How Not to Clean a Fretboard, and How!

A new thread on what I do to clean fretboards and polish frets so that I'm not hogging the other thread on this topic, which after being dormant, is current again - and I like it! Also I don't want to openly disagree with any good members, just presenting my own opinions, experience and some years of research and knowledge here, not citing any sources - it used to be in old books which I have consigned to the shelf. I spent many years reading them, enjoying the pics, taking some of the advice, and still doing it my way? :roll:

I can make suggestions on what to do, and what not to do. Mostly what not to do ... as in do not use a buffer; use a tiny piece of scouring pad (or 3M Scotch Brite, I think) carefully on the metal, but that takes too long for me, when I can do something in 2 minutes that may take 2 hours. :shock:

First, not that it matters, but here's the subject, a 2001 MIM Std. Strat that I got from a band guy who used it as a back-up gigger for 6 years, and in the studio - he already provided the pimped-guard, because he wanted some bling in the process. I needed to install my own pickups too, made for a project such as this, and I'm trying to match the knobs with the guard from 2 sets, eliminating all white plastic.

I have my favorite strings laid out, all of them, except for Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky's and GHS Boomers which are more my son's thing. The fretboard is not too dirty, but maybe someone's been using lemon oil, possibly the wrong type with a bit of acid in it? The frets came in a shade of brown and green. We won't use that acid-stuff here. I admit that I have bottles of Hawe's Lemon Oil, some of it going back to the 50's in antique glass. I have used it regularly, all the time and never had a problem with it. It changed names a few years back to "Old English".

The rule per books on guitar maintenance is that we must not use any vegetable-based oil. It gets gummy or thick and sticky, and yes, goes rancid. Hawes/Old English has vegetable oil in it. Still, never had that problem. I like it alot, as long as it is buffed like crazy; and laying down some Murphy's Oil Soap in extreme cases of dirt and grungy deposits is an essential preparation.

My favorite, and I keep running out, is Dr. Stringfellow's Lem Oil. It is made for this job, specifically. I go through it quite rapidly, and then fall back on the Hawes or in this case, a bottle of Orange Glo that I have been trying to finish.


Oh Lord, here we go, don't use a car buffer! I do, just because I've been buffing cars and guitars for 38 - 40 years. I had some goof-ups, but have been free of errors for maybe 3 decades now. :lol: The result is that it can produce frets that are incredibly smooth and slippery, just like chrome, but slicker, with less resistance. Bends are effortless.

Now, I've poured large amounts of the Orange Glo onto the rosewood, scrubbed with a used toothbrush, which shouldn't be shown, and am waiting for it to soak in. Not waiting for the dirt to soak back in! Wiped that off and applied as much oil as the board would hold. Also, adjusted the truss rod per "feel" and prior inspection of the action, and snugging up very loose tuners while waiting. At some point, more scrubbing, I did NOT bleach it, ha ha, but I guess some of that brown color was dirt as we are beginning to see some light color or wear. Sooo... darken it with more oil, and let 'er dry, wipe and polish. Use a lint free cotton rag and it will smooth the back of the neck really nice too. Your guitar will play like butter, or at least your hands will move freely, without catching or squeaking, whatever. :shock: That's bonus. :D