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Post subject: Cleaning a maple fretboard
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:33 pm
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Any suggestions? Which of the Fender cleaning products would be best?

Thanks much!!!!:
:shock:


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Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:03 pm
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Dan Erliwine's repair manuals suggest using a dampt cloth for nromal type cleaning. For built up crud he suggest using naptha (lighter fluid). No kidding!


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Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:14 pm
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I've always used guitar polish, that I use on the rest of the guitar. It has the same material for the finish, so why not? But I only use it when changing strings. For each use, I just wipe it dry (along with the strings) with an old T-shirt.

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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:50 am
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Syeklops wrote:
I've always used guitar polish, that I use on the rest of the guitar. It has the same material for the finish, so why not? But I only use it when changing strings. For each use, I just wipe it dry (along with the strings) with an old T-shirt.


Ditto to that. It's the same lacquer as on the rest of the neck and likely the body too. Same cleaning substance.

Incidentally, a point of controversy. There's a very highly regarded player, luthier and tech in my part of the world called Robbie Gladwell. He's been on stages with the likes of Dave Gilmour and built and repaired guitars for almost everyone, as well as working for many of the big name manufacturers. I mention all of that because of a highly inflamatory thing he said regarding guitar cleaning...

He used to do the Q&A page in guitar magazines and I once asked his opinion on the very topic of maple fingerboards. He said any household cleaner was OK so long as it didn't contain silicon. That started a row that rattled on for a few issues, including the question how you can tell whether an aerosol of polish has silicon in it - sometimes they tell you on the tin and sometimes they don't.

Robbie finally named Pledge Clean & Dust as a good one to go with, and claimed he used it on all manner of famous players' instruments.

Of course, most of us will howl with shock at the idea of using household products on our guitars...

Cheers - C


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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:05 am
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Ceri wrote:
Syeklops wrote:
I've always used guitar polish, that I use on the rest of the guitar. It has the same material for the finish, so why not? But I only use it when changing strings. For each use, I just wipe it dry (along with the strings) with an old T-shirt.


Ditto to that. It's the same lacquer as on the rest of the neck and likely the body too. Same cleaning substance.

Incidentally, a point of controversy. There's a very highly regarded player, luthier and tech in my part of the world called Robbie Gladwell. He's been on stages with the likes of Dave Gilmour and built and repaired guitars for almost everyone, as well as working for many of the big name manufacturers. I mention all of that because of a highly inflamatory thing he said regarding guitar cleaning...

He used to do the Q&A page in guitar magazines and I once asked his opinion on the very topic of maple fingerboards. He said any household cleaner was OK so long as it didn't contain silicon. That started a row that rattled on for a few issues, including the question how you can tell whether an aerosol of polish has silicon in it - sometimes they tell you on the tin and sometimes they don't.

Robbie finally named Pledge Clean & Dust as a good one to go with, and claimed he used it on all manner of famous players' instruments.

Of course, most of us will howl with shock at the idea of using household products on our guitars...

Cheers - C


Yeah, I'd don't think I'd want to use a household cleaner, although I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. I just figure that guitar polishes are made specifically for guitars, so why not just use those. It's not like they cost an arm and a leg to buy. It also gives me a good excuse to go to a music shop to look around.

I've always used Martin guitar polish, and I've been very happy with it.

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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:46 pm
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Agreed, Martin or Dunlop 65 are both good. I've got satin and gloss maple necks on my strat and basses. The easiest way is to make sure you wipe 'em down after use, including under the strings. For cloth, I use a $2 microfibre cloth I get from the Tesco supermarkets over here. Does a really good job of getting greaasy marks off, and not scratching anything. I've used and recommended these as a store tech, and had no complaints.

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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:50 pm
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Quite. Dunlop 65 for me too. Just throw I'd through that Pledge thing into the mix to see the hare run...

:) - C


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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:55 pm
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You can go to your local fabric store and buy a huge sheet of that yellow material used for the Fender polishing cloths ... I bought the end of a roll, too small for a serious seamstress to use, for just pennies, and I cut out a load of guitar polishing cloths.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 3:13 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
You can go to your local fabric store and buy a huge sheet of that yellow material used for the Fender polishing cloths ... I bought the end of a roll, too small for a serious seamstress to use, for just pennies, and I cut out a load of guitar polishing cloths.


Now here's a thing. Whenever one of those yellow cloths gets anywhere near my strings I always seem to end up with small bits of lint twisted round some of the strings in hard little balls that are strangely tiresome to get off again. And they work like classical string-player's mutes: most annoying. That's why it's torn up T-shirts for me instead.

Still, I have a small but valuable collection of pristine yellow Fender cloths from various years, never used. Offers, anyone?

Cheers - C


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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 3:18 pm
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I won't be making an offer on your polishing cloths.

But it is a good idea to keep them off of your strings. It is a bit of bother to have to keep separate cloths for strings and body, but you know why. Also, the polishing cloths get those nasty black lines on 'em when used on strings -- too dirty for body use then.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:48 pm
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Cloth diapers work pretty well as cleaning cloths, I cut them in half and use one half for body and neck and the other half for the strings. I normally wipe off the underside of each string by pinching the cloth around it with fingernails. It adds about 30 seconds of time after each playing session but seems to increase the string life. Of course, that could by my imagination.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 4:50 pm
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Biloxi23 wrote:
Cloth diapers work pretty well as cleaning cloths, I cut them in half and use one half for body and neck and the other half for the strings.


Ahhh! That's a fine helpful household hint!

Cloth diapers would be good to put between one's guitar stand and guitar too ... to protect the finish from damage from the nasty tubing on the guitar stand.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:00 pm
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I cut up my Depends and the do the job!!

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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:04 pm
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Chamois leather. I swear by the stuff for necks and bodies. Then again aside from using pledge and a mixture of lemonjuice and water to clean my guitars i've used silicon polishes on rosewood boards and suffered no adverse effects. Robbie Gladwells the man though. I picked up loads from his column, including the heating the broken screw thread i told Ceri a few weeks back.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:18 pm
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Thanks much for all of your help!! Fender polish sounds like the way to go.

How much do you want for those microfiber cloths?


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