Help! Fretboard cleaner

[Antho]

Hi guys!

What would you recommend to clean the ebony fretboard of a Majesty ?
Lemon oil?

And for cleaning strings, do you have a preferred product?

Thanks for your advices.
Anthony

 

[QuietSpike]

Wonder Wipes. Don't use lemon oil (people will debate this).

 

[mikeller]

I used Wonder Wipes as well.

 

[Baggedcereals]

I use wonder wipes as well. For all my guitars with a rosewood fretboard. They should work great on ebony as well.

 

[DrKev]

Just buy the combo pack.

Wonder Wipes Combo Pack - Guitar Instrument Care | Ernie Ball

 

[Antho]

Indeed... didn't thought about Wonder Wipes... Thanks.

In the combo pack, there's an instrument polish. Would this fit for the matte finish of the Majesty, or the finish need a specific product ?

Thanks

 

[BrickGlass]

Wonder Wipes are great, they really are. Lemon oil is freaking fine too. I've cleaned literally hundreds of fretboards with lemon oil for years and years, and it is fine. I prefer linseed oil, at least on most fretboards like ebony or rosewood. Stewart Macdonald makes a great fretboard cleaner/protector that is linseed oil based. Just make sure you do a damn good job wiping off all the oil and you are in business.

 

[QuietSpike]

Lemon oil is freaking fine too. I've cleaned literally hundreds of fretboards with lemon oil for years and years, and it is fine.

Like I said, people will debate this...

Caveat emptor.

 

[Antho]

In order to be safe, I'll go with the Wonder Wipes!
I used already lemon oil on rosewood fingerboards. I like the finish and the feel you have when you are sur there's no more oil on the wood, but on each of my rosewood fretboards, the lemon oil has darkened the color of it. Well, not a big deal but I didn't expect this at first!

Thanks
Anthony

 

[DrKev]

I've only recently started using the wonderwipes and I love 'em!

The fretboard conditioners wipes are quite wet/oily, you will need some paper towels to wipe off the excess. But if you carefully fold them and put them back in the packet and seal them in a zip lock bag, you can reuse them, many times!

 

[Sweat]

Yep Wonder Wipes all the way and the fretboard conditioner is great, I too started doing what Dr Kev stated, reusing them after proper storage.

 

[Steve Nukather]

i use coconut oil on rosewood fretboards

 

[UziPop]

Hi Guys,

Pleas help . I have Sting Ray V with maple fingerboard without lacquer painting. I'd like to clean fingerboard and don't wanna to destroy it. Can you tell me what can i use to clean and how to clean? Don't wanna use lemon oil because i,ve heard that darkned color of maple fingerboard.

 

[behrens]

Wonder Wipes. There's a video on YouTube that EB did on cleaning your fretboard and neck. Do what the video says.

 

[varjao]

I've used wonder wipes and it's ok, also dunlop products are fine, fretboard cleaner + lemon oil.

I'm curious to test this product, people say good things about it:

Amazon.com: Music Nomad MN103 Guitar ONE All-in-1 Cleaner, Polish, and Wax, 4 oz.: Musical Instruments

 

[Santuzzo]

Hi Guys,

Pleas help . I have Sting Ray V with maple fingerboard without lacquer painting. I'd like to clean fingerboard and don't wanna to destroy it. Can you tell me what can i use to clean and how to clean? Don't wanna use lemon oil because i,ve heard that darkned color of maple fingerboard.

AFAIK you should not use wonder wipes nor lemon oil on a maple fretboard. I would just use a dry (polishing) cloth to clean a maple board.

 

[DrKev]

The lemon oil thing can get confusing so, this is who I understand it...

On UNFINISHED maple boards (i.e. no lacquer or varnish) and also e.g. rosewood or ebony...

Lemon oil has been recommended for years by many many people and manufacturers alike. It would seem that it CAN be used safely BUT if people use too much and let it soak in which could damage the finish or glues and or cause corrosion. Martin guitars do not recommend lemon oil for this reason (you'll find in their FAQ).

However, when EBMM formulated the Wonder Wipes Fretboard Conditioner they chose orange oil, rather than lemon oil for this reason. See here, post #15 by Beth (who was EBMM CS at the time)...

http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-b...-ball-wonder-wipes-post528329.html#post528329

But, as I said many people have happily used lemon oil for years and EBMM used to use it in the factory (Old English, IIRC). Just remember - only use the minimum amount necessary. Re-treat if needed rather than using a lot in one go.

On FINISHED maple boards (i.e. varnished or lacquered), clean the finger board as you would the rest of the neck (because it's the same finish).

Does that make sense?

 

[Santuzzo]

Thanks for the info, Kev.
I thought maple boards are always lacquered, hence my post above. I didn't know that there's also unfinished maple boards.

 

[DrKev]

Before the Cutlass and Stingray guitars, almost all maple board EBMMs are unfinished (with one or two exceptions, like the first roasted maple limited edition).

 

[BrickGlass]

I've done so much research (online and in the trenches) over the years about the lemon oil debate and DrKev speaks the truth.