Fretboard cleaning with alcohol instead of Naptha.

Now by alcohol I mean medical type alcohol swabs that you get in the individual packet.

I did some” research” and saw it mentioned a few times. Results went from great to “I don’t know about that” to one guy who had a board that was probably stained and he was unaware as color came off instead of grime.

I tested it on a less noticeable fret. It looked good. Brown dirt came up only. And the little squares are perfect to get in between frets.

You DO have to scrub longer than naptha which evaporates almost immediately. Alcohol needs to be scrubbed to get the moisture off. And you need to be ready to condition the board right after as I am sure it’s drying it out.

Anyway. It worked for me.

Ebony finger board. Don’t know about other woods or finishes as this board is unfinished.

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Posted by TheFretShack

Member since Oct 2015

1343 posts

Posted on 6/3/23 at 1:18 pm to LSU alum wannabe

You need to oil your ebony now, especially every time you clean it with it naphtha and/or alcohol. Same goes for rosewood, not so for maple. Ebony is VERY prone to cracking, more so than rosewood, and even in cared-for environs.

I save old expired credit cards and my old driver's licenses to scrape excessive grime and sludge buildup off fingerboards BEFORE I moisten them via the cleaning process.

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Posted by LSU alum wannabe

Katy, TX

Member since Jan 2004

27572 posts

Posted on 6/3/23 at 8:04 pm to TheFretShack

quote:
save old expired credit cards and my old driver's licenses to scrape excessive grime and sludge buildup off fingerboards BEFORE I moisten them via the cleaning process.

I’ll try this. I have a ton of shitty picks I made with a pick punch. They are made of what u mention old credit cards. Empty gift cards.

And of course you’re right (it’s your job) about board oil. That was the consensus of each thread I read about it.

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