#1
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Polishing frets advice thread.
What do you use to polish your frets with?
I polish my frets in basically a two step process... 1. buffing them lightly with 0000 grade steel wool (using a fret protector while I do this). 2. Polishing them with Dunlop 65 cream of carnauba. Brings my frets back to basically a mirror sheen... couldn't get them any shinier if I tried. What do you guys use to treat your frets? any additional/general advice and is also appreciated =) |
#2
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Whenever I change the strings I use a StewMac Fingerboard Guard and polish the frets with Scotch-Brite and a little naptha. Steel wool is a bit messy for me.
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#3
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You polish frets ! Mine have never been polished in 14 years .
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#5
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Steel wool (OOOO), followed by various grades of fret eraser.
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Faith Mars FRMG Faith Neptune FKN Epiphone Masterbilt Texan |
#6
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0000 steel wool will work great, but it makes a bit of a mess and you'll want to mask off the fret board in between the frets to protect the wood, as well as cover the sound hole or pickups on an electric.
I also like Frine Fret polish.. comes with a little kit with fret board masks and a cloth. Does as good a job I think as does steel wool. Less mess and it makes a quicker job out of the task. |
#7
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Semichrome polish
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-- Patience is a strength, not a weakness; and if by practicing patience we stop retaliating to harm and criticism, people will gradually come to understand that our real nature is very special. |
#8
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Quote:
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Jan |
#9
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I use these. They come in a variety of grits, last a long time and are mess free. They can be bought at any online bowlers supply store. I use painters tape to protect fretboard.
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1953 Gibson LG-2 1966 Martin D-28 (really still my dads) 1979 Yamaha SG2000 (SB electric) 2014 Yamaha LS16 2020 Squier CV 50's Telecaster 2022 Yamaha FG3 |
#10
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(I'm a luthier) Dremel tool with the little buffing wheels, jeweler's rouge. This after 1,200 grit wet or dry for refrets/dressings.
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#11
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I used to mask off the fretboard and polish them with that stinky cotton cymbal cleaner. My drummer had a can and never used it. Very messy and stunk up the whole room.
Stewmac came out with the fret eraser. Much easier, less mess, no need to mask a rosewood board. Polishes to a mirror shine. Polish, Clean, and oil takes just a few minutes. |
#12
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The foam backed manicure sticks work real well for me. They have an appropriate range of micromesh sandpaper and the foam keeps you from flattening the fret.
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Larrivee OO-05, OOV-03, OO-44R & Strat |
#13
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Those of us with a technical background and who are old enough remember those as drafting eraser shields. They were found on every draftsmen's drafting table and were used as masks to allow "spot" erasing of pencil lines. They were available at every art supply store for 50 cents or so. Here's one version of it:https://www.amazon.ca/HEALLILY-Stain...844166&sr=8-11
Kudos to StewMac for repurposing them, but they aren't a new invention. As an aside, I don't use them. Except for fingerboards that have a finish on them (e.g. Fender), or have elaborate graved-and-filled inlays, I sand/clean the fingerboard surface at the same time as the frets, making it look like new. If there isn't a finish on the fingerboard that needs protecting, I'm not sure why one would want or need to mask it. |
#14
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I just use Scotch Bright pads. You can wrap sand paper around a pencil eraser and Voila! You have a fret eraser.
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#15
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I use a Gorgomite cloth followed by a microfiber rubdown as regular maintenance when I change strings.
If I get a new used guitar I mask off the fretboard and polish the frets with Flitz.
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Coupla Martins, coupla Gibsons, a few Taylors, and an Alvarez. "Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind." Twelfth Doctor |