I wonder,
I periodically use furniture cleaning spray to clean my guiatrs,
particulary when I get any of them (mostly my Admira classical) out to humid placed (such as the shore...) . I wonder if using these detergants can actually deteoriate the guiatr wood instead of protecting it....

I was told to use lemon oil on the fretboard once a year...and was warned not to use Pledge or other furniture polish brands for fear of waxy buildup.

Read my article about fretboard care at:

http://www.muzique.com/schem/fret.htm

Much of this article applies to guitar bodies as well, though they often have a clear hard lacquer finish for protection that makes it less critical than on a bare fretboard.

regards, Jack

Fu$$%$%K !

This is just what I thought ! I definately noticed the fretboard do retain much of this fluid ! I have also noticed how that guitar sounds a bit pale compared to how it sounded some time ago.... Ho can I "restore" it's condition, expecially the fretboard ?... is there a way to "remove" that "waxyness" out of it and restore it's condition ??

Thanks !

I used to have a warwick bass that was just bare wood, so the body kept having to be waxed and the neck oiled.  It was a pain in the ass...so I sold it!

Oh i'm quite sure autobody wax and grease remover will take out all of the oil and waxy feel out of it but it would be very dry after and you might be able to use a light type of oil to bring it back if it was oiled in the first place.?if not leave it,

just dont try this on a vintage axe or somthing as I do not know what could happen.

However I had done this on my fender s-73 and it works like a charm now here 4 years lata.

Just my two cents good luck and rock on

I'm sure it's not a very good idea to use another type of chemical on that wood anyway....

BTW, it's not that the fretboard is "waxy" or "oily".... not at all. It's quite dry but I think of all the wax and silicon in that furniture cleaner that has went into it - not really too much actually but still an annoying thought.

http://www.admira.es/pages/admira%20Maria_ing.html

This is probably primitive but I've always used Ronson lighter fluid (you know the liquid type for Zippo lighters) for the fretboard cleaning. It removes all the crud and oil very quickly leaving the fretboard in need of some oil replacement. I've always used just pure vegetable oil (wipe off excess) on the neck afterwords. The fretboard will look like new. I've been doing it this way for 25yrs and no guitars have ever suffered.

i use furniture polish on the body of my home-made tele.. which works fine because of the heavy coat of laquer.. but i wouldn't put it on a non-finished fretboard.

btw
they make finishing oil for fretboards too..  stew mac has it
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fretting_tools:_Fret_dressing,_polishing/Fretboard_Finishing_Oil.html

Chris

I remembered where I heard about the lemon oil. A few years ago I bought a Reverend bass, the tip came from the owners manual. http://www.reverenddirect.com/reverend/manuals_tech/guitar_bass_manual.html
I'm not trying to start an argument; in fact, I'll be emailing Joe Naylor about this discrepancy. Perhaps what He calls lemon oil is in fact lemon furniture oil.
Thanks Jack!

I would try orange oil.

http://www.touchoforanges.com/woodcarprod.html

They also suggest turpentine to clean the wood from silicone products, etc...

I just love the smell.

Gilles

and how about alcohol ?

i use lemon oil for ebony fretboards once of twice a yr . but after removing the strings clean the fretboad w/ 000 of 0000 steel-wool
first.
      peace,
            -tom

Bs sure that whatever you use doesn't have petroleum distillates in it. That can ruin a guitar's finish - it's like putting paint thinner on paint. It can remove the finish.

I have heard of people using lighter fluid before. I haven't heard anything bad about that.

QuoteI wonder,
I periodically use furniture cleaning spray to clean my guiatrs,
particulary when I get any of them (mostly my Admira classical) out to humid placed (such as the shore...) . I wonder if using these detergants can actually deteoriate the guiatr wood instead of protecting it....

Yep.

I've read almond oil is excellent for nude fretboards, and that lemon oil will actually dry your board.  With all the instrument specific products out there from Stew-Mac and others I would think it's worth it to use something made for guitars/basses rather than furniture polish that may have petroleum distillates or solvents in it. As for lighter fluid, or naptha as it were, pretty harmless on raw wood but keep it off finishes.

Any info about silicon, I think that is used in common sprays for home use. I remeber that they might have trouble with switches and electronic contacts, and are pain in the ass or impossible to remove before paint job :?:

Gil, do NOT use alcohol.  It could strip your finish, or do any other number of bad things.  Check out mimf.com, the Musical Instrument Makers Forum, for good info on this.

about twice a year, depending on playing and what the guitar is made of i usually strip off the strings,  and like tom says. steel wool the fretboard.  i also check my frets and make sure they are all still level touch up a few here and there.  i use a oil from stewmac i got it from a luthier friend of mine.  of course most of my necks are ebony.

for rose wood, depending on how humid it is  where you are or how dry you need to oil the wood semi frequently. and allow to dry over night. then repeat procedure up top.

anyway thats one of the ways it was done at a local guitar shop that i have had the oportunity to frequent a few times.


anyone heard of Warrior Guitars???

Quote from: RickThis is probably primitive but I've always used Ronson lighter fluid (you know the liquid type for Zippo lighters) for the fretboard cleaning. It removes all the crud and oil very quickly leaving the fretboard in need of some oil replacement. I've always used just pure vegetable oil (wipe off excess) on the neck afterwords. The fretboard will look like new. I've been doing it this way for 25yrs and no guitars have ever suffered.

just be carefull man - that's how my friend burnt his house down!

Hmmm...  I've been polishing my axes with lemon furniture polish spray for years.  I never really noticed a problem.  I spray it very finely -- just enough to get the surface damp, then wipe it with a clean, dry, soft, absorbent rag.  Then I repeat.  At this point, the dirt's off but it's looking kind of dull.  I finish by polishing with another clean, dry rag.

Maybe I'm hurting my axes, maybe I'm not.  All I know is that this has seemed to work for an awfully long time.  I have my axes in the shop at least twice a year because I have a tech intonate and restring them.  Sorry, guys, DIY only goes so far!