Recommended way to polish frets?

[mpr]

What's the recommended way to polish frets that look like below (not an ideal photo, but more informative in full size)?


I wonder if steel wool is more aggressive than needed. Would less abrasive cleaning cloths or chemicals be better?

[LonePhantom]

0000 steel wool. Mask off the fingerboard and pickups and work each fret with the steel wool.

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by LonePhantom

0000 steel wool. Mask off the fingerboard and pickups and work each fret with the steel wool.

second this. Has always worked well for me. In really really bad cases where you see oxidation you can use a touch of metal polish but in most cases you wont need it unless the guitar has sat for an extended time.

[mpr]

Aren't those cleaning cloths milder?

[dickicker]

quad zero steel wool. It's quick and easy

[Rich]

Never Dull, just condition the board after.

[mpr]

Dull?

[silverctr]

Originally Posted by mpr

Dull?

[khaas]

Get these:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting...rd_Guards.html

A must have!!!

[helltone]

I use gorgomyte for polishing/cleaning frets. It also conditions the fretboard.

[mpr]

Thanks. Figuring out "Never Dull" would've taken me a while with the capital N being at the beginning of the sentence.

Anyway, why did you all choose what you use? By default, or after trying other alternatives?

Steel wool seems like a classic staple, but I wonder if for a real reason or just randomly because that's what someone used in the past and the practice diffused. (Why not bronze wool?)

So these other options, like Nevr Dull, is it because it's less messy, or less abrasive?

[khaas]

We use 0000 steel wool in the Reverend shop - it doesn't damage the frets or leave any residue. It does make somewhat of a mess, howver. Vacuum the guitar / workbench when finished.

[webmaestro]

Originally Posted by khaas

Get these:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting...rd_Guards.html

A must have!!!

I bought a set of these about 8 years ago, and they didn't fit over my jumbo fretwire. Still don't. Have they widened the slots since then? I literally can't use them at all on my Ibbys, and I wish I could. Masking-off an entire fretboard is TEH SUCK.

And another +1 for 0000 steel wool. I use it all the time too, even on frets that aren't as bad off as yours. Been wanting to give Never Dull a try as well. When I was in the military, we used that stuff for EVERYTHING metal.

[khaas]

They may have - we use some big frets here at Rev and they're fine. I also use them on my Ibby stuff, newer Jems & Prestige as well as older....

[Rich]

I've only been able to use them on 6105's, they won't fit over Ibanez jumbo's. Although mine did come from the hobby shop and not StewMac, I don't believe they're any different.