One thing to add - if your fretboard is really grimey, use something like an old credit card (one that you don't plan to use anymore) to scrape stuff off rather than a knife
I completely agree that fretboard oiling/conditioning should only be done 2-3 times a year on average during string changes, but more as he mentioned about climate and if you sweat profusely and/or have very noxious sweat. The key is to clean and maintain the guitar in between time by doing thorough wipedowns before and after each time you play; if you do that, your guitar, fretboard and strings will look and perform very well! Strings will go dead over time, and that's the time to change them. Personally, I use Music Nomad F-ONE Oil to clean, condition and hydrate my fretboards, that is the best stuff out there and the best I've ever used, and I was a very dedicated lemon oil user for many years! A little of F-ONE goes a long way, just one drop on each fret is more than sufficient; work it in and let it sit to penetrate for about 10 minutes, then wipe it off...done! You may need a second or possibly third application if the fretboard is severely dry.
I Find polishing rubber is the best because it doesn’t mess with your pickups were as steel wool is bit tricky to handle. Thank you Kris - as always very informative and to the point.
I've been using (and loving) several: Music Nomad products on my Suhr, Stingray-bass & Taylor. Very pleased with the results. I also like Feed & Wax or Tru-oil, on the neck (not fretboard) for a smooth-Satin finish. Great information. Enjoyed this.
Great timing on this video! I literally just ordered some fretboard conditioner for the first time ever 3 days ago. xD As well as some other stuff for guitar cleaning and fret polishing kit. I've never taken great care of my guitar as far as real good cleaning goes. Just basic wipe-downs between playing and during string changes.
I've been playing guitar for 60 years and most of my guitars have Rosewood or Pau Ferro fretboards and I use shoe polish. It's wax and wax is oil. After a good cleaning with a toothpick on the fret edges and the steel wool for the fret tops I use shoe polish. Wipe it with a clean rag, buff it with a shoe brush and it comes out absolutely beautiful. use brown color for the Rosewood or black if you want it to look ebony.
OK you showed us about the lemon oil but where does the Fretboard cleaner and prep go plus the Fretboard deep conditioner fit in to the cleaning process???
Just to CLEAN a guitar - whether acoustic or electric - I like to use plain, old Murphy's Oil Soap. You can even dilute it with water, as one bottle will last forever. It's great because it's cheap, cleans well, and doesn't leave residue. I use paper towels and a soft-bristle toothbrush for cleaning frets.
Hi ! I have a Gibson studio es-335 with torrified maple fretboard. Is this kind of maple fretboard considered to be un-finished as a rosewood / ebony fretboard ?
I've used lemon oil for my fret board and had worked well. Scott Grove says that no one should use any oil just water on unfinished Frets. His theory is your oil from your hands will keep the wood protected. I personally clean the frets and use lemon oil with no problems.
I use Bellacura Fingerboard oil and it is a godsend. Used it on two „older“ guitars (7and 5 years, never oiled) and the fretboard looks SO much better, darker, feels way better. It‘s really awesome.
@@ileutur6863 Kinda like the Scottster miself, just the right amount of Don Rickles to make it interesting, and he's actually a lot like Eddy; WAYYY ahead of his time. And damned if he ain't right, most of the time.
I found an all in one conditioner/oil on amazon (called F-one oil). It says it is safe for all unfinished fretboards. My only issue is I'm not sure how to tell if a fretboard is finished or not.
This is a great video, but since you asked, I will tell you what I have been doing for many years.... I have quite a few guitars, some expensive, and others, not so much, but no matter the value, they all get the same cleaning treatment. First, for guitars where I can remove the neck, I always remove the neck...There is no greater advantage than removing the neck. First, you remove the risk of having anything fall into the pickups and you also remove the risk of dropping the guitar and damaging the body - this happens more than people will admit. Then, I never just polish frets, I always clean the fretboard, frets and polish entire neck, right up to the tuning machines, which I also remove. For cleaning, I use a Dremel tool with a softer, but sturdy, attachment for removing gunk and a I end with a polishing attachment. In my opinion, the Dremel tool is the best tool for cleaning every fretboard on the planet. I seldom use fretboard protectors because the Dremel is gentle enough to destroy gunk and not hurt the wood - I have never damaged a fretboard (not one). When I am done, with a Dremel still, I polish the fretboard (and back) with a homemade wax that I make at home for all my wood needs. It is a mix of olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax and I add a few other natural ingredients. My fretboards and frets always come out looking brand new!
Hi! Thanks for your comment, it alleviated my fear about using my wife's Dremel on my guitars. I haven't used it so far for anything, but I may give it a try to clean the fretboard from a couple guitars. Which attachments specifically do you use and for what? I was taking a look at all the different ones that come in the case, but I haven't figured out what is for what. I'll start trying to figure it out on my own aswell. Hopefully you see this, and if you answer, well, thanks a lot in advance!
@@diegosorianorincon2263 I did see your comment and thank you for responding, my friend. And, you are quite welcome! I will begin by saying that I've had nothing but true convenience and speed by using my Dremel for my fretboard cleaning. And, I am pretty sure that you will also find the same kind of convenience as I have. I would however, be remiss if I didn't tell you that over working your Dremel could have negative consequences. It is possible to use this tool just a bit longer than necessary and that could create problems. However, I am also sure that you already know that this is true of any method you decide to choose. So, I would say, just start out slowly, get a feel for the Dremel and the manner of use, and then move up to doing more and more when you're comfortable. And, please make sure that you are also using enough tape where it is needed. You will be fine, my friend and I think you will enjoy this cleaning method as much as I have. Thank you again for your reply.
I have this Harley Benton TE-90FLT "Cabronita" with a maple neck but the strange thing the neck seems to be totally unfinished. I once had dirty fingers when I played it and that stained it. I cant get that stain off with just a simpler cleaner, I tried but its still somehow darkened on some spots. I think at the next string change I might try that steel wool method.
If it’s ‘finished’ it will glossy/shiny looking. If not if will just be raw wood. A finish is when there is a coat. You should be able to tell pretty easily :)
I'm a guitar tech estorer lucky enough to work on hundreds of low to mid range guitars. Found out early on steal wool makes a huge mess, and doesn't seem to give the desired results. Heavy rubbing compound like that used on aluminium fuel tanks on a small cotton buffing wheel in a larger drill gives much better results! And I take a sanding block to the back of the neck as soon as I get a new guitar strip it down to raw wood. Mist with water, ( bottled, not out of the tap) then heat and recoat with ultra high quality furniture polish, or a lanolin based cream. You'll be shocked and amazed how much easier it is to adjust the truss rod, and the neck is off the chain smooth. No coating I have ever seen beats the patina of natural wood. I have even taken the paint off, and taken these necks down to natural wood. Being careful to follow the contours of the head and tail of the neck so the job doesn't look tacky. (I've never had anyone in the crowd ever run up on stage and demand to see what the back of the neck looks like anyway.) They come to see and hear the show, and could care less how it's produced. Most "vintage" guitars have already had most of the paint loved off the neck anyway. lol
If i want to darken a Pau Ferro or Jatoba fretboard, i use dark brown rifle stock oil. If you use it regularly, the fretboard will get darker and darker. Imho way better than darken with shoe wax oder something else.
I sometimes use a triangular guitar pick to scrape off the build up of what I call "finger funk". I wish my playing got as funky as my fretboard. Clean guitars are happy guitars.... but I like my tone a lil dirty most of the time :D.
Poo Ninja That’s a good combo: clean guitars and dirty tones. Wait, that’s a pretty cool band name too... haha! Great advice with the triangular pick, thanks! That could help some others here. You’re the man Poo! //cheers, Kris
hey Kris, great vid! quick question, not sure what u mean by using cleaner fluid for the back of the neck, can i use the 01 or 02 fingerboard cleaner or conditioner on a satin finished maple neck? is that the type of cleaner fluid you mean?
Like he said, the steel wool was super fine grit, so in that case, it doesn't matter going against or with the grain; and also not doing it too many times.
Being a professional woodworker, I too was concerned with using the steel wool cross grain, which I did the first time I used this technique. Although the quad O wool did not harm polishing cross grain, I was more pleased with the result going with the grain second time around. Whichever way you choose, it's important to do this maintenance. Thanks to Thomann for this information.
Even 0000 steel wool will leave some visual differences between across the grain and with the grain. Sometimes, it's worthwhile to go against the grain to get some gunk up, especially up against the frets, but you should always go back along the grain for a nicer appearance.
I too was taught by a very stern and serious Scottish cabinet making tutor to always follow the grain or get a clip rounf my earholes(It was the late 70s). Thanks for posting, that special oil looks like it really revives the Darker unfunished wood.
I use some Fender product (based on beeswax) that came free with some other gear. Was not expecting that, but the fretboard is a treat to play after using it. Im confused about Lemon oil. Some people praise it to infinity, some other bash it, as it is chemical product and have nothing to do with lemons. I have no idea ... but this fender beeswax thingamajig looks to work awesome.
@DigtBrain2 yep, something along those lines. Ive even heard something about boiled linseed oil. I dont know, I better believe some guitar related brands, that they dont want to destroy your guitar.
beeswax makes sense to me. I used antique wax twice on my les paul almost forty years ago and then nothing at all. About three years ago I had it for the first time at the luthier and the ebony frets are still excellent preserved. The antique wax made the ebony a bit glassy and hard, so it doesn't work because it no longer absorbs moisture and is extremely resistant. but be careful it contains caranauba wax so you shouldn't use it often
Teak oil is a good natural sealer. Won't tint the wood. Otherwise a more famous option is Tru-Oil from birchwood Casey. But it does give it a tint. If you do it regularly, once or twice a year, no need to Wax it. Waxing gets messy.
yeah I saw on the thomann page a disclaimer below one of the Taylor fretboard conditioners, that you shouldn't be using that on maple. I have a maple neck guitar so I'd probably be better off looking at something else
I would not be against a "plug in" if Thomann happens to have the cleaning and maintenance material here mentioned i.e. in the description a link to where in Thomann you sell these Danke!
Hey Corey, there are plenty of cleaning kits with good fretboard oils. They are all good. There's no kit with this Sandberg oil though. I just prefer it to others, because it's a pure natural oil and it smells really nice too. Haha! //cheers, Kris
I would just buff it with a plastic dish sponge with soapy water. If it’s not finished you probably could just add one or 2 layers of tung oil or the other popular oils people use for baked maple necks.
I use daddario Lemon oil and daddario fingerboard hydrate and also fast fret to give the strings a longer life and I clean the body with Gibson guitar pump polish . And the. I string it with 11-48 daddario jazz strings on my lespaul and do a setup 1.75 mm on low E string and 1.5mm on high E string and 0.25mm as neck relief and the. The intonation and tune again and play and it’s like a new guitar but for polish fret I use 0 grain steel wool and fretboard protectors or Daddario fret polish kit .
it also depends what type of wood wenge panga panga rosewood ebony ibenholt and thats stuff if the wood drink the oil keep going until the wood wont take the oil anymore. and yes i have an ibanez with 12 hairline cracks havent given me issues yet ive used wood glue to fill the cracks and after 24 hours i oiled the fretboard until it wont suck in oil and then let it dry for another 24 hours and it should be as new
I have a fender player telecaster. How do I know if it’s a finished neck? I think it’s maple and I’ve been told you should use anything but water on maple. Please advice
i want to finish my maple fredboard with Nitrolacquer but theres is already am oilfnish and also wax. do i have to remove the wax before and how to do at best? Thank u Cornelius
hi , i own an old WW fortress one with a Wenge neck/fredboard. do ineed to clean and oil that too? and with what? and then only the fredboard or the whole neck? tnx!
I have a almost 20 year od guitar i picked up and doubt this has ever been done. Steel wool hasn't cleaned it fully. I am scared to go to rough on it lol
Very useful video, thanks. I was wondering though, how do I know if the fretboard is finished/unfinished? Not only that, what can I use instead of steel wool? Thanks again!
Thorsten N. 00 grade is super rough, 000 is still pretty rough and 0000 (or quad zero) grade is nice and fine. That’s the only one that’s gonna work for your fretboard. //cheers, Kris
TBH I was a bit disappointed, I watched the video twice and I expected some tips especially for unfinished maple fretboard as the title promised but I could not find any. Knowing the fact treatment is different for rosewood and maple that would have been great.
I think any oil would do. Avoid raw linseed oil, as it will never dry absolutely. use boiled linseed oil instead. BUT wash the rag in water and dry it and dispose of it. The rags can self combust otherwise
Personally I use a soft plastic dish sponge and soap water. That way it’s less likely to be abrasive. After drying I then apply oil with a napkin to make sure everything is gentle
I do that all the time on my maple fret boards all the time. Gives em that roasted maple look, AND when the kids play em they don't get that grungy look from being played with "kid" hands. I've had em so bad I've had to clean em with a nail file.
Natural oils are great for that. This Sandberg oil I use in the video is my favourite but you can also use gun stock oil. Stay away from lemon oil maybe, some can be pretty acidic which is not awesome. Cheers //Kris
Hey, you don't have to do anything with unfinished roasted maple other than oiling and waxing it. Thanks to the roasting process, this procedure is enough to protect it from warping due to humidity. Cheers //Kris
It might colour the maple board so I'd recommend using something fully transparent. Or at least something with less acid, like the Sandberg natural oil used in the video (that darkens bright maple a little too though). //Kris
I cannot get rid of the garlic (BAD) smell on my rosewood fretboard. I went a year without changing strings although I did wipe the guitar down after I played. Tried vinegar twice and dawn. Stayed the same or possibly even got worse. Any solution you know of?
@@thomashigginsmusic I cleaned it 5 or 6 different ways and it seemed better but it just came back even though I was playing very little. Not sure what to do now.
@@tellmestraight funny you reply now cause I just gave my fretboard a really good cleaning with some 0000 wire wool and 70/30 water to murphys oil soap and it did mine wonders I got a LOT of dirt off. Not sure if you’re just applying something to the fretboard and not scrubbing the gunk off
Hello! when using oil on the back of the neck, should I apply the oil after every session or a couple times in a year like a fretboard? also, what do mean by waxing the back of the neck?
What about unfinished maple fretboards ? Most fretboard cleaners are not supposed to be used in maple fretboards... Plus most luthiers will not recommend oil an unfinished maple fretboard...
If you want to keep an unfinished Music Man or a Charvel maple neck clean, try Big Bends Fretboard Juice. It's completely clear and doesn't make maple yellow / brown like some other oils would do. I recommend oiling and waxing unfinished wood, also maple. Maple necks (except for roasted maple) are not very stable without closing the wood grain with some oil / wax. You shouldn't use a lot of oil of course, you don't want to drain the wood. Haha //cheers, Kris
Hey, you can start parallel to the frets. Clean the fretboard and polish the frets with the steel wool at the same time. At the end I'd recommend going over the fretboard again but this time parallel to the strings (following the wood grain to have a nice and smooth surface). Cheers and don't forget: use only 0000 steel wool! //Kris
Most of the fretboards used on guitars and basses (like 99%) fall into two categories: 1. dark and unfinished wood - rosewood, pau ferro, ebony, etc. - AND 2. light wood such as maple which can be finished or unfinished. Unfinished fretboards need some oil every now and then, doesn't matter if it's a dark of light wood. Just use transparent fretboard oil for maple to avoid colouring it. And if it's a finished fretboard, you don't have to do anything other than clean the dirt off. :) I hope that helps. Cheers //Kris
I'm new to guitar and I am just about to change the strings, so i came here. Now please don't laugh at me, can i oil the fretboard with olive oil or bicycle oil?
1. I don't know, this may all be good enough for basses and bass players but using steel wool is a) messy as hell and I wouldn't b) use anything abrasive on a nice fretboard unless some pig never cleaned it for decades. Also, using steel wool is the only the last step on frets before the actual polishing job begins. Honing the fret surface for optimum smooth interaction with GUITAR strings requires a lot more steps including usage of a polishing machine with successively finer polishing pastes. Using steel wool on frets that have gotten this kind of proper treatment once instantly reverts the fret surface to the pre-polishing state. In other words, recommending unnecessary scratching fingerboards together with the inlays and frets is not exactly great advice, in particular not for the maintenance department of Thomann. 2. FastFret is just a rolled-up cloth soaked in white mineral oil. Mineral oil is the main ingredient in most (if not all) commercial fretboard products, so if you have the time and patience to rub the FF stick on the fingerboard for hours and hours to get your dry fretboard rehydrated while you wait for Thomann delivering some proper oil, it doesn't harm and it's still better than leaving the fretboard dry out completely in winter.
4:49 "it's time to become your own guitar tech" Hell yeah, that's why I'm here lol
I love the bellacura fretboard oil. Makes dry and older fretboards look and feel like new. It‘s a great product.
One thing to add - if your fretboard is really grimey, use something like an old credit card (one that you don't plan to use anymore) to scrape stuff off rather than a knife
Cool tip, thanks! //Kris
I completely agree that fretboard oiling/conditioning should only be done 2-3 times a year on average during string changes, but more as he mentioned about climate and if you sweat profusely and/or have very noxious sweat. The key is to clean and maintain the guitar in between time by doing thorough wipedowns before and after each time you play; if you do that, your guitar, fretboard and strings will look and perform very well! Strings will go dead over time, and that's the time to change them.
Personally, I use Music Nomad F-ONE Oil to clean, condition and hydrate my fretboards, that is the best stuff out there and the best I've ever used, and I was a very dedicated lemon oil user for many years! A little of F-ONE goes a long way, just one drop on each fret is more than sufficient; work it in and let it sit to penetrate for about 10 minutes, then wipe it off...done! You may need a second or possibly third application if the fretboard is severely dry.
This is the most insightful video on guitar I’ve ever watched. Thank you so much for explaining this.
I Find polishing rubber is the best because it doesn’t mess with your pickups were as steel wool is bit tricky to handle. Thank you Kris - as always very informative and to the point.
I just put masking tape it works fine.
I just use a dish scrubber pad, aka Scotch Brite pad in the US. It's basically plastic steel wool - less scratching, no shavings.
I've been using (and loving) several: Music Nomad products on my Suhr, Stingray-bass & Taylor. Very pleased with the results. I also like Feed & Wax or Tru-oil, on the neck (not fretboard) for a smooth-Satin finish. Great information. Enjoyed this.
give that wood a good old rub
Hehe boi
hahahahahaha!
😂🤘🏻
Great timing on this video! I literally just ordered some fretboard conditioner for the first time ever 3 days ago. xD As well as some other stuff for guitar cleaning and fret polishing kit. I've never taken great care of my guitar as far as real good cleaning goes. Just basic wipe-downs between playing and during string changes.
Pro tip: Use 3M 10119NA Synthetic Steel Wool to avoid metal shavings/dust.
Great 5 minute video. Super helpful for me, as I was changing strings and hoping to oil an UNFINISHED classical guitar. Great tips. Thank you!!!
Great vid and great ‘bass face’ at the end 🙌🏼 thanks for the knowledge!!
I've been playing guitar for 60 years and most of my guitars have Rosewood or Pau Ferro fretboards and I use shoe polish. It's wax and wax is oil. After a good cleaning with a toothpick on the fret edges and the steel wool for the fret tops I use shoe polish. Wipe it with a clean rag, buff it with a shoe brush and it comes out absolutely beautiful. use brown color for the Rosewood or black if you want it to look ebony.
don’t oil maple, it needs to stay dry
OK you showed us about the lemon oil but where does the Fretboard cleaner and prep go plus the Fretboard deep conditioner fit in to the cleaning process???
Just to CLEAN a guitar - whether acoustic or electric - I like to use plain, old Murphy's Oil Soap. You can even dilute it with water, as one bottle will last forever. It's great because it's cheap, cleans well, and doesn't leave residue. I use paper towels and a soft-bristle toothbrush for cleaning frets.
Hi ! I have a Gibson studio es-335 with torrified maple fretboard. Is this kind of maple fretboard considered to be un-finished as a rosewood / ebony fretboard ?
Keep the info coming. Always a pleasure
Thanks for makeing this video series. In my opinion ist very importent to have a soild set up guitar to get better in playing.
I've used lemon oil for my fret board and had worked well. Scott Grove says that no one should use any oil just water on unfinished Frets. His theory is your oil from your hands will keep the wood protected. I personally clean the frets and use lemon oil with no problems.
I use Bellacura Fingerboard oil and it is a godsend. Used it on two „older“ guitars (7and 5 years, never oiled) and the fretboard looks SO much better, darker, feels way better. It‘s really awesome.
Scott Grove is a senile paranoid nobody. Don't listen to hik
@@ileutur6863 Kinda like the Scottster miself, just the right amount of Don Rickles to make it interesting, and he's actually a lot like Eddy; WAYYY ahead of his time. And damned if he ain't right, most of the time.
Like Eddy who? @@popogejo7245
I always use the readily available kitchen sunflower oil or a olive oil instead of the posh lemon oil... works great for me..
yeah I was kinda looking at like what kind of oil is best but I recon it doesn't really matter does it?
I think those food oils may break down quicker. It might be better to use the popular stuff. That said, those food oils are probably good anyway
So what you guys using cleaning the maple finger board?
I found an all in one conditioner/oil on amazon (called F-one oil). It says it is safe for all unfinished fretboards. My only issue is I'm not sure how to tell if a fretboard is finished or not.
@@SeanDS89 if its unfinished it have matt look, if its finished it look glossy
@@gkTORO oh nice, I figured it would be something simple like that, but I wasn't sure lol thanks :)
I have this bass . Its awesome
This is a great video, but since you asked, I will tell you what I have been doing for many years.... I have quite a few guitars, some expensive, and others, not so much, but no matter the value, they all get the same cleaning treatment. First, for guitars where I can remove the neck, I always remove the neck...There is no greater advantage than removing the neck. First, you remove the risk of having anything fall into the pickups and you also remove the risk of dropping the guitar and damaging the body - this happens more than people will admit.
Then, I never just polish frets, I always clean the fretboard, frets and polish entire neck, right up to the tuning machines, which I also remove. For cleaning, I use a Dremel tool with a softer, but sturdy, attachment for removing gunk and a I end with a polishing attachment.
In my opinion, the Dremel tool is the best tool for cleaning every fretboard on the planet. I seldom use fretboard protectors because the Dremel is gentle enough to destroy gunk and not hurt the wood - I have never damaged a fretboard (not one). When I am done, with a Dremel still, I polish the fretboard (and back) with a homemade wax that I make at home for all my wood needs. It is a mix of olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax and I add a few other natural ingredients. My fretboards and frets always come out looking brand new!
Hi! Thanks for your comment, it alleviated my fear about using my wife's Dremel on my guitars. I haven't used it so far for anything, but I may give it a try to clean the fretboard from a couple guitars. Which attachments specifically do you use and for what? I was taking a look at all the different ones that come in the case, but I haven't figured out what is for what. I'll start trying to figure it out on my own aswell. Hopefully you see this, and if you answer, well, thanks a lot in advance!
@@diegosorianorincon2263 I did see your comment and thank you for responding, my friend. And, you are quite welcome!
I will begin by saying that I've had nothing but true convenience and speed by using my Dremel for my fretboard cleaning. And, I am pretty sure that you will also find the same kind of convenience as I have. I would however, be remiss if I didn't tell you that over working your Dremel could have negative consequences. It is possible to use this tool just a bit longer than necessary and that could create problems.
However, I am also sure that you already know that this is true of any method you decide to choose.
So, I would say, just start out slowly, get a feel for the Dremel and the manner of use, and then move up to doing more and more when you're comfortable. And, please make sure that you are also using enough tape where it is needed.
You will be fine, my friend and I think you will enjoy this cleaning method as much as I have. Thank you again for your reply.
Great video. Simple and accurate.
I have this Harley Benton TE-90FLT "Cabronita" with a maple neck but the strange thing the neck seems to be totally unfinished.
I once had dirty fingers when I played it and that stained it. I cant get that stain off with just a simpler cleaner, I tried but its still somehow darkened on some spots. I think at the next string change I might try that steel wool method.
Gracias tron!!
Great vid.
Just wondering, my Epiphone has large crown inlays. Will they be damaged by the steel wool?
Thanks.
Soooo, how do you tell if your fretboard/neck is finished or not?
Commenting to find out lmfao
Piggybacking off of this, im so confused lol
If it’s ‘finished’ it will glossy/shiny looking. If not if will just be raw wood. A finish is when there is a coat. You should be able to tell pretty easily :)
Can you use lemon oil on an unfinished roasted maple neck?
I recommend using a toothbrush for cleaning the fretboard. Works great for me.
Really interesting video! Perfect
Really useful, thanks!
I'm a guitar tech
estorer lucky enough to work on hundreds of low to mid range guitars. Found out early on steal wool makes a huge mess, and doesn't seem to give the desired results. Heavy rubbing compound like that used on aluminium fuel tanks on a small cotton buffing wheel in a larger drill gives much better results!
And I take a sanding block to the back of the neck as soon as I get a new guitar strip it down to raw wood. Mist with water, ( bottled, not out of the tap) then heat and recoat with ultra high quality furniture polish, or a lanolin based cream. You'll be shocked and amazed how much easier it is to adjust the truss rod, and the neck is off the chain smooth.
No coating I have ever seen beats the patina of natural wood. I have even taken the paint off, and taken these necks down to natural wood. Being careful to follow the contours of the head and tail of the neck so the job doesn't look tacky. (I've never had anyone in the crowd ever run up on stage and demand to see what the back of the neck looks like anyway.) They come to see and hear the show, and could care less how it's produced.
Most "vintage" guitars have already had most of the paint loved off the neck anyway. lol
If i want to darken a Pau Ferro or Jatoba fretboard, i use dark brown rifle stock oil. If you use it regularly, the fretboard will get darker and darker. Imho way better than darken with shoe wax oder something else.
I sometimes use a triangular guitar pick to scrape off the build up of what I call "finger funk". I wish my playing got as funky as my fretboard. Clean guitars are happy guitars.... but I like my tone a lil dirty most of the time :D.
Poo Ninja That’s a good combo: clean guitars and dirty tones. Wait, that’s a pretty cool band name too... haha!
Great advice with the triangular pick, thanks! That could help some others here. You’re the man Poo!
//cheers, Kris
Sounds more like an album name 😂
@@PooNinja So does Poo Ninja!
Hi, can I use mineral oil to hydrate the back of an unfinished maple neck? Thanks!
The colour of that neck is gorgeous. Standard lemon oil for me..👍🇦🇺
can i use just straight up lemon oil?
@@C.Hawkshaw Lemon oil is lemon oil. Just avoid Lemmon juice as it’s acidic.. 😬👍🇦🇺
hey Kris, great vid! quick question, not sure what u mean by using cleaner fluid for the back of the neck, can i use the 01 or 02 fingerboard cleaner or conditioner on a satin finished maple neck? is that the type of cleaner fluid you mean?
When using steel wool, I noticed you are going across the grain. Isn't it best to go "with" the grain??
Like he said, the steel wool was super fine grit, so in that case, it doesn't matter going against or with the grain; and also not doing it too many times.
Being a professional woodworker, I too was concerned with using the steel wool cross grain, which I did the first time I used this technique. Although the quad O wool did not harm polishing cross grain, I was more pleased with the result going with the grain second time around. Whichever way you choose, it's important to do this maintenance. Thanks to Thomann for this information.
Even 0000 steel wool will leave some visual differences between across the grain and with the grain. Sometimes, it's worthwhile to go against the grain to get some gunk up, especially up against the frets, but you should always go back along the grain for a nicer appearance.
I too was taught by a very stern and serious Scottish cabinet making tutor to always follow the grain or get a clip rounf my earholes(It was the late 70s). Thanks for posting, that special oil looks like it really revives the Darker unfunished wood.
Great video, thank you.
I use some Fender product (based on beeswax) that came free with some other gear. Was not expecting that, but the fretboard is a treat to play after using it.
Im confused about Lemon oil. Some people praise it to infinity, some other bash it, as it is chemical product and have nothing to do with lemons. I have no idea ... but this fender beeswax thingamajig looks to work awesome.
@DigtBrain2 yep, something along those lines. Ive even heard something about boiled linseed oil. I dont know, I better believe some guitar related brands, that they dont want to destroy your guitar.
beeswax makes sense to me. I used antique wax twice on my les paul almost forty years ago and then nothing at all. About three years ago I had it for the first time at the luthier and the ebony frets are still excellent preserved. The antique wax made the ebony a bit glassy and hard, so it doesn't work because it no longer absorbs moisture and is extremely resistant. but be careful it contains caranauba wax so you shouldn't use it often
@@yetimatzenightcat8702 thanks for warning, Im using it like twice a year max.
I usually use lemon on my fretboards but all of my guitars have unfinished maple on the back of the neck. What should I use to oil that??
Teak oil is a good natural sealer.
Won't tint the wood.
Otherwise a more famous option is Tru-Oil from birchwood Casey. But it does give it a tint.
If you do it regularly, once or twice a year, no need to Wax it.
Waxing gets messy.
Musicnomad f oil for me and it's perfect for maple fretboard (don't use the lemon oil )!
yeah I saw on the thomann page a disclaimer below one of the Taylor fretboard conditioners, that you shouldn't be using that on maple. I have a maple neck guitar so I'd probably be better off looking at something else
Was a good reminder to change the strings 😉🤘
i'm still a bit sketched out about using steel wool. my guitar hasn't been used in 10 years and the frets look really dull.
I would not be against a "plug in" if Thomann happens to have the cleaning and maintenance material here mentioned
i.e. in the description a link to where in Thomann you sell these
Danke!
Hey, thanks for watching the video! We have a product link in the description box. This one: tho.mn/fkxfb
Cheers //Kris
What about pau ferro? Do I follow the same instructions? I used water and a cloth to clean plus some lemon oil and let it soak.
Cutrepon I have a Squier Telecaster with Pau Ferro fretboard. Lemon oil works fine for me to clean the fretboard - just as on Rosewood or Ebony.
Cutrepon Same thing for pau ferro as for rosewood. 👍🏻
//cheers, Kris
Thanks Kris ... that was very helpful to me.... does Thomann have a cleaning kit that includes the fretboard oil ?? Also ... Hey good to see ya man.
Hey Corey, there are plenty of cleaning kits with good fretboard oils. They are all good. There's no kit with this Sandberg oil though. I just prefer it to others, because it's a pure natural oil and it smells really nice too. Haha!
//cheers, Kris
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Thanks Alan! Glad to hear that it's helpful. //Kris
What about a baked maple fretboard? Doesn't feel finished but I don't want to ruin it
I would just buff it with a plastic dish sponge with soapy water. If it’s not finished you probably could just add one or 2 layers of tung oil or the other popular oils people use for baked maple necks.
Are roasted maple necks and fretboards usually finished or unfinished?
They’re usually finished but sometimes they are frequently unfinished
Can you use Magic Eraser? Its essentially a polymer foam microscopic sandpaper.
I use daddario Lemon oil and daddario fingerboard hydrate and also fast fret to give the strings a longer life and I clean the body with Gibson guitar pump polish . And the. I string it with 11-48 daddario jazz strings on my lespaul and do a setup 1.75 mm on low E string and 1.5mm on high E string and 0.25mm as neck relief and the. The intonation and tune again and play and it’s like a new guitar but for polish fret I use 0 grain steel wool and fretboard protectors or Daddario fret polish kit .
it also depends what type of wood wenge panga panga rosewood ebony ibenholt and thats stuff if the wood drink the oil keep going until the wood wont take the oil anymore. and yes i have an ibanez with 12 hairline cracks havent given me issues yet ive used wood glue to fill the cracks and after 24 hours i oiled the fretboard until it wont suck in oil and then let it dry for another 24 hours and it should be as new
Good info
Do have any recommendations on how to clean Panga Panga fretboard?
When I’m not sure about what I should use on a fret board the is new to me I usually ask you! Lol
what about roasted maple?! On a lot of Charvels they have this - quite difficult to clean properly! Is Lemon Oil still good? Or F1 oil
I have a Merbau fingerboard and don't know if I should use lemon oil
Orange oil is great for rosewood fretboards!
Good to know! Thank you :) // Guillaume
I have some pure raw tung oil I was thinking about using but I don't want to have it affect the instrument's tone (vibration)
I have a fender player telecaster. How do I know if it’s a finished neck? I think it’s maple and I’ve been told you should use anything but water on maple. Please advice
i want to finish my maple fredboard with Nitrolacquer but theres is already am oilfnish and also wax. do i have to remove the wax before and how to do at best? Thank u Cornelius
What should i do with a Charvel Caramelized maple neck? I cant find any information :(
Does it make sense to apply oil on a roasted maple neck?
hi , i own an old WW fortress one with a Wenge neck/fredboard. do ineed to clean and oil that too? and with what? and then only the fredboard or the whole neck? tnx!
Is it safe to use Lemon Oil on Wenge fretboard?
H Kris, does the Oil work with roasted maple fretboard and neck too?
Michael Macherey Hey, yes it does. I’ve used it many times on roasted maple, it works fine.
//cheers, Kris
What about macassar ebony fretboard?
Can I use oil on that?
I have a almost 20 year od guitar i picked up and doubt this has ever been done. Steel wool hasn't cleaned it fully. I am scared to go to rough on it lol
I’m a newbie so please tell me what you guys use because I tend to agree with you ?
Can I use a Dunlop 65 for the oil?
Very useful video, thanks. I was wondering though, how do I know if the fretboard is finished/unfinished?
Not only that, what can I use instead of steel wool?
Thanks again!
How do you clean Torrefied Composite frretboard?
My fret board has white patches and dusty and i wanna clean it but after snapping a string I'm scared to open it 🥺
Cool video, thanks. Nevertheless I' m confused. Isn't steelwool with grade 00 or 000 even finer and less abrasive?
He said "guad" zero or 0000. The more "0"s the finer the grade of the steel wool.
Thorsten N. 00 grade is super rough, 000 is still pretty rough and 0000 (or quad zero) grade is nice and fine. That’s the only one that’s gonna work for your fretboard.
//cheers, Kris
TBH I was a bit disappointed, I watched the video twice and I expected some tips especially for unfinished maple fretboard as the title promised but I could not find any. Knowing the fact treatment is different for rosewood and maple that would have been great.
Do you actually need special oil for the job? What would happen if I use linseed and turpentine, like I do for everything else?
I think any oil would do. Avoid raw linseed oil, as it will never dry absolutely. use boiled linseed oil instead. BUT wash the rag in water and dry it and dispose of it. The rags can self combust otherwise
@@orbodman Thanks mate, used boiled linseed oil with turps and it came up nicely. Looks good, feels good.
When you are cleaning and adding oil to the board you are not going with the grain. This can leave scratches.
Personally I use a soft plastic dish sponge and soap water. That way it’s less likely to be abrasive. After drying I then apply oil with a napkin to make sure everything is gentle
Tip Top genau das wollte ich Wissen.
Chris how can i darken the wood color of my guitar with pao ferro? thank you mate!
I do that all the time on my maple fret boards all the time. Gives em that roasted maple look, AND when the kids play em they don't get that grungy look from being played with "kid" hands. I've had em so bad I've had to clean em with a nail file.
What can we use on Ceramilzed baked maple neck?
Natural oils are great for that. This Sandberg oil I use in the video is my favourite but you can also use gun stock oil. Stay away from lemon oil maybe, some can be pretty acidic which is not awesome. Cheers //Kris
Thank you. Is Lapella fingerboard oil will be good?
Should I do the same on roasted maple unfinished fretboards?
Hey, you don't have to do anything with unfinished roasted maple other than oiling and waxing it. Thanks to the roasting process, this procedure is enough to protect it from warping due to humidity. Cheers //Kris
Can I use lemon oil on a finished maple fretboard?
It might colour the maple board so I'd recommend using something fully transparent. Or at least something with less acid, like the Sandberg natural oil used in the video (that darkens bright maple a little too though). //Kris
@ThomannsGuitarsBasses thanks for replying back I have now bought fender polish that is definitely suited for maple fretboard.
I cannot get rid of the garlic (BAD) smell on my rosewood fretboard. I went a year without changing strings although I did wipe the guitar down after I played. Tried vinegar twice and dawn. Stayed the same or possibly even got worse. Any solution you know of?
I’m having the same issue. Got worse when I used lemon oil
@@thomashigginsmusic I cleaned it 5 or 6 different ways and it seemed better but it just came back even though I was playing very little. Not sure what to do now.
@@tellmestraight funny you reply now cause I just gave my fretboard a really good cleaning with some 0000 wire wool and 70/30 water to murphys oil soap and it did mine wonders I got a LOT of dirt off. Not sure if you’re just applying something to the fretboard and not scrubbing the gunk off
@@thomashigginsmusic Fretboard is very clean but still smells even with new strings.
Way too much oil! Going to be a refretting issue due to oil sitting in and ruining the fret slots.
Are all of the guitar fretboards unfinished?
If it's rosewood, ebony or other dark wood then the full fretboard is unfinished. Maple is usually fully finished. Cheers //Kris
Would this work with ovangkoi or ebony fretboard?
Yes indeed. Cheers //Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses , awesome thanks 👍
Hello! when using oil on the back of the neck, should I apply the oil after every session or a couple times in a year like a fretboard? also, what do mean by waxing the back of the neck?
S o i t d o e s n t g r o w h a i r
fast frets was really bad to me : the dirty parts it lets everywhere
i prefer Music nomad
Steel wool use it following the veins of the wood
Doesn't really matter with 0000 (quad 0) steel wool. It's almost as fine as a cotton cloth. However, do not use it on maple board with clear finishes
What about unfinished maple fretboards ? Most fretboard cleaners are not supposed to be used in maple fretboards... Plus most luthiers will not recommend oil an unfinished maple fretboard...
If you want to keep an unfinished Music Man or a Charvel maple neck clean, try Big Bends Fretboard Juice. It's completely clear and doesn't make maple yellow / brown like some other oils would do.
I recommend oiling and waxing unfinished wood, also maple. Maple necks (except for roasted maple) are not very stable without closing the wood grain with some oil / wax. You shouldn't use a lot of oil of course, you don't want to drain the wood. Haha
//cheers, Kris
2:35 I'm surprised the thing didn't catch fire
I’m so confused on which direction to use the steel wool in the fretboard i’ve heard people say both 🤷🏽♂️
Hey, you can start parallel to the frets. Clean the fretboard and polish the frets with the steel wool at the same time. At the end I'd recommend going over the fretboard again but this time parallel to the strings (following the wood grain to have a nice and smooth surface). Cheers and don't forget: use only 0000 steel wool! //Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses awesome thank you!
Never Dull to polish the frets
ANY fretboard, or just rosewood & maple? Im confused by the title 😳😳😳
Most of the fretboards used on guitars and basses (like 99%) fall into two categories: 1. dark and unfinished wood - rosewood, pau ferro, ebony, etc. - AND 2. light wood such as maple which can be finished or unfinished. Unfinished fretboards need some oil every now and then, doesn't matter if it's a dark of light wood. Just use transparent fretboard oil for maple to avoid colouring it.
And if it's a finished fretboard, you don't have to do anything other than clean the dirt off. :)
I hope that helps. Cheers //Kris
I use gun oil if they're really dry
I'm new to guitar and I am just about to change the strings, so i came here.
Now please don't laugh at me, can i oil the fretboard with olive oil or bicycle oil?
Remember to use fine snake oil while you are at it boys
Yeah but it only works on snake wood. 🤷♂️😅 //Kris
1. I don't know, this may all be good enough for basses and bass players but using steel wool is a) messy as hell and I wouldn't b) use anything abrasive on a nice fretboard unless some pig never cleaned it for decades. Also, using steel wool is the only the last step on frets before the actual polishing job begins. Honing the fret surface for optimum smooth interaction with GUITAR strings requires a lot more steps including usage of a polishing machine with successively finer polishing pastes. Using steel wool on frets that have gotten this kind of proper treatment once instantly reverts the fret surface to the pre-polishing state. In other words, recommending unnecessary scratching fingerboards together with the inlays and frets is not exactly great advice, in particular not for the maintenance department of Thomann.
2. FastFret is just a rolled-up cloth soaked in white mineral oil. Mineral oil is the main ingredient in most (if not all) commercial fretboard products, so if you have the time and patience to rub the FF stick on the fingerboard for hours and hours to get your dry fretboard rehydrated while you wait for Thomann delivering some proper oil, it doesn't harm and it's still better than leaving the fretboard dry out completely in winter.
Me cleaning my fred boatd with just water, soap and sunflower oil🤠