How do I clean my fretboard?
- Thread starter Kat the metalhead
- Start date
on all my guitars theres a thickish layer of dirt and I have no clue how to clean it and it’s driving me crazy cuz my guitars looks nasty! you can literally see finger prints on the frets surrounded by dirt.
Haha, cleaning is pretty easy. There are cleaning products you can buy but I find a damp cloth and a little elbow grease works just as well. For gunk buildup, the side of a bankcard or similar type of plastic card is good for scraping that up first.
Once or twice a year rub in a few drops of fretboard conditioner or lemon oil.
Once or twice a year rub in a few drops of fretboard conditioner or lemon oil.
If the fretboard is maple (light colored wood), it may have a lacquer-like finish on it. If so, a wet (very damp) rag will do.
For anything else, you'll be able to feel the grain of the wood. For that, you can also try a wet rag and maybe add an old toothbrush for scrubbing. If it's REALLY bad (like thick, nasty gunk), you can get some Gorgomyte pads and scrub it clean with them, but that's not often needed outside of like a restoration. Once you've cleaned it up thoroughly and let it dry, some lemon oil or F1 fretboard oil - one dot between each fret, and rub in with a microfiber cloth. Let it sit for a few minutes, then use a dry part of the cloth to wipe away the excess.
Then string it up and rock!
For anything else, you'll be able to feel the grain of the wood. For that, you can also try a wet rag and maybe add an old toothbrush for scrubbing. If it's REALLY bad (like thick, nasty gunk), you can get some Gorgomyte pads and scrub it clean with them, but that's not often needed outside of like a restoration. Once you've cleaned it up thoroughly and let it dry, some lemon oil or F1 fretboard oil - one dot between each fret, and rub in with a microfiber cloth. Let it sit for a few minutes, then use a dry part of the cloth to wipe away the excess.
Then string it up and rock!
i clean my fretboard every time i change my strings. I bought a guitar cleaninggv kit from ernie ball and it comes with polish, guitar wax, fretboard cleaner and conditioner. Idk what the fretboard cleaner is but it smells like rubbing alchohol. Also every other time i change my strings i use the fret board conditioner which is lemon oil and i polish my frets with a very fine sand paper like cloth that came with the kit. You can also use steel wool but you have to be careful with that not to scuff up your fretboard... maybe even tape off the frets.
A
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If you use lemon oil, make sure to use the lemon oil especially made for guitars, as it has not much to do with pure lemon oil that would dry your fretboard! And don't apply oil too often, two times a year are enough. Otherwise just clean it with water and a cloth.
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