Funky Filthy Fretboard

Corvette with "upgraded tuners.

 

I was gifted an 1970's japanese guitar that was almost completely painted gold. Striped the body and painting it now. I was able to get the paint off of the neck and headstock as well as the maple fretboard, but the fretboard finish was iffy at best. So I stripped that and taped off the frets and am clear finishing it. so far looks great.

 

Here's what I use for cleaning "fretcheese" off a neck:




It's intended for fine wood furniture, just like your fretboard. Mix with some water, use a toothbrush to clean the "cheese" and dry off with a clean towel. If it's a rosewood (or similar unfinished dark wood) board, let it dry and use Duncan 02 fretboard conditioner.

 

After the fretboard is clean, I mask off the frets and do the #0000 steel wool thing on them (assuming they don't need to be leveled/crowned). Then I can take the entire neck to my buffing wheel and shine them all up.

 

Man, some nasty stuff shown in this thread! Some of it looks "fungal" for sure! I have seen a certain creeping corrosion on older "department store" guitars like Harmony and Kay and also some older Japanese makes, but it seems like composition of fret metals ia better these days. Some of that junk reminds me of the old Guitar Player interview where Stephen Stills claimed he got his bass tone from soaking his strings in BBQ sauce! I think it was a hoax and he was just putting the interviewer on, but it got traction with some fools:

https://umgf.com/soaking-strings-in-barbecue-sauce-t42696.html

 

Interestingly, I was changing strings on my CV60s and MIM over the weekend. Wife has Orange oil on hand. So I checked internet and net said DON'T DO IT! and DO IT! So I did it. Cleaned and seemed to oil the fretboards on each pretty well. My thought would be to the OP to apply whatever you decided and keep applying till the wood comes back to life. Just put something on it! lol

 

I've used lemon oil, baby oil, Olde English, and the like on fretboards with no ill effects. I now swear by the Duncan 02. That stuff works wonders. It has an appropriate applicator top to prevent over-oiling the 'board.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338148356&icep_item=272550813020

 

+1 Painter's tape FTW

I use Guitar Honey on the FB, love that stuff

 

Great job ! Congrats!

It looks almost like new!!!

 

"F-One oil for guitar fretboards" by Music Nomad works well too and a bottle lasts a very long time.

To be fair, I've read that in Spain, they sometimes use on classical guitar fretboards whatever oil they can get their hands on - be it oil from the kitchen such as sunflower, grapeseed or olive oil - and it works too.

I suppose the "trick" is to use very small quantities and wipe the oil off well.

 

I just saw F-One on amazon yesterday and ordered some. Curious to try it out and see what it's like. The reviews are very good, and no petroleums. Sounds good to me.

 

Some of those are so nasty... Yuck...

 

I am so glad I keep mine in tip top shape and take care of them and everything I own. A guy came to buy my amp last weekend and as soon as I opened the garage door he said "I'll take it"! I said you havent even heard it yet! Take care of your stuff!!

 

I grab my mineral oil rag out of the jar, wipe fret spaces down. Then get the plastic bristle brush and go to town. Go up against frets too...both sides... Paper towel and do again if not clean... I have the sets of graduated ####s fret erasers, micro mesh paper, micro mesh pads, and 3M synthetic 0000 for the frets... 3M will get kank off frets quickly. I use fret erasers in order of magnitude to remove oxidation and spoof em down to glass...

When done, min oil rag again, then paper towel.

Mineral Oil:

• Almost every lemon oil, guitar oil, is actually mineral oil with scent and color. Just fact. Data sheets don’t lie.
• I use Equate Food Grade Mineral Oil 16oz from Wally World, under two bucks, more than you’ll use in a lifetime.
• Use what floats your boat, still mineral oil.

Oil Rag:

• Section of handkerchief the size of a pack of smokes with just a few DROPS of min oil, then roll back and forth in hands until spread evenly. That is enough for a long while. When you wipe a rose board fret space lightly and it looks wet, too much oil on rag.
  
• You should have to use a bit of pressure with rag to see ANY wet on the wood. Work each fret space completely.
• When done, wipe with clean dry paper towel. You are good for probably a year.
• Never saturate a board with oil.
  
• When new strings are on, I take my rag and run up/down once pinched on each string just to head off oxidation to an extent...

Just my opinion...

 

Kank is dead skin, finger oil, ear wax, chicken leg grease, etc. I get that off first, then jump on fret wire oxidation with the erasers and/or pads depending on level of oxidation.... Once they are glassed, the 3M synthetic 0000 every string change will quickly keep em smoof.

 

I bought a 1972 Yamaha red label acoustic a couple years ago for $30.
Thing was filthy, bought some new strings and one of the kids and I took a couple hours and cleaned it up.
So dirty I couldn't tell how beat up it was.
Heavily played!
But has unique sound and shape of the neck is something I never saw before or since.
Some of my former students loved it

 

@offsetj That must have been a tough project, nice job.