Fretboard Maintenance w/o string removal???

[auteq]

OK, unlike a guitar, the mandolin bridge is not fixed to the instrument. SO every now and then a guitar can loose all its strings (though not recommended for every string change) so you can clean the fret board.

Is there a way to do this with a mandolin w/o re-setting the bridge? I have a " festival/outdoor mando" that has festival beer & bourbon on it, not to mention 2yr old toddlerness on it and it needs a cleaning........ BUT I do not want to reset the bridge.

Are there any tricks techniques that you all use to clean the fret board?

[Chris Keth]

OK, unlike a guitar, the mandolin bridge is not fixed to the instrument. SO every now and then a guitar can loose all its strings (though not recommended for every string change) so you can clean the fret board.

Is there a way to do this with a mandolin w/o re-setting the bridge? I have a " festival/outdoor mando" that has festival beer & bourbon on it, not to mention 2yr old toddlerness on it and it needs a cleaning........ BUT I do not want to reset the bridge.

Are there any tricks techniques that you all use to clean the fret board?

In your case, I think I'd just suck it up and reset the bridge to give it a good cleaning. If you really don't want to do that, you can use a washcloth slipped under the strings pretty well. If you fold it in half (or thirds, I forget) it's nice and tight and it works the cloth right up to the edge of each fret.

[sebastiaan56]

Restetting the bridge is not a big deal. Just use some low tack tape (eg masking tape that youve touched to reduce tackiness) to precisely mark the position of the bridge before loosening the stings. You should be able to get it in exactly the same position when you are done.

[auteq]

Both good suggestions, thanks.

[Youda]

If I don't want to bother with checking intonation, etc., I use a post-it note, one on each side of the bridge before taking it off. When the bridge is back in place, I use a good guitar cleaner on both sides of the bridge to make sure no residue would damage the finish.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I do exactly as 'sebastiaan56' when i feel the need to give either of my Mandolins a thorough spring clean.Re-setting the bridge is no big deal. Just remember to ensure that it's set perfectly upright,so check it as you bring the strings up to tension as it may pull forward,& always check the intonation with a good tuner.I've found that even having marked the bridge position & having replaced the bridge 'exactly' to the position i've marked,the intonation can be marginally off.
As for cleaning - i look to see if there's any 'crud' around the frets (i've never found any yet).I polish the frets with a 'silver polishing' cloth to bring them to a nice 'feel'.I then use either Teak oil or Sweet Almond oil to bring give the fingerboard a bit of a 'feed'. I use a clean piece of cotton cloth (an old hankie),wipe the oil on very sparingly,leave it for a minute or so & then wipe it all off thoroughly. I wipe over the frets to get any oil off & then the wonderful (if you're masochistic that is ), ''pleasure'' of re-stringing the darned thing. After that i lie down in a dark,quiet room for an hour or so to recover,
Saska :))

[mandozilla]

I have a " festival/outdoor mando" that has festival beer & bourbon on it, not to mention 2yr old toddlerness on it and it needs a cleaning........ BUT I do not want to reset the bridge.

OH! You mean a BEATER ! :))

Though I don't make a habit of it I'll occassionally take the bridge off, position marked of course, for a thorough cleaning. I'd say once every 4 months or so. :grin:

You can try to clean the fretboard while strung, and it's OK but I really like pulling the bridge and giving Old Froggy a good cleaning and polish...looks so purty afterwards. :))

BTW, there's a thread for you to post a picture of your BEATER...I'd like to see it without the booze stains on it. Or maybe a before and after...I dunno. Mine gets stained with beer and tequila...but no todlerness HaHa That's cute! :))

:mandosmiley:

[desaljs]

This might help out. I use 3 small squares of 3M double sided tape to mark the bridge position. I form an L on one side, and just mark the back edge on the other. This tape is thick, so when it comes time to re-string, the tape forms a sort of rest that is very helpful to get things back together. I put a G and E string on first, make sure eveything is good, and proceed to re-string the rest.

While I have the exposure, I do a complete clean up. It really is the only way to go if you want access to everything.