cleaning a maple fretboard

[solo-ed]

Anybody know whats good to get dirt stains off of an unfinished maple fretboard.

[spw5150]

http://www.wolfgangguitars.com/care_&_feeding.htm


This might help you

[mk5]

Honestly--try simply spitting in a rag and using that to wipe of
dirt/oil/whatever. I'm serious. Don't use water though--only spit.

Works just fine for me.

[cdvh5150]

Dr. Ducks Axwax is really good but whatever you do use just use alittle don't over do it, sometimes the best thing is to just use a rag and you will remove alot of stuff with just a rag and some muscles rub that baby hard,,the only thing i can't get off the neck is the blood from when i cracked my ex in the head with the guitar,,, hahaha just kidding

[HipCat5]

Anything which will actually clean the wood below the surface will dry the wood out. So many people don't recommend using things like alchohol or spirits to clean a guitar neck. However, if you're careful to restore the moisture (this includes perhaps by rubbing in some oil or a light amount of finishing wax) it would work out ok.

In the past on a very soiled neck, I've used mineral spirits and a hand-ful of Q-tips and simply started to clean each section between the frets in a circular motion. seemed to work well enough. When I was done doing that, I ran a clean rag lightly damp with mineral spirits to clean the whole neck once over. After its completely dry, I'd apply a light coating of tung oil (not so much that it got gummy or sticky). If so inclined, Minwax makes a finishing wax which feels nice on an unfinished neck.

If the neck you're working on has a sprayed on nitrocellulose (sp?) finish, I think alchohol applied by Q-tips will work to clean it and then run a rag damp with alchohol over it finally. no need to wax unless you're in need of the extra layer of protection.

I took a read of that wolfgang care & feeding guide. Start there. There's also many books on the subject of caring for your guitar, most of which will have specific instructions on how to care for maple necks.

Later

[MBMM]

Dr. Ducks...check out cdvh's post

[pvcIII]

I'm a longtime lurker but finally decided to sign up to the best VH forum on the net. Anyway, what I normally do to my Wolfgang is get a soft bristle tooth brush to clean all the excess dirt off. Peavey recommends using lemon oil, but I prefer Birchwood Casey Gun Stock oil and Wax. You can usually get this stuff at any gun shop or shooter supply store.

First I use the oil and rub it all over the neck with a soft cloth and let it soak into the wood for a few minutes. I then dunk the tooth brush into the bottle of oil, just enough to wet it, we don't really want to slop it all over the guitar, and then lightly use it to clean all the crud off of the fretboard and in between the frets. When needed, I also use some #0000 fine steel wool and LIGHTLY run it along the grain of the wood. Apply some more oil and let it soak in. Use a soft cloth to wipe off the excess. I then use the wax to seal the oil in. I've done this for years with awesome results.

The deep-down dirt would be harder to get to because you would have to use something like alcohol or mineral spirits to dry out the wood and "raise" the grain. I'm too chicken shit try that to my guitar. I think that unfinished maple necks will always have that "worn in" look and theres not much you can do about it. Just keep the neck clean and comfortable to play. Also, washing your hands before you play and changing your strings regularly will help keep dirt and grime to a minimum. I hope this helps.

[Strat God]

Most surface dirt can be removed, but discoloration unerneath should be left alone. Watch "Without A Net" and you'll see Eddie's kramer fingerboards are FILTHY - but very cool.

I happen to like the look of a well-worn fingerboard.

If you don't, it easy to keep them clean by washing your hands before you play the guitar. Steve Vai won't touch a guitar before washing his hands.