Double Bass Rain spots on ebony fingerboard

[Lee Moses]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this, but how do you deal with rain spots on the fingerboard?

 

[Don Hergert]

Lee, did you try a damp cloth? It looks like calcium deposits, if so vinegar might break them down, but I don't know how good vinegar is for the fingerboard itself. If it were me, after using vinegar I'd oil the fingerboard with some sesame oil.

 

[Ryan in PDX]

No offense intended, but do you have a better photo?

I wipe my strings and fingerboard with a towel after every playing session, with a just-barely-damp towel as a stronger option. If there's somehow a buildup the towel doesn't get, I use a very light scrub pad with near-zero pressure.

 

[Don Kasper]

A clean cloth with a modest amount of Old English Lemon Oil (apply&rub/wait a few minutes/wipe off with dry clean cloth) will remove most surface crud and restore your (Ebony) fingerboard to like-new appearance.
IMFO/IMFE, of course.

 

[AGCurry]

ScotchBrite.

 

[ddnidd1]

The spots are of course minerals so a weak acid like vinegar should do it.

I would expect it to be simply a quick wipe on/off

 

[Lee Moses]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Since I see two votes for vinegar, I think I'll try that first.

 

[Don Kasper]

vinegar, I think I'll try that first.

There's a "fingerboard douche" joke in here somewhere, but you won't hear it from me...

 

[james condino]

Those are from luthier's tears...

 

[Lee Moses]

Just a little update here . . . I used the vinegar, and it seemed to work fine; the rain spots were gone. The fingerboard as a whole did look rough afterward. So after applying some Old English Lemon Oil (had to order it online, couldn't find it anywhere around here), the fingerboard looks smooth.

Thanks again!

 

[jj.833]

From time to time, I use Dunlop 02 bottle someone gave to me years ago. It's some kind of fingerboard oil. I put it on with a cloth, then leave it for few minutes, then wipe away what residues. Ebony looks brand new.