fret polishing - what do you use?

[tweed]

Doing a lot of cleaning and polishing lately. Usually use the standard 0000 steel wool, but sometimes the clean up from that process is a pain in the ass. Saw a new product from StewMac called fret erasers and they look cool but I'm not convinced they would work that well. Also thought of getting some sort of attachment for the dremel and see how that does but I'm not sold on that idea either. That being said, what's on your bench for polishing frets?

 

[maddnotez]

Dr. Stringfellow Lem-Oil and an old T-shirt.

 

[lester]

Maas, sometimes Gorgomyte

 

[mrhiwatt]

Gorgamyte for me.

MrHiwatt

 

[MrDan666]

0000 Steel wool for me! Or sometimes a super fine Scotch-Brite pad works too.

 

[Rich7620]

Gorgomyte for me as well

 

[ratter]

Dremel buffing wheel with a little compound on it. With a stewmac fret guard thingy if the board isn't already taped off, because it'll make a black mess...

 

[hi2nw]

Flitz or Gorgomyte.

 

[jkdsteve]

Dremel buffing wheel with a little compound on it. With a stewmac fret guard thingy if the board isn't already taped off, because it'll make a black mess...

+1

 

[dpeterson]

0000 Steel wool for me! Or sometimes a super fine Scotch-Brite pad works too.

+100010101 for years. also use the stew mac fret guard or blue painters tape.

tip: put a pice of tape over the neck pickup to keep the steel wool bits (if any) from sticking to the pickup, just pull the tape off all done!

dave

 

[1big1]

0000 and painters tape. i also tape over the pups.

 

[rcm78]

0000 steel wool, blow the guitar off with compressed air, lemon oil the board...

 

[SDMF38]

0000 steel wool and blue painters tape. If I have some Flitz Illust that too.

 

[JTyson]

0000 steel wool with a stainless slotted cover that protects the fretboard and air pressure

 

[Digital Jams]

0000 and tape over the pups.

 

[JackTripper]

Dremel buffing wheel with a little compound on it. With a stewmac fret guard thingy if the board isn't already taped off, because it'll make a black mess...

+1

This, after 0000 steel wool. It leaves your frets looking like glass.

 

[vultures]

Dremel buffing wheel with a little compound on it. With a stewmac fret guard thingy if the board isn't already taped off, because it'll make a black mess...

+1

This, after 0000 steel wool. It leaves your frets looking like glass.

Lol I did this just yesterday

 

[Anonymous]

0000 steel wool, blow the guitar off with compressed air, lemon oil the board...

i dont blow the steel wool off the guitar.

i take a few pieces of masking tape and make a square about 6x6. use that to stick up the pieces. works great. THEN pull the masked areas off your guitar.

reason being, i cant stand that shit floating around in the air....it's REALLY bad for your lungs.

unless you do it outside, which i do in the summer and spring. then FTW !

Dremel buffing wheel with a little compound on it. With a stewmac fret guard thingy if the board isn't already taped off, because it'll make a black mess...

+1

This, after 0000 steel wool. It leaves your frets looking like glass.

Lol I did this just yesterday

this is basically what mine end up looking like if i dont use that metal fret template. before i put the tape on the frets though, i tape a few longer pieces all the way from the nut down to the bridge pickup.
then i tape from the bridge pickup and work my way back to the nut...i like the overlaps facing away from how the steel wool will fall, and sometimes, if you tape your seams from the nut down on the pickup tape, that shit will work its way in. and it's a pain in the ass to get off your magnets. so i just over tape and overthink everything when it comes to the steel wooling.

what kind of compound are you guys using with the dremels? i like this idea.

 

[Deleted member 8761]

I hate using steel wool. "Planet Waves Fret Polishing System" works well and has a cut out template if you wanna protect the fretboard. The cloths from Dunlop work well too (sold separately or in that cleaner kit). I have used some sort of silver polish/cleaner on some frets that weren't cleaned for years. That worked very well, but you have to be carefull as it is aggressive stuff.

 

[rupe]

Steel wool up until last month when I tried Gorgomyte for the first time...its what I'll use for now on for all but the most corroded frets. I then follow up with Fret Doctor to condition the board if necessary.