Fret Cleaning

Malkav

Hey all, I was wondering what substances you guys like to use to keep your frets nice and smooth and where to find them. I personally use extremely fine grain steel wool (the kind that is safe for cleaning porcelain) but I'd like to hear everyone's input on what really works for them and the reason it does as I am having difficulty finding steel wool these days.

Warwick

Go to a pharmacy and get some almond oil. I have found two advantages:

Substitute for Lem-Oil
Put some on a cloth and it gets off dirt and grime and makes fretts nice and shiny. Can also be used on strings.

Malkav

Warwick wrote Go to a pharmacy and get some almond oil. I have found two advantages:

Substitute for Lem-Oil
Put some on a cloth and it gets off dirt and grime and makes fretts nice and shiny. Can also be used on strings.

I've tried Almond oil, it works as a buffer but doesn't really do much for more stubborn grime.

Warwick

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I've tried Almond oil, it works as a buffer but doesn't really do much for more stubborn grime.
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Then rub harder... lol. I found that for to be true - so I found a slightly coarser cloth. Run harder and it works. IT is alot of effort though.

Warwick

Also - forgot to mention that the same guys that brought you planet waves also do a frett cloth. Not sure what it's made of, but it can take grim off a fret like I can take a pizza

AlanRatcliffe

0000 grade steel wool. Use fretboard protectors (or mask the board off) and polish along the length of the fret. Then use a metal polish (like Xtreme) on a Dremel felt wheel and your frets will come up like mirrors.

Do not use any oil on a fingerboard other than a properly formulated fingerboard oil. The wrong stuff can penetrate too far (many mineral oils), do nothing but strip oils (commercially available "lemon" oil), or form a hard finish on the surface (linseed and other polymerised oils). I recommend Fret Doctor (available from www.beafifer.com).

Above all, don't apply any oil more than twice a year - trust me, if your luthier does a refret and finds the fret slots have pools of oil in them, he won't be your friend any more...

Malkav

Alan, I have to ask what sort of tape would you recommend as to not leave any sticky residue? Also are you sure almond oil is a bad call, I was recommended it by a few luthiers who say they only use it for their violins.

not arguing just interested in the reasoning behind it ?

AlanRatcliffe

The best tape is the blue masking tape used by finishers - no residue and no chance of stuff penetrating under the edges like the normal "masking" tape.

I'm not sure of the almond oil specifically - the guy to ask would be the guy from www.beafifer.com - he's done extensive research into all different types of oils for woodwind and fingerboard use and has come up with his own formulation. What I can say for sure is his oil definitely works better than anything else I have ever used.

Bl-nk

how bad is it to just use water on a very lightly damped cloth (making sure the water stays away from the pickups of course)?

AlanRatcliffe

Don't use water for anything on a guitar, you can make the wood swell and distort if it becomes too wet. It also doesn't help much to clean things - oil and waxes from your fingers are resistant to water, and a dry cloth actually works better.

Spyke

Why don't you just use Mr. Min?

LMinnie

Dude are you trying to give Alan a heartattack!!!!!

AlanRatcliffe

Spyke

Bwahahahahahaha! ? ? ?

I was waiting for something like that! Sorry Alan, I just had to, I couldn't resist!

?

AlanRatcliffe

...and if poor Bl!nk had taken your advice? Then he'd find the thread where I rant about Mr Min and be >☹ with you.

Spyke

Alan Ratcliffe wrote ...and if poor Bl!nk had taken your advice? Then he'd find the thread where I rant about Mr Min and be >☹ with you.

True...

I realized that and posted it as a question rather than a statement, just so that the thread was guaranteed to continue. Now he knows what NOT to use too.

All part of the service, no additional charge.

This is a Spyke initiative proudly brought to you by a lack of sleep and too much caffeine

Bl-nk

haha. I've seen that thread already ?