Fretboard coated with unknown varnish(?)

[Bax Burgess]

A thirty year old guitar with a satiny finish on the fingerboard, which impedes easy bending of notes, due to the traction on the fingertips. Are there a couple of thinning agents worth trying for a little spot testing?

[JonWint]

I use the progressive attack. Try naphtha, alcohol, lacquer thinner, acetone in that order. If those fail use abrasives.

Each progressive solvent will be more aggressively damaging to surrounding finishes if applied indescriminately.

[Bax Burgess]

Nice, thanks.

[Quickstep192]

Do be aware that as you get into the more aggressive solvents, they may also be capable of dissolving the finish on the neck that you may not want to be dissolved.

BTW, naphtha will not dissolve any fully cured finish. Conversely, lacquer thinner and acetone dissolve or at least damage most finishes.

[Bax Burgess]

With that in mind, I'll play cautious with some finer sandpapers.

[Carey]

Another way to go is to scrape the board with a fresh (carefully wielded) single-edge razor blade, held near-vertically. Doesn't take long to get the hang of it, IMO.

[hgaynor]

A+ on the razor blade / scraper.

[John Arnold]

Scraper, followed by fine sandpaper or 0000 steel wool.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Or, you could simply clean the fingerboard with 0000 steel wool, and if that didn’t do The job, wax it with carnuba.

[Bax Burgess]

Thanks all.