their pre-world war guitars to him for refurb, I take his word for it. Bore Oil can be used but is a bit greasier and is normally used on clarinets so they don't crack. Best of luck with whatever you try!

Boiled linseed oil is good. It penetrates, dries and seals the wood somewhat. Do it once after dressing the board and forget about it.

+1. The drying part is crucial. Other types of oils stay "gummy" and seem to bring along their own problems.

...and not for a long, long time has the oil actually been "boiled". These days it means chemical driers have been added to the linseed oil.