Fret Polishing and Maintenance

[xenophobe]

Toothbrush and lemon oil are less abrasive. lol

[TommyD]

If used properly,those 3 sided nail buffers that have something close to 2400/4000/12000 abrasives can produce an incredible finish on frets,but you still need to tape off the fretboard. Tommy D.

[toejam]

Toothbrush and lemon oil are less abrasive. lol

This. All I've ever used is lemon oil and a toothbrush.

[Sharkfin]

I've never tried the fret erasers. I used to use 0000 steel wool and blue painters tape to protect the FB but that ended up pulling some of the finish off one of my Soloist. I eventually bought the fret guards by StewMac as an alternative to the tape before ditching the steel wool method altogether and trying Gorgomyte. That's what I've been sticking with since.

[toejam]

I've heard good things about Gorgomyte, just haven't gotten around to trying it.

[DonP]

I've heard good things about Gorgomyte, just haven't gotten around to trying it.

I use it. Be careful, it dries out really easy after you open it.

[metalhobo]

I use it. Be careful, it dries out really easy after you open it.

do you follow the directions and immediately cut the sheet into squares and store them in a ziploc bag? just curious because I bought a bag a few weeks ago and haven't opened it yet

[Number Of The Priest]

Gorgomyte is essentially a rebranded Jude's Miracle Cloth with a "guitarists will pay a hefty surcharge if they believe it's a product just for guitarists" idiot tax attached to it. (Kind of like when Stewart-MacDonald expects us to pay a premium for some of their products, many of which have less expensive equivalents if you shop around.)

https://judesmiraclecloth.com/

I bought a Miracle Cloth many months ago but haven't gotten around to using it or opening it yet. I plan to use only a small square at a time, and keep the rest in a zipper lock bag.

For me, my fretboard/fret cleaning ritual is this. Serious gunk on a disgusting used guitar will require 0000-gauge steel wool to clean the caked-on gunk off the fretboard and frets. I don't want to play with someone else's gunk on my guitar. For ebony and rosewood fretboards, when the guitar has been cleaned this way just once, I seldom need the steel wool again in future cleanings, because I wash my hands before playing my guitars. Only skin oils may build up on the playing surface over time, for which lemon oil and a toothbrush is plenty; oil dissolves oil (like dissolves like) and is more than sufficient for cleaning MY secretions off MY fretboards. Maple fretboards won't get lemon oil; I'll lightly apply steel wool again if required.

[toejam]

Good info.

[Startingline]

Gorgomyte is essentially a rebranded Jude's Miracle Cloth with a "guitarists will pay a hefty surcharge if they believe it's a product just for guitarists" idiot tax attached to it. (Kind of like when Stewart-MacDonald expects us to pay a premium for some of their products, many of which have less expensive equivalents if you shop around.)

https://judesmiraclecloth.com/

I bought a Miracle Cloth many months ago but haven't gotten around to using it or opening it yet. I plan to use only a small square at a time, and keep the rest in a zipper lock bag.

For me, my fretboard/fret cleaning ritual is this. Serious gunk on a disgusting used guitar will require 0000-gauge steel wool to clean the caked-on gunk off the fretboard and frets. I don't want to play with someone else's gunk on my guitar. For ebony and rosewood fretboards, when the guitar has been cleaned this way just once, I seldom need the steel wool again in future cleanings, because I wash my hands before playing my guitars. Only skin oils may build up on the playing surface over time, for which lemon oil and a toothbrush is plenty; oil dissolves oil (like dissolves like) and is more than sufficient for cleaning MY secretions off MY fretboards. Maple fretboards won't get lemon oil; I'll lightly apply steel wool again if required.

Great info...And i thought i was the only one who washes my hands before i pick up a guitar.