how do you clean your maple fretboard?

[Strat+Marshall]

Fret Doctor

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

I read everything on that site and it all makes a LOT of sense! I wonder if it will work on a coated neck/board though?

No. Oils don't get through to the wood. I use the Fret Dr on my rosewood boards, but just clean maple with soapy water and dry it.

better be careful how you recommend water. water will warp a neck beyond repair if the neck AND fretboard is not 100% sealed.

if the neck is sealed, its safe to use. if the fretboard is sealed, it is safe to use. however if the neck is sealed and the fretboard is not, then its only safe to use on the neck, not the fretboard.

you do not want your fretboard peeling off of the neck due to massive moisture exposure to its wood grains. that is why i said oil for cleaning - if anything you scrub harder but do not have to worry about warping or getting it on areas you are not supposed to on a neck that is partially sealed.

FWIW none of my necks are sealed. they are all natural, so that is another reason why i just use oil, and if that is not good enough, i use the lemon flavored lighter fluid you buy at music stores.

also, i have a friend who is an expert at neck repairs and guitar modifications and building. water is so powerful on a neck, he has his own techniques for using it to un-warp a warped neck. it does not take much on a natural neck to do damage. so make sure your neck is sealed before you apply it.

Wow...


I don't think anyone here is talking about hosing a neck down with a garden hose or soaking it in a bathtub. A wet rag is no serious danger to a stable guitar neck. There are a ton of players that can sweat more than a wet rag can deliver in one set.

There is no reason to put oil on a finished fingerboard/neck unless the finish is oil and needs to be touched up/replenished. The fake lemon oil that is usually available is a waste of money too. Naptha/lighter fluid will break down any buildup without harming the finish. Heck, most of the gunk I have seen will break down with some guitar polish. If you have an unfinished or oil finished neck, it would be a good precaution to apply some oil after cleaning.

There is no such thing as a completely sealed neck. Every guitar finish I am aware of just slows down moisture, none of them come close to stopping it completely.

You should tell your friend (is his name Merlin?) that can magically unwarp necks to write a book, because all of the other luthiers in the world have no clue about this magical technique. I would buy two.

 

[fek]

What about on a Charvel So Cal neck?

 

[Deleted member 3860]

...

 

[Strat+Marshall]

What about on a Charvel So Cal neck?

How are they finished?

 

[glpg80]

he is well known around this area and has been invited to do tours as a tech, i do not know if i caught the sarcasm in your post if it was meant to be?

what are you wowing about?

you already said the fact about lighter fluid once, not arguing with you. im talking about actual water from the kitchen sink. lemon oil works fine - as does alcohol, and naphtha, and tung oil, each used with steel whool. ive used all but one between the 4, they each work well and have different aftermath characteristics. i use oils because of the fact you said - not all necks/fretboards are 100% sealed or sealed at all. it will also not leave the wood dry feeling if it is not sealed.

however, i am watching out for the others who google this question, then wonder why their guitar sounds terrible 3 days later after the neck has a bow in it from using soap and water on an unsealed fretboard/neck. im not arguing that sweat is also water based and has different salt and base characteristics - but i have seen what water + neck + pressure can do to a neck - even one that is presumed un-repairable. its why i would say use one of the 4 already mentioned cleaning solutions and not bother with water + rubbing motions.