Cleaning fretboard with Windex..Good/bad?

KissMyAxe · #1 03-10-2006, 02:29 PM

Hi there,

I cleaned my fretboard with windex after my Guitar Store tech guy said it works well...however, it seems as though my fretboard feels a bit 'dried out' after doing this...should I clean it again with some 'Dunlop 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil', or what can I do to bring the fretboard back to life? It's been about a month since I cleaned it. Thanks.

jaken777 · #2 03-10-2006, 03:06 PM

O'ceda polish will bring it back to a nice new luster bro, put some on a rag then rub it in to the fret board let it sit for 5min then get a clean rag & rub it off , this polish keeps the neck in good shape for a long time, you can use it on mapel rosewood or ebony fret boards, don't know if you can get this polish where you are bro?

(Windex is bad to use on guitars it has Amonia in it & will rot the wood over time!)

Cheers-Jake.

lyconxero · #3 03-10-2006, 06:26 PM

I just clean the fretboards of my guitars with good ole soap and water. Ammonia is definitely not a good thing to put on wood and even when I use soap I don't use much of it and I always wipe it down with water afterwards. Then I go and apply a nice goating of lemon oil and let it sit on the fretboard for a little while after I've wiped it it, then I wipe the residual off and let the fretboard rest for some hours. After that, I've found that my fretboards are in great shape and stay that way for months.

KissMyAxe · #4 03-10-2006, 11:26 PM

Thanks guys! I think I'll try out that O'Ceda oil...we must be able to get it here..it's Canada!

Rodney James · #5 04-20-2006, 12:43 AM

umm, windex, soup and water? No. Polish? hmm, never seen a polish good for the unfinished wood on the board of a guitar, real unsure about that.

Bore oil. Cleans and conditions rosewood or ebony. Check out the tech page of Ibanez rules on fretboard cleaning.

King Nothing · #6 04-20-2006, 02:43 AM

Bore oil is good stuff. You'll only find it at a woodwind store like Brook Mays or Woodwind & Brasswind
I heard some people use Murphy Oil Soap. Is anything wrong with that?

Bezial · #7 04-20-2006, 08:15 AM

i always treat my boards with bore oil , first application to clean and then a second to soak in and moisten, works great

rty13ibz98 · #8 04-20-2006, 12:11 PM

i use dr ducks axe wax. like concentrated lemoil. you use less, so the small bottle lasts forever. i have over 30 guitars and have only used 1 full bottle over the past 3 years. i always recondition/clean on every string change.

rich

ChopTart · #9 04-20-2006, 12:26 PM

I think a good rule of thumb is stay away from really synthetic stuff. Windex is all cleaning chemicals. Lemon Oil is...well Lemon. Keep it natural!

toneboy · #10 04-20-2006, 01:34 PM

Bore oil is the preferred substance to clean and maintain rosewood and ebony fingerboards. Here's why:

- It will keep the fingerboard from drying out and cracking.
- It will prevent the fingerboard from absorbing moisture which can cause it to swell.
- It will give a deep, rich color to the fingerboard. This effect can be very dramatic on rosewood fingerboards.

Bore oil is used to maintain woodwind instruments like clarinets, which are made of primarily ebony. Lemon oil will work "ok" but it evaporates at a faster rate than bore oil which means more frequent applications to achieve the same level of maintenance.

So, in summary, if you really care about your guitar, never ever use anything but bore oil. Period.

Rodney James · #11 04-20-2006, 06:37 PM

Yep, there is nothing that works even close to bore oil on rosewood and ebony boards. It is awesome!

A scientist luthier guy back home many years ago instructed me to go out and get it because my 88 FP's board was dryed out, I had used lemon oil, come to find out, it actually drys the wood out once evaporated. He also said ebony is known to crack much more than rosewood due to it being so hard, and needs bore oil to keep it conditioned.

1st time I tryed it, I about fell over, night and day difference, makes the rosewood come to life and ebony look jet black.

JJEMMER777 · #12 04-20-2006, 06:41 PM

Listen to Rodney. He is a man of great wisdom!!

Tung Oil works great as well.

Zoinks!!!

Hi Rodney

K.M.A...why on EARTH would you use windex to clean a fretboard

toneboy · #13 04-20-2006, 07:46 PM

Good point Rodney. I had a 1991 Ovation Collector's Edition on which the ebony fingerboard cracked (dry New England winters!). I was able to get it fixed under warranty but I was much more careful about keep the fingerboard well oiled after that.

ScottB · #14 04-20-2006, 08:35 PM

I've used Murphy's oil soap, but only to clean the gunk from a few really cruddy boards on guitars I purchased on the 'bay. After it's clean, I'll finish with bore oil.

GTR-MAN · #15 04-21-2006, 08:24 AM

Bore oil is the way to go ! Lemon is bad. It dries out too fast but here's the kicker..... lemon oil promotes corrosion. It's the acid in the lemon that promotes corrosion. Not good for the frets or anything metal on the guitar.

Also read that on the Martin (guitars) site too. So stay away from lemon oil and go buy some Bore Oil and you'll be set !