• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
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6
Hi there,

I'm going to buy Wonder Wipes Fretboard Conditioner, but I'm afraid that they can't be used to clean my fingerboard...

My guitar doesn't have a fretboard, it simply has a fingerboard, with frets on it... I think it's a varnished maple fingerboard, and I don't want to break it in any way, using something that shouldn't be used at all with such a fingerboard...

What's your opinion?

Thanks in advance
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
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well, I was told that those wipes are not good for fingerboards since they're saturated with lemon oil which doesn't work well with varnished maple fingerboard...
 

TNT

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Perfect-S,

If ANY wood has varnish or any type "sealant" on it, you cannot get to the wood through the sealant with any liquid product, or any other product for that matter (unless you remove the sealant to get to the bare wood.)

Only bare wood can absorb lemon oil, gun stock oil, etc. . If you put any type of liquid on a sealant it will stay on the sealant, it won't go anywhere, e.g., you can clean the sealant, but not the wood.

That's the problem and sometimes much confusion that surrounds questions on neck/fretboard cleaning, conditioning, etc. . ., what exactly are you cleaning, wood or a sealant material over the wood?? :)
 

spychocyco

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The fretboard conditioner does say on the bottle that it's not for use on lacquered necks.

On a rosewood fretboard, I usually let it soak in. On my Axis, I wipe on and wipe off.
 

winered82

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Perfect-S,

If ANY wood has varnish or any type "sealant" on it, you cannot get to the wood through the sealant with any liquid product, or any other product for that matter (unless you remove the sealant to get to the bare wood.)

Only bare wood can absorb lemon oil, gun stock oil, etc. . If you put any type of liquid on a sealant it will stay on the sealant, it won't go anywhere, e.g., you can clean the sealant, but not the wood.

That's the problem and sometimes much confusion that surrounds questions on neck/fretboard cleaning, conditioning, etc. . ., what exactly are you cleaning, wood or a sealant material over the wood?? :)

TNT, what you say is not right and even dangerous. You can get through nitro lacquer with many liquids straight to the wood, which in this case is probably what the varnish is on Perfect Strange's guitar (wha guitar is it?) Hell, with nitro you can get through it and mark the WOOD with still the lacquer on top, with just a simple guitar stand with the wrong rubber (ex. surgical tubing). Agreed, this is for nitro only, but since we don't now what guitar the original poster is talking about, better be safe than sorry!;)
 
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my guitar is Squier Strat made in Mexico, about 13years old

I kind of treat it with kid gloves, and I don't want to break or destroy anything...
 

TNT

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He said it was probably varnish, which seals the wood. I'm not saying nothing can get through a sealant, but as I mentioned treating/cleaning the wood with lemon oil or gunstock oil.

Any normal solid sealant used on guitar necks and fretboards, e.g., varnish, lacquer, etc. . . is for the very purpose of "sealing" the wood, so that the wood is protected.

If the protectant is of a certain type that it would allow a "passing through" of moisture, liquid etc. . . , then it wouldn't be a sealant.
 
Joined
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some guitar don't have a fingerboard... as simple as that

thanks for your help

do you think I can use Dunlop 01 Fingerboard Cleaner? it says onm the bottle - not for use on maple fingerboard - but, since I have a varnished neck, it shouldn't be a problem, should it?
 

INMT

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I think what he's trying to say is that his guitar has a single piece neck. Where the frets are installed directly to the neck without having the more common pre fretted/slotted fretboard glued to the neck cap. In anycase both terms can apply.

Use Murphys oil soap if it's really dirty for that inital cleaning then maintain with WW's.
 
Joined
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I think what he's trying to say is that his guitar has a single piece neck. Where the frets are installed directly to the neck without having the more common pre fretted/slotted fretboard glued to the neck cap. In anycase both terms can apply.

Use Murphys oil soap if it's really dirty for that inital cleaning then maintain with WW's.

yeah :D that's it!

can I use Dunlop 01 Fingerboard Cleaner then?
 

Beth

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Lemon oil can be very corrosive to frets, so I would advise against using any product with lemon oil in it on your fretboard. (Dunlop?) You can use the Wonder Wipe Fretboard Conditioner and wipe off the excess. Wonder Wipe fretboard conditioners contain orange, jojoba and linseed oils as wood conditioners -- orange oil was used in lieu of lemon oil because of its great cleaning properties and because it is not corrosive to metals.
 
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Lemon oil can be very corrosive to frets, so I would advise against using any product with lemon oil in it on your fretboard. (Dunlop?) You can use the Wonder Wipe Fretboard Conditioner and wipe off the excess. Wonder Wipe fretboard conditioners contain orange, jojoba and linseed oils as wood conditioners -- orange oil was used in lieu of lemon oil because of its great cleaning properties and because it is not corrosive to metals.

I think that Dunlop 01 Fingerboard Cleaner is not based on lemon oil... Dunlop 65 Fingerboard Conditioner is. The only thing that I'm worried about is that on the bottle there's this info "don't use for maple fingerboards" :|
 

INMT

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I agree, lemon oil has to be the dumbest thing to put on your instrument. I have tried for over a decade to make people stop using it.
No don't use the dunlop stuff...it as well as similar products basically suck. (my opinion from years of experience on several diff instruments).The polish they make is a joke, it will get your instrument shiny....and leave a nice build up of crud that gets dirty faster each time you use it.
I suggested a great proven product to get any heavy gunk off. The WW's will clean it if it's bad it will just take a few wipes to get it done.
I've only been using WW's customers instruments (as well as my own) and nothing but happiness has been achieved.

One more time "Avoid Lemon Oil" for use on instruments.
 

INMT

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Murphys soap oil, if it's dirty. Just follow the instructions on the bottle.

Then you can use the WW's to maintain it.
They work great, better than I had expected actually. The WW's have cut time off each instruments beanch time just buy how easy and good they work. I know it sounds like a commerical for EB, but really the damn things just work. Plain and simple.
 

edrod

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Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Do you know if local stores carry Murphy's soap oil?

I got some questions

Which would be a good one to purchase. The towels, spray, liquid etc?

How often should this be use? Murphy's SO

Thanks in advace
 
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