Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

So what do you use to clean an ebony fretboard?


Notes_Norton

Recommended Posts

I use Gibson or some other brand fretboard cleaner plus an old toothbrush for getting out any crud that has built up around the frets.To clean/polish the frets I mask off the wood on the fretboard just keeping the frets exposed and go over them lightly with a non-metallic scouring pad and a Sparklean polishing cloth and Sparklean spray cleaner if real heavy caked on grim is present-the best guitar hardware cleaner and polish I have ever used,Silvo and Brasso etc. can't come close to it for getting a lustre without causing any eroding of gold plating etc. ( http://www.sklean.com/ ).BTW under no circumstances do you ever use steel wool to clean an electric guitar because the minute metal particles that come away from the pads are incidious in the way they find their way into the pickups and electronic bits of the guitar and causing considerable damage that's hard to rectify.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW under no circumstances do you ever use steel wool to clean an electric guitar because the minute metal particles that come away from the pads are incidious in the way they find their way into the pickups and electronic bits of the guitar and causing considerable damage that's hard to rectify.

 

I've used Steel Wool more times than I can count. Mask off your pickups and you'll be fine. No big deal.

 

-Ryan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Micro-Mesh is useful for some stuff like that, depending on how abrasive you need to be. Toothbrush is good.

 

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2004014/9147/micromesh-small-sanding-kit.aspx

 

Mineral oil is good to help break up crud. Lemon oil like Old English is mineral oil with fragrance. Mineral oil from the pharmacy is cheapest and it's odorless. Special fretboard oils are at least as good as plain old oil.

 

I think Taylor recommends oiling ebony boards something like once a year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a member here that used brake fluid on his SG's fretboard, it didn't look too bad.

 

 

After that he could never do bends very good....buddummpa bump....get it? brake fluid, stopped fingers from......whew tough crowd!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank's y'all.

 

The frets are hardened stainless steel and are in great shape. I have some lemon oil (actually it's furniture polish which is a mixture of petroleum distillates and lemon oil) that I use on my rosewood fretboards. That's what most products called lemon oil actually are. So I think I'll try that first.

 

Notes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank's y'all.

 

The frets are hardened stainless steel and are in great shape. I have some lemon oil (actually it's furniture polish which is a mixture of petroleum distillates and lemon oil) that I use on my rosewood fretboards. That's what most products called lemon oil actually are. So I think I'll try that first.

 

Notes

 

"Petroleum distillates" is a fancy industry term for Mineral Oil. That's all it is. There's about 1% lemon oil, but the majority of it is plain old Mineral Oil.

 

-Ryan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...