How To Clean And Maintain Your Electric Guitar Fretboard

Finished and Unfinished Fretboards

The guitar community is torn in a debate about whether the material of a fretboard makes any difference. Some believe that a rosewood fretboard is markedly different from ebony, while others say there’s hardly any difference. But when it comes to cleaning, you will need to be cautious.

Primarily, the focus is on fretboard cleaning, but other guitar parts are involved, like the neck and tuning pegs. And if your electric guitar has a fretboard that uses unfinished wood, things are tricky, demanding extreme caution. So, it’s recommended to oil unfinished fretboards for obvious reasons.

When you leave wood for a long time, it turns hard, thereby making it difficult for the truss rod-neck adjustment.
Unoiled fretboards can also crack in places that look bad and hamper your guitar play.

How To Start Cleaning Your FretBoard

For maple fretboards, you don’t have to spend time oiling. Typically, they are pre-hydrated with carnauba wax that wicks away excessive dirt. So, you can start right away by wiping at the neck and body using a slightly damp microfiber cloth.

In contrast, you must use lemon oils to hydrate rosewood and ebony fretboards. Take a small cotton bulb, lightly moisten it in lemon oil, and rub it along the fretboard and neck. Make sure you dust out any excessive dirt before.

Expert Tips :

Before you start cleaning the fretboard, always loosen the guitar strings. If you’re a beginner, use a special string cleaning tool to push the grime under the strings.
You can buy one from e-commerce stores selling online guitar parts and accessories.
Always tape the pickup before starting to clean a fretboard.
Lie down your guitar on a sturdy surface. Ensure the neck is well supported and the fingerboard is kept horizontal.

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