Cleaning Fretboard

[Jonny]

Is there an easier way to clean a fretboard of dirty shite other than a cloth, lemon oil (for non-maple necks) and some elbow grease?

I was thinking of using a toothbrush to be honest but the oil doesn't really spread that easy with one.

[FELINEGUITARS]

On ebony/rosewood boards I will use some 0000 grade wire wool ( Liberon brand is my favourite one)

[_tom_]

I found this worked really well on my Epiphones rosewood board http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

Makes it look much nicer.

[WezV]

another vote for liberon 0000 steel wool

[WezV]

in fact i have just done a rosewood board on a custom shop jazz bass i was fitting new pickups to (fralins not BKP, i am trying to convince him he needs BKP's on his other jazz bass)

the board was covered in a lot of filth from heavy touring and gigging, so much so that very little of the wood was actually visable, the MOP inlays looked really dull and it all felt quite rough

a 2 minute rub down with the 0000 wire wool has it looking like new and smooth as silk

no need for oils or other treatments unless its actually a dry board - most will just polish up wil a good rub

[Ratrod]

You can use a scourer with some lighter fluid.

[Jonny]

I have an old Dean Baby V. And the fretboard is dirty as-

Where could I buy 0000 grade wool? Local hardware store? (As it seems to be the Narnia of guitar tools and what not)

And how long can I use one piece till I have to change?

[WezV]

worth checking the hardware stores as thats where i used to get mine but now i order it in - since the local hardware store became a chip shop

a roll like this will last you a long time

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Liberon-Steel-Wool-23679.htm

pull off a small amount and chuck it when done

[FernandoDuarte]

Hey! I was thinking:
Here in Brazil, we use both steel wool and some woods oil to dark woods fingerboard and Lemon oil to maple fingerboard...

My doubt:
Does the Lemon Oil would help in stop the "darkening" of rosewood/ziricote fingerboards? And it would not damage the fingerboard right??
Thank you!

EDIT: The rosewood I've just bought was cutted before 1992 and was drying, so, perhaps some oil would be good, do you agree?

[WezV]

when we are talking about dry fretboards we are not talking about moisture content.  all wood should be fully seasoned before use and a board cut in 1992 should be by now assuming it was stored properly

we are talking about the oil content - a 'dry' board will have less of the rosewoods natural oils and these need replacing with something else.  A good (i.e relatively oily) piece of rosewood ( or ziracote) needs nothing more than a polish

[lifted]

I found this worked really well on my Epiphones rosewood board http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

Makes it look much nicer.

Is that oil o.k. for maple fretbards, too?  I just ordered some for my rosewood and ebony, but is it ok for maple?

[Jonny]

This wool thing is annoying, they don't sell them in small amounts. :?

[WezV]

easier to buy more and have it ready for the next time you clean a fretboard.. or anything else for that matter - its usefull stuff to have around

[mikeluke]

Guitar builders chip in please but I thought that Lemon Oil was a no-no for unvarnished maple....

[Johnny Mac]

I've been using this vary sparingly, but also has other uses.

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/