Cleaning Guitar Fretboard

Today's lesson is all about guitar maintenance and cleaning guitar fretboard. Being a guitarist isn't just about playing the guitar is also about maintenance. So let's get started and find out how to clean a guitar fretboard. If you are not quite sure what part of the guitar is the fretboard the have a look at this page.

The Basic Parts Of The Guitar Lesson

It is very important to keep your fretboard clean as it will collect grease off your fingers.

So firstly you will need to remove the strings from your guitar just wind off your strings slowly (i.e. don't cut them off). The best way to do this is to take the strings off in an alternate fashion. Here is a quick guide.

1. Take off the lightest string, and then
2. Take off the heaviest string.
3. Then take off the second lightest string, and
4. Then the second heaviest string.
5. Lastly, take off the two middle strings.

That should release the tension on the neck in an even way.

Now you have taken the string off it's time to get cleaning.

Cleaning Guitar Fretboard - To clean your guitar you will need #0000 grade Steel wool. When you ask for it at your local hardware store make sure you ask for #0000, this is really fine steel wool. Please don't just ask for steel wool because you might get the wrong grade and it will ruin your guitar.

Cut off a 1-2 inch piece of the steel wool and gently scrub the fretboard make sure you only rub the steel wool in one direction (with the grain of the wood). If you make circular patterns then you will leave marks.

Tips - Some of the frets may have a heavy build up of grease so you can either use your nail to remove this or a really good way to get into the fret area use the corner of half an old credit card.

Once you have removed all the grease get a soft cloth and buff it up by rubbing the fretboard.

You can also use Lemon oil. Put a few drops of lemon oil on the fretboard. Depending on the amount of buildup of dirt you might have to leave the lemon oil for 30 minutes or so.

Please note: do not use lemon oil on maple fingerboards but it will be fine with rosewood.

Use lemon oil for helping to remove grease and wax, and then finish off with some fretboard conditioner that will help with the wood drying out. I recommend fretboard oil bought from a musical instrument shop.

DO NOT USE methylated spirits!!! Do not use solvents of any kind on wood. Period. It dissolves the natural oils out of the guitar wood and dries it out.

DO NOT use sunflower oil, or cooking oil. This is the wrong type of oil to use on your fretboard.

DO NOT USE this method on painted fretboards.
 

Here is a Cleaning Guitar Fretboard video so you can see in great detail how it's done.

Cleaning Guitar Fretboard

Remember "Be careful to rub in the direction of the wood grain".

You're all finished and the effects are a lovely clean guitar plus this might be a good time to think about changing your guitar strings

More Acoustic Guitar learn to play lessons

Well that's it for today have fun Cleaning Guitar Fretboard

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