Double Bass Solving a Sticky Fingerboard

[iantrevor]

(Note: feel free to skip the background info, I'm just attempting to absolve my guilt over defacing my bass)

Background:
I've been playing EB for about fifteen years and picked up the DB because my wife is a high school theater teacher and needed me to play in her musical orchestras. I found an old Kay bass on the cheap and was half delighted and half horrified that someone had notched fret markings on the right side of the fingerboard. While familiarizing myself with the double, I grew to rely on the markings and was shocked during our first dress rehearsal that dimmed lights made them impossible to find. In my haste to fix the problem, I grabbed some bright gaffers tape from the theater shop and affixed small pieces over the notches. FF a few months later and I removed the tape only to leave sticky residue that won't seem to budge.

Question:

Do you have any suggestions as to how to remove the residue without damaging the fingerboard?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[MysterMunky]

If it is an ebony fingerboard, just use a little alcohol. Fine steel wool works too.

 

[JEBassman]

I'd agree with using some rubbing alcohol. I wouldn't use the steel wool, personally, as I'd worry about scratching the fingerboard.

Once you have the tape residue removed, wipe the fingerboard down with a damp paper towel or washcloth, to remove any excess alcohol.

Good luck!

 

[drurb]

0000 steel wool is pretty much a "standard" for cleaning an ebony board. Alcohol can dry the wood but would seem to be a reasonable choice if applied sparingly and locally to the areas of residue. Being alcohol, it evaporates very quickly, so unless you've soaked the board with it, there's no need to remove any excess.

 

[JoeyNaeger]

From experience, I have replaned fingerboards lightly and still had tape residue in the wood showing. #0000 steel wool will get rid of all the gunk that's on the wood, but that will be the best you can do. I would skip the alcohol.

 

[MysterMunky]

Both work. I used both methods with success while I did repair at a violin shop.

 

[iantrevor]

Thanks for the help! I'm not too concerned about the appearance, just the feel of the board.

 

[uprightben]

Oil gets rid of tape residue. For a fingerboard you can use boiled linseed oil.

 

[Matthew Tucker]

A lot of glues don't let go with alcohol. The corner of a rag dampened with mineral turpentine or white spirit will get rid of 99% of sticky glue residues and won't hurt the fingerboard or the varnish. Rubbing alcohol or meths, on the other hand, can damage spirit varnishes. So I go for turps first. And I think it tastes better.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Naphtha (Zippo lighter fluid) works well do dissolve residual adhesive without damaging the fingerboard; so will WD-40.