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Fretboard grime solvent.
- Thread starter weekend warrior
- Start date
For finished maple boards, you can use windex or any guitar polish/cleaner.
For unfinished woods (rosewood, ebony, etc.) naphtha is fine to use, but is really a light duty cleaner. Same with lemon oil, or plain old mineral oil. Scrub with a toothbrush or steel wool/synthetic pad and you’ll loosen more dirt.
Heavy layers of grime mean it’s razor blade time. But be careful, if you slip you can scrape up your frets or slice a finger lol.
Here’s an insider tip for heavy grime:
Yup, scrubbing bubbles, spray on, let sit for about a minute and wipe off. Seems to be fine on all finish types too, but I still mask and wipe off anything that finds its way off the board. Its the quickest and least elbow grease needed approach. Have your favorite fingerboard oil ready to apply right after.
It’s a tip I’ve heard from a few high end luthiers.
+1 on the credit card.
A razor blade can cause damage if you catch an edge wrong; credit card won’t do that.
Finish with lemon oil. Wipe it on, then wipe it off. It evaporates but does not harden like a finishing oil.
Its not made from lemons, its just mineral oil with lemon scent.
There are good mineral oils (food grade, used e.g. for cutting boards) and bad ones.
The good ones are more expensive than boiled linseed oil.
For me that is a no brainer!
Linseed oil has been used for centuries for furniture and musical instruments.
One tiny plastic bottle of lemon fretboard oil will cost as much as a big bootle of linseed oil.
After cleaning my fretboard every time I change strings, I still have enough for my garden furniture!
Wise(b)ass
If you use a solvent, you may want to apply some oil to the fretboard. Lemon oil is mineral oil with a lemony scent. Each string change, 6 - 12 months apart on my main player, I clean the fretboard with some oil, wiping off any excess.
You might want to clarify... 100% Lemon Oil, the essential oil, is not the same as most "Lemon Oil" on the furniture and instrument care market. The latter is lemon scented mineral oil.
A cup of hot water from the tap, a piece of an old T shirt, and a well used toothbrush have always worked for me. I've cleaned dried mung buildup on frets piled up to the top edge of the wire with these three simple things.
I almost forgot; you'll need a dry cloth to wipe the dirty water away. It's not quick but it has never failed to work for me.
I almost forgot; you'll need a dry cloth to wipe the dirty water away. It's not quick but it has never failed to work for me.
Here is Roger Sadowsky's take on cleaning and oiling the fingerboard.
I clean the boards with Scotch Brite pads (soft side) and oil with Planet Waves Hydrate, twice a year.
He does not recommend oiling with Lemon Oil synthetic products, as they have a drying agent that affects wood.
Good habit before practice or gigging: Wash and dry your hands, and don't use any lotions.
Fingerboard Cleaning and Oiling: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know - Sadowsky Guitars
I clean the boards with Scotch Brite pads (soft side) and oil with Planet Waves Hydrate, twice a year.
He does not recommend oiling with Lemon Oil synthetic products, as they have a drying agent that affects wood.
Good habit before practice or gigging: Wash and dry your hands, and don't use any lotions.
Fingerboard Cleaning and Oiling: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know - Sadowsky Guitars
Rosewood neck with about 10 years of gig gunk on it... I used a bit of Simple Green, diluted with some water, and a tooth brush.
Scrubbed, then wiped clean with a microfiber cloth.
After applied some Fender fingerboard remedy.
Scrubbed, then wiped clean with a microfiber cloth.
After applied some Fender fingerboard remedy.
I have used WD40 since the 90s with no issues. It is designed to not damage paint finishes. Lighter fluid is just as good but WD40 is convenient as it’s in a spray can
Rubbing alcohol will remove thick grime but will dry out your fretboard a lot. I put a little on a paper towel and then scrub thick grime. I will then use some kind of fretboard oil afterwards. Rubbing alcohol can also remove some paints so be careful with it.
