fretboard

[keymandoplyr]

How often do you clean your fretboard under the strings?and do you just wipe with a dry cloth or what do you use ? pick it clean http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[mandopete]

When I change strings (every two months). #I'm curious as to what others might use to clean the fingerboard. #I have been using the same guitar polish (Gibson) that I use to clean the mando.

[Aran]

I fast fret every couple of days and wipe over and under the strings with a dry white cotton rag. I do this mainly to keep the strings a bit brighter and increase their longevity.

Anyway this seems to keep the fretboard pretty grime free!

[MandoJon]

I never clean mine and I don't seem to suffer from any buildups after years of playing but then I always make sure my hands are clean before I play.

[FlawLaw]

I bleed on it when I change the strings http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I also wipe the strings every other day. That is about it.

[otterly2k]

After I play, when I'm putting my instrument away, I do a quick wipe down of the strings with a microfiber cloth I keep in my case. When I change strings (for me, every few months) I clean underneath with the same dry cloth... unless there's shmutz (yiddish for gunk) under there. Then I might use a damp cloth.

[Celtic Saguaro]

The fretboard itself? Never. After years of use, the edges of my frets where they meet the fretboard do get a small buildup that I can clean out with a straight pin just about any time.

[Paul Hostetter]

I generally let my own fingerboards get rather grody, but when I clean them for customers I use a standard eco-friendly household cleaner such as Simple Green first, letting it soak a few minutes to loosen the grunge. In extreme cases I use Oxyclean, which is also gentle and waterbased. In any case, I wipe that off and dry with a paper towel. I then use 0000 steel wool to get the last of it and to burnish the board and frets. No oil or special treatments, ever.

[red7flag]

When I change strings I check for gunk or dry wood. If either problem, I use Gibson Fretboard cleaner. Paul would know best, but after many years, I have not noticed any residue from the cleaner and the fretboards look heathy on all my babies.
Tony

[Bertram Henze]

... unless there's shmutz (yiddish for gunk) under there.
...interesting. The german word for gunk is "Schmutz".

Anyway, there is never any of that on my fretboard, since cleaning the strings (upside/downside) after each playing with Ballistol (a german gun cleaning oil, also good for your stomach, no kidding) and toilet paper keeps it clean enough. As a side effect, keeping a roll of toilet paper in the case generates lots of conversation at sessions.

Bertram

[Paul Hostetter]

Ballistol is interesting stuff, but it's still based in mineral oil. It's not good for your stomach, it just won't hurt it. When your fingerboard falls off, you will never be able to use a water-based glue to put it back on. I guess that's not the end of the world, but if you insist on using it, make sure you wipe it real dry.

Yiddish (Jüdisch) is a "Low German" dialect.

[bluegrassjack2]

Aran- I have fast fret and use it some, but I dont see there is anything in that cloth like material that you rub on the strings. Wonder how it works?

[Aran]

Jack - the cloth in the fast fret pot is rubbish!! It's far too small to be effective!! So I use an old shirt that's cut up!! In white you can see the dirt coming off, which is really satisfying!

[jugband]

How often do you clean your fretboard under the strings?and do you just wipe with a dry cloth or what do you use ? #pick it clean #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Clean it with a small brass wire brush and WD-40, while most of the strings are off. Be sure to get the edges clean where the frets go into the fretboard.

Avoid removing all the strings at once, and take care ot to let it move while most remaining strings are on.

If the bridge moves, it should be re-positioned with a strobe tuner.

You can get it close with ANY tuner that's accurate, but a strobe tuner (which most people don't own but all good luthiers DO)is what you need to get it totally accurate.

[Ken Sager]

Glue the bridge down, take off all the strings and tuners, then use 5-wt motor oil (synthetic) and a wire brush. The gunk comes right off and the bridge will always be in the right place. Wipe it clean then use a propane blowtorch to take care of any lingering oils.

Sometimes I take the nut off to get the fingercheese off the first couple frets.

Oil, stiff brush, blowtorch. Works like a charm.

Love to all,
Ken

[JEStanek]

Ken,
I use that method but incorporate the microwave... The sparking helps blast the gunk out. #

Actually, after every use I wipe the whole instrument down. With every string change I wipe down the fretboard with a dry cloth. Once a year I put 3-6 drops of Gibson Fretboard conditioner in a dry cloth, rub it in and then wipe the excess off after a minute. #I don't glue down the bridge but I mark the spot with sections of post it note that I have stuck and unstuck to my pants about 5 times to lessen the tack to prevent maring my finish. I may still have to adjust bridge placement but this method keeps me very close to where I need to be.

I did this last night (I also used a little tri-flo on the tuners and cranked until I got cranky to get the dust and stuff outta there). #My annual mando physical.

Jamie

[sunburst]

...strobe tuner (which most people don't own but all good luthiers DO)...
I have a strobe tuner and I use it, but I could easilly get along without it.
If I got rid of it, would that make me less of a luthier? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

As far as the fingerboard goes, I use Fastfret on my own stuff, because it helps me play better in humid weather, but for cleaning, it's best to stick with plain-ol' water, or water based/soluble products that will evaporate completely, and not leave residue in the wood of the fingerboard.

[Paul Hostetter]

I too have a lovely Conn which gets trotted out only for ceremonial occasions, largely for the deaf and the princess-and-the-pea types. "Totally accurate" is what the ear hears, not necessarily what a machine tells you. If you can't set your own bridge to where the instrument plays in tune to your own satisfaction by ear, you're in some trouble.

WD-40 is a miserable cleaner, and it's quite toxic. I would never put it on the fingerboard of a mandolin or a guitar. The WD stands for water displacement and the resideue it leaves behind is really bad news. It's really intended for coating sparkplug wires and so on, not for musical instruments.

[kww]

Wow, Ken, I didn't realise it was such a problem keeping the fretboard clean. I looked around, and I decided to have one of these shipped to the island to help me with the task.
http://www.keystonepowdercoating.com/images/sandblaster1.jpg

[Paul Hostetter]

I think Ken is really onto something!

[Kevin Briggs]

Low German also led to English. While the people who spoke high German protected their language, the people who spoke low German developed a lot more dialects, and it eventually spread as people went to areas outside of Germany, areas including what is now England.

[otterly2k]

oy! such a gantze tsuris for a little shmutz!!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif