Question for Rich, green "gunk" on fret edges.

[MicJustMic]

I have in my possesion a guitar where the wood seems to have actually expanded, the fret edges are now a good .1 mm inside the fretboard.

Normally I would simply us a very small fine files, or 0000 steel wool to just scrap the crap off, but this only works well when the fret edges are even, or protruding from the edge of the board (I hate that, but it happens).

Any tricks to cleaning this sh!t out of there without marring the edges of the board? I don't want to use and household solvents for tarnish because I don't know what that will do to the wood.

Most of the guitars I've worked on that have the frets inside the edges of the fretboard have been very played and using steel wool and a tooth brush didn't matter, that little bit of scuffing was nothing, and the steel wool would smooth it out more than enough, but this guitar is mint (and old) but it's been neglected, kept in a moldy basement for years and it's in need of a serious cleaning. Luckily there's no damage due to the climate changes, and it was in a case so nothing chewed on it or anything, but the case is junk and didn't keep moisture out so the frets and most of the hardware is really crapped up.

The other hardware can easily be removed, of course, and cleaned with lime-away, tarnish-bo-gone and polished up (I already cleaned a saddle screw to test and it came out great) but the frets, I already tried simple polish and a soft cloth, but that's just not enough to get down into the wood.

I thought about using a soft toothbrush, but I'm leery about that as well, and the steel wool is out, I couldn't get it into the slots even if I wasn't worried about the finish.

I feel like a nit-wit, I should know how to do this already.

Thanks,
Mic

PS
I'm sure you're wondering, it's a 1964 sunburst Fender Stratocaster. I don't even want to think about what this thing is worth, the finish is flawless, I just have to clean the hardware and check the electronics. I'm almost afraid to take the pickguard off, I'm sure there's plenty of "gunk" on the pots and exposed wire . . . a cousin of my stepfather found it in his basement recently, he guesses it's been down there since his father died, that's was in 66 or 67, I don't remember.

I tried to con him out of it, but he's not that dumb.

[hanban]

got the same green stuff on my start fret edges

is it a maple neck by any chance?

[Rich]

Considering I have no Fen*er experience it's probably better to ask somebody that has LOTS of experience working on 60's era Stra*s than to trust anything I'd say. But, if it was rosewood, I'd probably use Never Dull on it [but more than likely I'd be calling somebody before I touched a $14000 guitar I wasn't familiar with]

[MicJustMic]

It's maple, and good point.

I'll check with a Fender site and see what they say.

If I can't find a non-distructive way of cleaning it I'll just do my best with a grit rag and leave it there.

The hardware is coming along nicely, some rust, but all of the exposed chrome is still in tact.

I'd forgotten what pains in the arse these old trems are . . . sadly the bar will have to be replaced, it rusted to hell and the plastic tip is cracked.

Thanks,
Mic

[Gresh]

Rusted or not, be sure to hang on to it. As Rich pointed out, that guitar is worth a lot of damn money....keep it original to preserve its value. That means screws and everything.

[MicJustMic]

Unfortunatly it's not mine.

Jim knows exactly how much it's worth, that's why he wants me to clean it up for him as best I can.

He knows I love these things (guitars in general) and will do my best not to damage it and clean it up correctly.

I'm not doing it for free though, I have to cover my own ass just in case I do damage it in some way and insisted that he find out about insurance before I do any more than the three saddles and saddle screws that I have done. :-)

Mic

[frankfalbo]

Naptha's not going to hurt anything on there, the finish, the wood, etc. I would try it first, but it may not disolve the stuff.

I hesitate to tell you to try a little Brasso. It's not really dangerous. It's more smelly than anything, and it has a light bleaching effect, which is good for the discoloration from the oxidation that has bled into the maple surrounding the fret slot. (if that's the case) It won't bleach the finish or the maple's natural color, just the stain. It is a product that is wet, but dries to more of a dry buffing compound. So you can put some on a little cotton swab and wait awhile until the flashing solvents evaporate. Then you'll have a spot on your cloth that is impregnated with a little buff/anti rust compound. You can then rub it in there.

Then there is the "manual" method. You can get one of those tiny screwdrivers for eyeglasses and file the tip to the thickness of the fret slot. Scrape most of the stuff off without scratching the fret, and go from there.

You can also find one of those pens (not pencils) that has an eraser on top. Those erasers are harder and grittier than on a pencil. Take a razor blade and slice off the sides so you have a thin "flathead screwdriver" looking thing. Then "erase" away the stuff while leaving the surrounding area untouched. That would work with one of those art erasers that is a thin trapezoid, pink and white. Use whatever side is the harder side.

Steel wool is out, you're right.

You can go to a place that sells manicuring products. They are a gold mine. They will have these ultra fine grit stone sticks that I think are called "cuticle erasers" or something like that. They come to a nice tip. They would get in there just fine. Or put a dowel rod into a pencil sharpener until you get a tip on it. Then dip the tip in the brasso, let it dry a little, then "draw" your way to brilliance.

The point is, there's always a way. I've used the stupidest stuff to clean and repair guitars. You have to think outside the box. Manicurists, Jewelers, watch repairman, they are all sources of wisdom. You'd be surprised at how many of the same problems we have. A guitar repairman is really a furniture maker, sculpter, metalworker, jeweler, manicurist, auto body painter, physicist, and chemist all wrapped up into one job that doesn't pay half of what any of those other guys make. ..................

[MicJustMic]

Well, after getting Jim to sign a waiver (you hate to do that to family, but you know the deal) we decided on a dentists tooth scraper for the job. I just happen to have one.

Working very well. I’m taking my time, of course, and the hardware is soaking in cleaning fluid over night to really loosen up the rust/crud/whatever is on there. We’ve even decided to soak the bar on the off chance we can save it.

He doesn’t want to play or sell it, he wants to be able to take it out when people are over and say, “Look at this beauty, it’s worth . . .” so he just wants it clean, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

This thing looks like it was never played. Even looking through the oxidation on the frets you can see there’s no wear.

I should run off with it and sell it . . . I could buy a nice car with what I could get for this thing. ;-) J/K

I used to work on a "fleet" of Fenders and Gibsons when I was working for Paul Plumeri, but they were all players and except for something obvious like a soldering iron burn on the finish, a little scuff here and there from working on the guitars wasn't an issue. I've done plenty of fret levels on vintage Fenders (yes, they are a pain in the ass with the "baseball bat" fretboard) but like I said, they were players so I was more concerned with how they PLAYED than how they looked.

This guitar isn't even going to be truly set up, just strung with enough tension so the neck doesn't backbow and most likely never taken out of the case, just shown off from time to time, so I have to act like it's made of glass . . .

I'm starting to wonder why I took on this project. :-)

Mic

[ScottB]

Why do any of us ever take on a difficult project?

It's the challenge. The satisfaction of turning a lump of clay into a work of art. The pride you feel when telling the story of the restoration process.