What is the best way to...

[Musician78]

...clean up an Ebony fretboard??

I would have used the "search feature" as I am quite sure someone had to ask at least once before.... but alas.... search is not working for some reason.

Anyhow, thanks!
-Justin

[NextInLine]

here you go!

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52679

welcome btw

[Musician78]

Thank you very much!!

[Musician78]

One more question... can I take all the strings off at once to do this??

[NextInLine]

Yeah that's what most people do, there have been debates about whether it will affect the truss-rod adjustment or not but I don't think it will do so

[Musician78]

That's certainly helpful. I've never had all the strings off at the same time on any of my axes.

[Tonelover]

I agree with the toothbrush thing but I go one step further by using an extra head that came with my Sonicare toothbrush. Sonicare is an ultrasonic toothbrush and rules for all sorts of household cleaning applications actually. Rub it gently on your fretboard with a warm soap and water solution and all dirt will be gone in very short order. Dry with a paper towel, then a treatment with Fretdoctor bore oil and life is good.

[Foulacy]

From guitar player repair guide: steel wool (ATTN not for use on maple fingerboards! only soft cloth and lighter fluid if necessary): Use only 0000 steel wool, only going with the grain! Pinch a ball of wool the size of a golf ball between your thumb and index finger, push down with your thumbnail against the fret fingerboard joint. this will clean right into that corner and smooth and polish the fret edges. Don't use steel wool every time you clean, and don't condition with lemon oil every time you clean. If the board looks like it needs it, use it.

What I do is spray some all-in-one cleaner on a few frets (maybe 3) at a time and then use the steel wool very gently, it does wonders. Then I wipe it up with a 100% cotton cloth (i.e. old t-shirt) quickly to avoid letting it soak in too much.

[JACKSONFREAK]

If i get a real dirty guitar used. And it's just crust all of the fingerboard. I use an alcohol based fingerboard cleaner. Like D'addario. Led it sit for a few minutes and rub off the gunk with a tooth brush, or steel wool. Then i hit the fingerboard with lemon oil again. To keep it from drying out from the alcohol. Let that sit for about 5 minutes then wipe off the extra and restring.
If it's just a normal maintanence thing. Then I use a tooth brush with some lemon oil. And clean it up that way. If It's in an unfinished maple fingerboard. You can do the same things you would to ebony and rosewood. Most maple boards are finished so oils and stuff and abrasive things like a tooth brush or steel wool will damage the finish.
I've also used the edge of a pick to get at the gunk at the corner of the frets. Works good in a pinch.
Gil

[zeegler]

Toothbrush/lemon oil. End thread/

[toejam]

Toothbrush/lemon oil. End thread/

+1.