this is my acoustic guitar fretboard...very oily and dirty..
can anyone tell me how can i clean it?



This post has been edited by DiabolicaL: Sep 13 2010, 09:20 PM

either this, around RM20.


or one step up with both of these in combo, RM45-50.

First thing, you need to remove the strings first

ghs fast fret cannot?

Fast fret is for strings bro.

r u sure?i own 1 n 4 me,it serves me very well....

diz is from their website:

AFAIK, got diiferent type of cleaner for rosewood and maple fretboard

lubricant != cleaner.


maple fretboard use water only.
if its unfinished maple, sandpaper.
no chemicals on maple.

Probably the best answer

also get a proper cleaner for the job..string & fret lubricant isnt a cleaner. The issue is removing the dirt not lubricating it??!!

stick with the dunlop combo cleaner & conditioner its good.

I found microfiber cloth is also good to use to remove stubborn tarnish on the frets too

you can lightly scrape away the gunk with a razor blade or a piece of card. Just be careful not to cut into the rosewood.

I saw guitar tech use a hard sponge/foam like this...i think much easier to scrape all the dirt without harming the fretboard

but i think its not dust...its oil on my guitar fretboard...i tried using water to clean and it become worse...why?

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

But my strat guitar is maple neck, Polyurethane Finish as said on the specifications, also mentioning about satin finished maple neck.

It is white face fretboard, so how to clean this?

I have another guitar here, Cort.

I really like the neck feel somewhat like "laminated" like it was laminated in plastic.
It helps my action fast.

How can I make my strat guitar feels like the Cort neck, fast, solid, smooth and shiny?

Thanks...

strat guitar? soap and scrub pads, seems to works best.

all others use lemon oil. i use the lemon oil from dunlop for my wenge fretboard

Lemon oil? I've no idea what is that.

BTW, I went to one guitar shop and the sales assistant recommends me ghs FAST-FRET.

Was it a good idea to maintain the "whiteness" of my fret?

I'm using this for my acoustic guitar. You can find this in any Guitar Store outlets, not only cleans but also as conditioner for the fretboard / bridge. This brand also comes with String Cleaner and (soap based) Polish, and none of them are wax based so you don't really feel kind of coating on the guitar.

Despite the name lemon oil it is not actually oil from a lemon..
It is actually a petroleum based oil that was formulated to clean the fretboard..
Not sure what you mean by "whiteness" but fast fret is for the strings only..
Another way is to use steel wool to scrape the dirt off the fretboard then apply the lemon oil..
Let it sit for like 5-10 minutes for it to absorb into the wood then wipe the excess off..
Then you will have a "brand new" looking fretboard..

Most of fretboard face is black which is easier to take care like my Cort.

But my stratocaster fretboard face is white, original wood colour.
I want to retain this colour I mean.

I afraid the oil or the fast fret give it a brownish colour later.

That is not original wood colour..that is a maple fretboard which is the same material as your neck
What I mentioned earlier is rosewood which has a dark reddish kind of colour..and rosewood is more common I guess
The grain of maple is tighter than rosewood so it is not that easy for things like that to seep through the wood..
And if you have not done anything to the fretboard yet then that maple should have a lacquer finish unless you bought without it or you remove it
If stains and any kind of inks get to the fretboard then it is going to stain badly..
If afraid to use fast fret then use lemon oil if fretboard not lacquered..
Wear and tear will eventually make it like this..then you get a relic stratocaster