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Post subject: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 9:02 pm
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Just bought this guitar. The previous owner said, he polished the frets with steel wool when he was younger and managed to remove some of the finish off the fretboard. I guess he didn't tape off the fretboard.

So now I have this guitar and wanted to know if there was a quick fix for scratched maple fretboards.

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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:00 am
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axeman417 wrote:
Just bought this guitar. The previous owner said, he polished the frets with steel wool when he was younger and managed to remove some of the finish off the fretboard. I guess he didn't tape off the fretboard.

So now I have this guitar and wanted to know if there was a quick fix for scratched maple fretboards.

Image


In a direct answer to your question, no. Consider too, that grime has permeated into the pores of the wood where it goes below what you see on the surface. Consequently, the only way to get rid of it is to remove and replace the 'infested' wood which obviously, is not a practical option. And no, bleach, etc. may lighten it but it will only come right back in the future.

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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:44 pm
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Nope.....not a real chance of "fixing" that. Just play the guitar and enjoy it. You could have the fretboard resprayed with a clear coat, but just to prevent the condition from worsening. This in no way will harm your guitar's playability. Play on.....and set a goal for yourself.....such as : How long will it take you to burn through the rest of the finish with just those fleet fingers?!?!?!?!


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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 6:54 pm
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Martian wrote:
In a direct answer to your question, no. Consider too, that grime has permeated into the pores of the wood where it goes below what you see on the surface. Consequently, the only way to get rid of it is to remove and replace the 'infested' wood which obviously, is not a practical option. And no, bleach, etc. may lighten it but it will only come right back in the future.


Yeah, I think you're right. Which would explain why they don't really look like scratches, more like stains. I bet initially he didn't even realized he was removing the finish off the fretboard. Not until the stains gradually started getting darker from the fretboard being unprotected for years.


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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:23 pm
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Hi axeman417: just to be clear, the lacquer is removed right the way through to the wood, is it? I can't see from your photo. If it is, then the others have covered it. But if the timber itself hasn't been exposed, well...

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:00 pm
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Short answer, yes you can fix it. No, it's a long drawn out procedure that is not for the faint of heart. One option worse than the other. Unless you are pretty handy and the stains are really bothering you I would leave it as is. And if you just have to clean your frets for god sakes don't use steel wool. I found that brasso works great and any scouring is light and polishes right out.

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Post subject: Re: Repairing scratched maple fretboard
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:43 pm
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kingofesquire wrote:
Yes, that can be fixed. You have probably 2 choices: 1) depending how deep the scratch is and how much it bothers you, you can have a luthier remove the fret and sand the scratch, make a spot finish and buff the neck. OR 2) remove all the frets, sand and refinish the entire neck, and put new frets on. It all depends how much you like the guitar and how much you want to invest in repairs vs. trading it in and buying a new one. If it was me, and I liked the guitar, I would have all the frets removed, neck resurfaced and re-finished and place stainless steel jumbo fret wire on it. If you do this, your next fret dressing would probably be in 20 years, and the stainless steel frets will out live you.

+1
you could also try the first part and leave the fret on, you just have to mask the fret to avoid sanding it. after that a shot of a good clear coat and your set.

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Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
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