Cleaning a rosewood fretboard

3-Chord Wonder · May 29th, 2008, 10:46 PM

I just purchased a used Strat with a rosewood fretboard. The fretboard is very dirty. I know that lemon oil is recommended for conditioning a rosewood fretboard, but what do you use to clean one, prior to applying lemon oil?

thaus · May 29th, 2008, 11:23 PM

Best thing to clean a rosewood fretboard is naptha or lighter fluid. Takes all the grunge away.........condition with fret-doctor. Here's a link to a bunch of info

http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

thaus · May 29th, 2008, 11:23 PM

Oh yes, welcome to the forums!!

Strat-Talk · May 29th, 2008, 11:50 PM

I use an "orange cleaner" to clean a rosewood fret board. It doesn't dry out the wood like naptha does.

Then I maintain with "Guitar Honey".

http://www.gerlitzguitarproducts.com/prd_honey.html

And, welcome to Strat-Talk.com!!

imwjl · May 30th, 2008, 11:24 AM

There are many recipes. I used very fine steel wool and a lemon oil type product for guitar when I got my used guitar with rosewood fingerboard. The steel wool was suggested by my area's most respected luthier and books from the library. The two together minimized both effort to clean the grime completely and the amount of cleaner/conditioner needed. It left it in wonderful shape not as dry as some I've seen and not as greasy/oily as some I've seen.

My other cleanup tricks are automotive microfiber cloths and sparing use of a polishing compound (currently that's the Planet Waves stuff). Remember that polishing compound is an abrasive and that you should use very little and even consider watering it down.

Axis29 · May 30th, 2008, 03:03 PM

This is probably blasphemy...but I like Pledge. Been usin it for years. Spray it on the fretboard sans strings and scrub it a little with a soft terry cloth towel.

When you're done, it's got a nice lemony smell and it doesn't seem to pick up dust as fast. Plus it's got a nice thin coat of wax and oil on it to protect it a little.

Work on my furniture too....

StratDen · June 2nd, 2008, 12:54 PM

I use the honey oil in the past from planet waves and it gave a nice, quick & easy result. The FB was a tad dry and a bit of this really did a nice job.

thaus · June 2nd, 2008, 01:19 PM

Fret Doctor is great! It really does do what they claim. I have some before and after pics that I will have to post..........ordered a bottle about a month ago and all my rosewood looks really good and dark!

Old Cane · July 21st, 2008, 05:51 PM

Pledge or just about any "guitar" polish.