What do you use to clean your ebony fretboards?

[Ben...]

As long as you use the right grade, your actually polishing the wood and the inlays.

Ok. Thanks.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I've used the 3M synthetic steel wool and find that it has a lot more cut than steel wool does. Since I couldn't find the 3M synthetic finer than 0000, I wouldn't use their current 0000 equivalent on a fretboard.

Yeah, you have to be really careful with the green ones near a fingerboard, which is why I tape it (also keeps metal shavings and any sharpie mistakes off the inlays and ebony/maple.)

I'm not sure I'd want to try the gray ones, either, for polishing the fingerboard. That's the finest I know of that you can commonly get.

There is something about the way the material "stands up" at the edges, where steel wool will easily crush into shapelessness and polish very evenly, the Scotch Brite pads do NOT.

If you have a corner or rough edge or a fold/crease anywhere on the scratch pads they will make a nice linear scratch across the grain on the fingerboard.

I would much rather use steel wool or even some 2000-grit sandpaper on the fingerboard itself. When I filled in ebony chips on my old Soloist I used some 2000-grit wrapped around a toothpick to take the excess shine off the CA and blend it into the ebony and that worked pretty well.

[wilkinsi]

Finally decided to give this another go.. Took all the strings off, used EB wonder wipes, and can't get rid of the streaks. Do I pour tons of lemon oil on it and let it soak in all night?

[Tricky]

When your using steel wool, wrap it around a magnet.
It will help keep shavings from getting everywhere.

[Tricky]

I like to use Flitz to polish the fret board. Wont mar the inlays.
Clean up with a wet rag, dab dry with paper towel, & finish up with lemon oil.

The Flitz will also put a killer shine on the frets.

[Chad]

Selmer clarinet bore oil and a radius gauge. I apply the bore oil, let it sit for a few minutes, then use a radius gauge to push grime away, then wipe off with a cotton rag. If the fretboard was really dirty, I then follow up with a second pass of bore oil, let it sit a few minutes, then wipe off with a rag again. Then I use one of StewMac's fretguards to cover each fret and rub each fret to a shine with 0000 steel wool. I only do this once every year or two (especially the oiling).

[Zerberus]

Naphtha to clean, lemon oil to condition (actually real lemongrass oil, not the scented mineral oil crap you get at every corner), 0000 steel wool and jeweler´s rouge to polish the frets.

[Kisonen]

Do I pour tons of lemon oil on it and let it soak in all night?

Don't let it soak. The frets will raise from the fretboard if you use too much lemon oil. Buy that 0000 steel wool and polish the fretboard with it.

[mjtripper]

bore oil, and only if it needs it 0000 steel wool

[DonP]

Finally decided to give this another go.. Took all the strings off, used EB wonder wipes, and can't get rid of the streaks. Do I pour tons of lemon oil on it and let it soak in all night?

Streaks are natural for ebony. Are you sure this isn't just the natural wood grain?

Many manufacturers dye the fretboard black to hide the streaks. Stew Mac sells the dye. i've heard it's a leather dye.

[wilkinsi]

These streaks are where I've used EB wipes without taking the strings off. When I had another WR1 repainted, the guy did an amazing job on cleaning the board - no streaks at all. I can't remember what he used. Something to do with car wax I think.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

1. Tape the pickups. (painters tape)
2. #0000 steel wool the fretboard up and down with the grain. (this removes the gunk on the neck and polishes the frets at the same time.
3. Naptha (or premium zippo lighter fluid) clean the neck and remove any steel wool shavings that are leftover.
4. Fretdoctor bore oil. coat, let sit, wipe off. this is the greatest stuff i've ever used.

optional: #0000 steel wool on the back the neck to remove grit stuck in the finish. Very Lightly, your just trying to take the layer of finish off that contains the grit and dirt.

[darnoc]

I use lemon oil on my Charvel's Pau Ferro fretboard, and I've not had any probs. I lay it flat and rub in good and let it soak in for about 10 mins. Not that it soaks in alot, but in the winter when the heat is running, it does start to show grain lines more than in the summer time. It seems to condition it, makes it look better anyway. Then wipe it down good with an old sock. I also use it my 4 other rosewood fretboards, but I've not had experience with ebony.

[rattlehead74]

On ebony, bore oil is the way to go.