How to clean a dirty Fingerboard Bass Guitar Three different ways  

If you use steel wool, tape off those pickups to protect from lil fuzzy bits.

Don’t let it get that dirty in first place.

Don't sleep on the steel wool (if you're looking for it, get 0000). Also works great for shining up chrome, and cleaning up frets before polish.

Please do not use acetone especially if you have binding. It can/will melt your binding. It’s also overly harsh to just remove the gunk. If you have to use a solvent, use something like naptha.

Naphtha (lighter fluid) works best. Finish friendly, dissolves the gunk instantly and evaporates in seconds.

I always use steel wool in my workshop. Been using it over 40 years now. Never a problem.

I used 0000 steel wool on my acoustics and electrics for over 10 years of regular cleaning, finally looked in the soundhole and there was so much steel wool lint inside, I vacuumed it out and even then not all of it has come out, you need tweezers to get everything. It's even worse on magnetic pickups, it'll get inside the pickup and short somewhere you can't fix, killing the pickup. 3M makes Brillo looking abrasive pads, buy the yellow/gold one. About the same scrub time and it won't hurt your instruments like steel wool

That’s a gorgeous Wal. Nothing sounds or plays like a Wal.

step one : don’t touch poopoo and touch guitar

I use furniture polish. I squirt it on let it soak. Rub it in with fingers and then toothbrush. What's with all this chemicals and hardware? Treat your GUITAR like fine furniture not a dirt bike fender

Beltsander, the way to go!

Omg…. you’re telling me that’s GUNK and not just the finish wearing off? I’m gonna go throw up and then clean my guitar neck…. 😭😭😭

That's not dirt. That is abusing the guitar. How can a finger board get so dirty?

Never EVER clean your bass fingerboard!! That's where the funk is!

I prefer to wash the shit off my hands before playing....

Good god. What kind of animal lets a Wal get in that condition???

Use old English lemon oil, and old cotton rag

Meu amigo veio no meu lado viu o vídeo e disse: -*que guitarra maneira* - 💀

Testing on a fucking Wal bass. Jesus Christ

With that much dirt, that Wal must felt good to play with. Regarding the steel wool, don't ever use it in your shop if you don't have a powerful vacuum cleaner. You should also wear a mask while using it, as you may inhale some of it. Not very fun to have them in your lungs. 😂

Oh my goodness! The Gunk on that thing!

That's a lotta dead skin. Bass players are dirty.

Crusty bass player fingers !!! 💯🤮

I use soap on hand before playing

steel wool works, you just need to put some painters tape over your pickups. once you are finished, place another piece of painters tape over the tape already on the pickups to pickup any shavings. old trick.

here's proper etiquette always wash your hands before you touch your guitar .

Contact cleaner spray for electric / motherboard. It dissolves oil / grease / dirty fat without damaging the surface. And it evaporates quickly.

I guess rubbing it with colin and then putting lemon oil will be better than scraping the wood surface.

Better use furniture polish milk

People pay extra for that

NO WAY YOU HAVE A WAL. THATS MY DREAM BASS

That's disgusting.

Very oddly relaxing, how long have you played guitar?

What was the liquid?

Easiest thing to find that works is a heavy pick. Some designs have sharp edges and are great for removing dirt. And it's plastic, so there is no way to damage the fretboard. It is not the best or fastest but it's something that works pretty well.

If youre worried about steel wool dust clinging to your pickup magnets you can also use brass or bronze or copper wool

I just use Naptha and a micro-fiber towel. By the time you see Acetone degradation it's too late.

Just use some 500 grit sandpaper to lightly sand fret to fret and immediatelly remove it in one go...then with the time saved go and polish those grimmy ass frets that actually the strings lands on......

Чел ваще руки не моет?

You can use steel wool as long as you cover all the electronics. I use plastic sandwich bags with scotch tape. When dusting off make sure to have newspaper or similar product beneath the guitar for it to all land on. Then wad it and discard it.

Non chlor brake cleaner/ liquid butane might work, acetone will destroy any cheaper polyurethane finish always spot test before using solvents.

@PetrekGuitars I have gotten some great results using a soft bristle brush like a child's toothbrush and a tea tree oil cleaner! I've also used windex and it worked but I can't stand the smell...lol.

, small plastic brush (soft) and alcohol, roll of paper towels to wipe with. been cleaning my necks like that for almost fifty years.

Acetone cam melt certain plastics, lighter fluid/naphtha doesn't melt plastics and evaporates too quickly to damage most finishes.

Thanks for the head's up about never shaking that bass player's hand. That fingerboard was...disgusting.

​With every change of strings (done 1 to 3 times a year) I clean the rosewood fretboard with a soft brush, warm water and a little bit of mild hand soap. I make the brush wet and use a littIe bit of soap only on the brush. I do it quick so that the wood does not get too wet. Although I remember my old Jazz Bass I once had seemed to not care about getting wet at all, I want to keep the risk low. Then I immediately wipe it several times with a light wet cotton rag where I change sides after every wipe in order to get off the soap as best as possible. I use a dry cotton rag and wipe it dry afterwords. Finally I use small amounts of good mild fretboard oil and put on a tiny bit on the fret board in order to prevent it from getting dry and wipe it off with a clean cotton rag. I did not do it to my old JB back then and it was dry as hell - but it didn't do it any harm though - just sayin. Thats the way I have always a clean fretboard.

They should never get that filthy in the first place. Whoever owns that should be ashamed.

WHY REMOVE IT'S HISTORY. DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY AND JUST PLAY IT 🤔😂🤣

I use steel wool, and then a magnet to clean up after. Works great. The steel wool also gives a great finish to the fretboard and shines up the frets.

Bet that wal sounds great

Acetone can seriously dry that fretboard, make sure to Oil it. Better to just get the dunlope set that has Fretboard cleaner an conditioner.

Experimenting on a Wal !! Piper at the Gate of Dawn. Take No Prisoners !!!

The beautiful thing about a bolt on neck is that you can take it off with very little effort. It's very difficult to get particles of steel wool caught up in the pickups if they're on the other side of the room from the fret board.

Murphy's Oil Soap and yes, play guitars with clean hands and fingers LOL!

I usually use a razor blade. After that I wipe the fretboard with some rubbing alcohol or naphtha.

i always used to use plastic guitar picks to clean the gunk off. scared of putting metal close to the fretboard.

If it's not yours and you work by the hour, that's fine, but there's faster and more efficient

3M Light Duty Hand pads and mineral oil is a 1000× easier and works just as good.

Couldn't you just use a wax remover instead of scraping into the wood with anything

WHY?? On a Wal, nonetheless 🤦‍♂️ EDIT: The finger cheese

Lighter fluid works well to remove the mojo from guitars.

Love Wal Basses… ❤️ and of course, your fabulous work… 🤓✌️🫶

I just file the edge of a gift card and scrape everything away, then use F1 oil

I use plastic scrapers made at home, they dont damage wood at all cuz the material is softer than wood.

Wrong, Too much material removed. Makes me nervous.

Just use a baby wet wipe to get all the finger gunge off, polish the frets and put some F1 oil on the wood.

Scraping is by far my favourite, especially on ebony you get a very even, shiny look which I was not able to reach with other techniques

I'm all set with scratching all the finish off my fretboard

don't rub anything perpendicular to the grain if you value your instrument lol

Acetone??! Never again do that please… lighter fluid is the way to go.

How could someone let such a nice and insanely expensive bass get to that point?!

Why would u use a scrapper on the frets?? This was irritating to watch.

Ewwww..... ill never understand how people let it even come close to that....

wear a hazmat glove/suit , u don't know where those fingers have been mate😂

Non mechanical removal with Ballistol is safer for me...

Medium duty Scotch Brite. Won't hurt your frets or pickups. Oil a dry fretboard with a VERY SMALL amount of lemon oil. And for fux sake, NO RAZORS, NO ACETONE!

All good but the owner of that bass has underwear made of nothing but skid marks...

The dirt shows off amount of hours spent on it. That bass easily shows 1000+ hours on it.

Instructions unclear i have a scalloped fetboard now

Damn i think 1 year of playing won't make it enough to that level

i would never use acetone or lighter fluid to clean the fretboard...

I found my gramps old bass it’s dusty and the strings are very loose

Orrrr if you look after your bass or guitar it wouldn't end up like it

Acetone will strip off any finish. This is a terrible way to clean.

Mucha suciedad. Evite con un buen lavado de manos y secando con una franela.

I sparky some orange glo and then scrape it off with a pick.

such poor maintenance for an expensive bass :(

Dont scratch the Laquer instead use some Terpentine or floor care

Heard naptha oil works well too but use it sparingly.

I've been telling people for years and people think I'm joking' the easiest way to clean a fret board is to use a pickled hogs knuckle' the vinegar from the knuckle will loosen up the dirt and grime on the fret board and also will remove tarnish from the frets' take the hide side of the knuckle and scrub the fret board and frets' wipe clean and then use the side that has the fat on it to condition the fret board and polish the frets to a mirror finish' wipe clean with a dry cloth. Fast and easy and lot less complicated.

How dare you get rid of the funk by removing the gunk☹

On RW boards , I apply the lemon oil to the 0000 steel wool, clean the fb , then wipe off with a microfibre

Those are from French fries 😂 the bass eat before play thats why

Does nail polish 100% acetone work?

I never use steel wool on electric instruments. 3M pads.

Dang all that work for a "wall hanger" I want to see the ones he really goes in on lol

Eu uso palito de madeira de picolé para retirar o sujo. Funciona bem!!

You forgot the 4th thing - Wash hands in first place

Steel wool is just fine. If you know how to use it.🎉

Steel wool with a spush of vaseline is great too