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Cleaning The Ebony

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  • Cleaning The Ebony

    I just bought a Jackson SL1 from a friend to grab whenever the urge to practice hits me. It's in great shape, but the ebony fingerboard looks a little dry. If this is somebody's specialty, please tell me how to condition it and what to use. Do you have to avoid the inlays? How delicate of a procedure is it exactly? The only place near me is the local GC, and they recommended using lemon oil. I just don't want to trust a place that sold a forum member a used SL2H for $599. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  • #2
    Lemon oil is the easiest way to treat rosewood and ebony fingerboards. Inexpensive and available in most stores, pour some onto a soft cloth and rub into the fingerboard. Inlays are not affected, nor are frets. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe off the excess. Old C/J literature recommends you do it every string change. You can probably get away with one or two times a year...
    "Got a crazy feeling I don't understand,
    Gotta get away from here.
    Feelin' like I shoulda kept my feet on the ground
    Waitin' for the sun to appear..."

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    • #3
      Yeah, that's what I do. I use the Dunlop kind. Although it's probably not totally necessary, I do like to wipe down the fretboard every string change which is about every 6 weeks. I can't resist doing it because it makes the ebony black as night and it's such a pleasure to look at and feel!

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      • #4
        how do i clean ebony?
        how to get of that ugly green stain without damaging wood or inlay?
        '97 KV1 alder

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        • #5
          "Lemon oil" will work, but if you want the best, then bore oil it is.

          http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm
          -Chris

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          • #6
            Originally posted by charvel750 View Post
            Old C/J literature recommends you do it every string change. You can probably get away with one or two times a year...
            They also recommend just plain mineral oil, so lemon oil, vaseline, baby oil, motor oil all will work just fine. Yes, motor oil is used my Jimmy D'Acquisto, the acoustic guitar maker.
            I feel my soul go cold... only the dead are smiling.

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            • #7
              I use rock sauce... It's homemade

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              • #8
                what do you use to get finger skin unwedged from the frets?
                Fuck ebay, fuck paypal

                "Finger on the trigger, back against the wall. Counting rounds and voices, not enough to kill them all" (Ihsahn).

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by wilkinsi View Post
                  what do you use to get finger skin unwedged from the frets?
                  Did you mean foreskin?
                  Don't forget the corn. It's nutritious, delicious, and ribbed for her pleasure.

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                  • #10
                    tee bloody hee. cheeky twunt! my fingers look like they have calluses on them, and blister easily from guitar playing. I've got bits of skin wedged on some of the higher frets (21-24). Rather than using a razor or something (probably damage the board or frets), I figured lemon oil or something might remove it. Dunlop guitar cleaner doesn't work.
                    Fuck ebay, fuck paypal

                    "Finger on the trigger, back against the wall. Counting rounds and voices, not enough to kill them all" (Ihsahn).

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                    • #11
                      I have read this somewhere before, but thanks for posting this again lemon oil it is!

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                      • #12
                        For stubborn stains use a toothbrush to get the crud out, a drop of lemon oil with the brush does nicely. If you are sparing with it, use Windex with a little ammonia first. This is highly effective for removing gunk and "mojo" left behind. But it dries the wood quickly so make sure to give it a good lemon oiling afterwards.
                        "Got a crazy feeling I don't understand,
                        Gotta get away from here.
                        Feelin' like I shoulda kept my feet on the ground
                        Waitin' for the sun to appear..."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Fret Doctor has been my best experience. The folks on the Les Paul Forum rave about it. It was derived from a woodwind instrument preservation formula. It's really awesome stuff!

                          http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm

                          DonP will be in here any moment to back me up!
                          Last edited by Bengal65; 09-10-2008, 08:38 AM.
                          Tone is like Art: Your opinion is valid. Listen, learn, have fun, draw your own conclusions.

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                          • #14
                            I start with lemon oil and a toothbrush to get rid fo all the years of finger mung. After that, any fretboard conditioner will do.

                            -Nate
                            Insert annoying equipment list here....

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                            • #15
                              I use some Lemon oil usually ever 2-3 string changes. I've grabbed an old tooth brush for some that looked pretty bad when I got them. I usually apply some then leave it for a min, wipe it off. Then apply some more and leave it for about 20min then wipe that off.

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