Maple Fretboard

[cornbread]

how to tell if it is coated or not. mine is really dirty and i want to clean it.

the guitar is a 1994 dr5 with stone finish. here is a picture





this pic shows the dirt more




my question is what to use to get that nice clean look back. i have read the sticky but not sure which one to do

thanks guys. just trying to get her back to former glory. the body and head stock are perfect just want the fret board to look the part

[dg]

Naptha works great to get the gunk off, and it works on finished or unfinished wood. That neck probably has a finish. It does a better job than almost anything at getting the gray from string corrosion off of maple, imo. I just put a little bit on a rag & wipe off the grime.

[toejam]

It's probably got a thin matte satin finish. If it were oiled, it would be a lot dirtier by now. And if it were a higher gloss like Fender uses, it would be shiny and probably a little sticky feeling. And I would use naptha or lemon oil to clean it.

[cornbread]

sorry am kinda new to some of the chemicals. can i just buy naptha or do i need a brand of lighter fluid?

also any lemon oil will work? or is there some better than others


thanks guys

[dg]

You can use lighter fluid, but I just get naptha at the hardware store for a few bucks a quart.

[Inazone]

Will acetone work too?

[dg]

I'd be wary of using acetone because it's such a strong solvent. It's used to break down cured fiberglass resin, so I can't see it being safe on a finished neck or near any glues that might be softened up.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

just get some #0000 grade steel wool and masking tape form the hardware store.
tape the pickups so that no steel wool fibers get into the coils.
rube the steel wool with the grain. so up and down the fretboard, not side to side.
this will not only clean the gunk off the fretboard, but will also buff the frets nicely.
now on the back side of the neck rub lightly up and down the neck. real light. just a few times up and down. this will get the grit off and not damage the finish.

for oiling, i would use either natural tint Danish Oil, Boiled Linseed Oil, or gun stock oil. and just follow the directions properly for each.

[tanpsi]

This is totally off topic but after you clean the finger board and polish the frets, you should refinish that guitar Bright Yellow!