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Fender Frets.. Cleaning?
- Thread starter BassAIC
- Start date
There are a number of ways to safely make your frets look shiny and new:
1. Start by masking off the fingerboard with masking tape. place the tape as close the fret as possible without going onto the fret.
2. The quickest and easiest thing to use is 0000 ("four ought") steel wool, which you can buy at Home Depot in an eight-pack or ten-pack for about $1.99. Three or four quick swipes will do the trick and not harm the fret at all. It will get you about 75% as bright as the next option--about how frets look on a bass in the store.
3. Alternatively, you can use a polishing agent like this:
Invalid Link Removed
NOTE: Taping is important because this kind of polish wipes on white or pink, but wipes off jet black. You don't want that on your fingerboard.
4. When removing tape, be sure to lift the tape off going from the edge toward the center on both sides--don't rip it off like a band-aid, especially on vintage guitars, or you risk pulling off a chuck of laquer.
This is a quick and easy operation. And if your board is rosewood, this is also a great time to apply a bit of lemon or pure mineral oil to the wood to treat and protect it. Do this semi annually or annually, depending on your climate.
Enjoy!
1. Start by masking off the fingerboard with masking tape. place the tape as close the fret as possible without going onto the fret.
2. The quickest and easiest thing to use is 0000 ("four ought") steel wool, which you can buy at Home Depot in an eight-pack or ten-pack for about $1.99. Three or four quick swipes will do the trick and not harm the fret at all. It will get you about 75% as bright as the next option--about how frets look on a bass in the store.
3. Alternatively, you can use a polishing agent like this:
Invalid Link Removed
NOTE: Taping is important because this kind of polish wipes on white or pink, but wipes off jet black. You don't want that on your fingerboard.
4. When removing tape, be sure to lift the tape off going from the edge toward the center on both sides--don't rip it off like a band-aid, especially on vintage guitars, or you risk pulling off a chuck of laquer.
This is a quick and easy operation. And if your board is rosewood, this is also a great time to apply a bit of lemon or pure mineral oil to the wood to treat and protect it. Do this semi annually or annually, depending on your climate.
Enjoy!
Is it a rosewood or maple fingerboard.
If it's rosewood, follow Dr. Phunkypants' method. However, I recommend the 3M Scotch blue masking tape for delicate surfaces. Worth the $9 per roll.
If it's maple, I heartilly recommend buying one of these instead of masking tape. Invalid Link Removed
If it's rosewood, follow Dr. Phunkypants' method. However, I recommend the 3M Scotch blue masking tape for delicate surfaces. Worth the $9 per roll.
If it's maple, I heartilly recommend buying one of these instead of masking tape. Invalid Link Removed
Thing is, I do not believe in those things for several reasons:
1. Try keeping the steel wool off the neck if you're using steel wool--one usually can't
2. Try keeping polishing compound off neck if you're using that--one definitely can't
3. It doesn't let you get all the way down the side of the fret to polish it--no good
I think taping the ENTIRE board is necessary and appropriate for the job. Good point about low tack being better.
For crowning, I'll use one. For cleaning, nope.
1. Try keeping the steel wool off the neck if you're using steel wool--one usually can't
2. Try keeping polishing compound off neck if you're using that--one definitely can't
3. It doesn't let you get all the way down the side of the fret to polish it--no good
I think taping the ENTIRE board is necessary and appropriate for the job. Good point about low tack being better.
For crowning, I'll use one. For cleaning, nope.
I don't use steel wool anywhere on my bass I had an accident with it. All the steel wool bits flew onto the pickups 
I use the 3M scotchbrite, much safer
I use the 3M scotchbrite, much safer
Tape the fretboard as described above, then use a common pencil eraser. Takes a few strokes, but it gets the job done cheaply and easily. Also, rubber particles aren't very magnetic.
Also a good point. I always cover the pickups completely, along with the neck joint and other places metal bits might go, with tape. Then I shop vac the whole bass and the bench. That tape is the last thing to come off.
If you forget to cover your polepieces, a quick touchup with 3M Blue Low-Tack will pick up many of the near-microscopic bits of metal. Work it like a lint roller, and you'll be amazed at what comes up!
Next time I change my strings on my Sterling I probably will give the frets a clean, they need it. I think I am going to use masking tape and 0000 steel wool.
