fretboard cleaning question

[potato]

i`ve found this method on a website awhile back,you take lighter fluid(same as used in zippos,rosonol or somthing like that but it has to have "naptha")and a very fine steel wool over the fretboard.it does wonders for gettin all the finger kunk off and makes the fretboard smooth and fast playing.it doesnt do much for makin shiny frets though.is this bad for my neck or not?

[Chad]

Don't know about that method, but I use clarinet bore oil. I let it sit a few minutes, then I wipe it off with a cloth. This usually removes most of the gunk. If the fretboard is still dirty, I scrape it with a radius gauge that matches the curve of the fretboard. Then I follow up with a little more bore oil and wipe clean.

[potato]

note:use "0000" steel wool or thiner

[Doubleneck King V]

Naptha(Lighter fluid) *can* be used on a fingerboard-BUT it's not reccomended unless it's a maple board thats LOADED with layered crud,dirt and in severe dirty condition.It strips off dirt (and) essential oils that can make the wood dry and weather prematurely.Its ethyl based chemicals(Lighter fluid were talking about) arent the best way to clean a fretboard of maple-let alone ebony or rosewood either.Best way to clean,condition and revive your fretboard:
#0000 steel wool,and REAL lemon oil(Old English).
oil up the dirty fretboard and gently scrub it with the #000 steel wool.Tape off the pickups BEFORE you start to rub the neck so the shavings and reside from the steel wool dont get on the magnetic pole pieces or the pickup covers.The steel wool and lemon oil are great at cleaning the board itself and the steel wool will polish the frets at the same time.
When its clean,just wipe it off well and then rub the fretboard with a soft cotton cloth to finish clean it.

DO NOT USE Fingerease(that slippery teflon based fretboard "lube").The teflon in it's chemical makeup will degrade and eventually dry out your ebony,rosewood or Pau Ferro fingerboard with nasty results after a long period of useage.Lemon oil and steel wool cleaning will make your fretboard last long,moisten it it naturally and make it smooth and comfortable with just regular play wear and finger/flesh contact.

[potato]

thanx, good i used it on crappy guitar and not my 650!

[Razor]

Check out this section of the Tech Q&A also...great information in here!!!

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

[sully]

naptha is no problem on fretboards; it evaporates pretty fast and is an excellent cleaner. don't be afraid to use it on your boards.

[potato]

i did notice that it does kind of dry it out for a little(theboard).is that nessasarilly bad?that is untill I lemon oil it.what could i use to make the frets shiny afterwards cuz the naptha dont do much for the frets

[potato]

it`s a rosewood board by the way

[sully]

no problem. it will dry it out, but the whole board thing is usually a two step process of cleaning and then oiling (replacing the oils and moisture that the naptha removes). it's all good, really.

[sully]

oh as far as the frets go, get a hand buffer. do a search on it and you'll find lotsa stuff.

[potato]

alright thanx, i thought i was the only one that did this.im gonna go clean my 650

[sully]

not at all. steel wool, super glue, razor blades, and blue painter's tape are the bestest tech friends you could ask for.

[Druglord]

Wash your hands before you play. This will take care of 90% of cleanup. Otherwise, I prefer lemon oil......and Beer. Not necessarily in that order.

[Nazgul]

I use a toothbrush and a side of a pick to clean of the finker gunk and then I apply the Dunlop 02 Deep Conditioner. Works great and it darkens up my rosewood fretboard a bit!