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Patrick Eggle forumin Sleepless Angel on kirjoittanut seuraavanlaisen artikkelin (lontooksi).
 
It’s imperative that the playing area of your prized guitar be kept free from all manner of foreign bodies apart from your fingers and of course, strings. Let’s face it, a dirty fingerboard is hardly inspiring to practice, and it doesn’t do your strings any favours either.
 
Take a look at the fingerboard on your instrument. Can you see a row of six eliptical mounds of grime between the frets? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Where has this muck appeared from? Well, you, basically. No matter how clean you think your hands are, grease and sweat from those digits will leap onto the strings, deteriorating the wraps, and will eventually be compressed onto the surface of the fingerboard. Of course there can be additional contributing factors, namely beer, nicotine, sandwiches, etc.
 
The effects of dirty strings are all too familiar. Dull notes, poor intonation, squeaky string sides, and that general feeling of cheesewire. It can all be avoided, so set aside a one off hour- long session to really clean your fingerboard, then get into the habit of preventative measures.
 
First things first. Take off all the strings and throw them away. Don’t even think about boiling them in water in order to use them again. Now you have to be careful. The most common types of timbers and finishes for fingerboards are:-
 
1. Ebony
2. Rosewood
3. Maple (lacquered with gloss finish)
 
As you may expect, there are different methods of cleaning for different types of fingerboard surface. Lacquered fingerboards are easy, so we’ll start with those.
 
I’ve read articles and books in the past encouraging players to use soap and water to clean the grime which collects in between frets. I’ve also witnessed the effects of water on wood and modern finishes. White spirit, applied with a soft rag is much safer, as it dissolves grease and softens dirt, with no danger of damaging the fingerboard or finish. Ball up the cloth into a small pad and dip it into the white spirit. Using small circular motions, you should find that all the dirt lifts straight off the lacquer. The most difficult area to clean will be on the very edges of the frets. A cocktail stick with a piece of cloth on the end will get into the tightest of corners.
 
There’s a good chance that, if the fingerboard is dirty, the frets will be tarnished. You can kill two birds with one stone at this point. Both the frets and the fingerboard can be polished in one hit, with Brasso. This product is not like other liquid abrasives. It’s cutting abilities are aided by ammonia, which makes it perfect for polishing metals and lacquer. Apply the Brasso onto a soft cloth, and rub the entire top surface of the fingerboard in line with the frets, not along the length of the neck. Obviously, the harder you rub, the shinier your frets will be. Always finish off with a quick wipe from a clean cloth. When you are satisfied with your efforts, restring and set up the instrument.
 
Unfinished fingerboards are a little more involved. To achieve that ‘factory look’ on your frets and fingerboard, you may need to go shopping first. You will require:-
 
1. 1” masking tape (insulation tape is not the same thing)
2. 600 and 1200 wet and dry paper
3. A straight razor blade (double – edged type)
4. OOOO wire wool (VERY fine)
5. A small bottle of almond oil ( look in the ingredients section in the supermarket )
 
On this type of fingerboard, you should take the precaution of taping up the areas of the guitar which could be marked in some way. The headstock, pickups, and the portion of the body around the neck joint are favourite targets for sandpaper or a file.
 
Take the razor blade, and wrap a piece of masking tape over one of the exposed edges. Those awful blood splattered finishes of the early Eighties will, sadly, look just as uncool now as they ever did back then. This is not only a safety precaution, it allows you to identify the edge that was last used. At the Patrick Eggle factory in Birmingham, we use special backed razor blades available from an automotive paint supplier. An insert for a modern ‘cutthroat’ razor would do the same job.
The idea now is to use the blade as a miniature scraper. A word of warning; Some guitar manufacturers would have you believe that your fingerboard really is either rosewood or ebony. Imagine that sinking feeling as you scrape off coloured dye to reveal a very much lighter coloured wood underneath. If you’re not sure, always get a second opinion.
 
Take the blade between the thumb and forefinger of both hands, and hold it at roughly 80° to the fingerboard surface. Remember, as you scrape back and forth between the frets (with the grain!), you are merely trying to remove the dirt from the fingerboard. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that there is a risk of scalloping the board if you don’t think about what you’re doing!
 
Don’t worry if the fingerboard has any inlays. So long as the blade is sharp, it will deal with them.
 
By now, you may be horrified at what you’ve just done. Don’t panic. All those wood shavings will soon be a vague memory. Take the OOOO wire wool and rub furiously along the length of the entire fingerboard, frets included. I know what you’re thinking, trust me.
 
At this point, the wire wool will have cleaned away any shavings which may have been compacted along the length of the frets. You will also be aware that the frets now have a matt finish, thanks to tens of thousands of tiny scratches.
 
Wipe the board down with a clean cloth. It will make you feel better. Take the masking tape and, very carefully, mask the fingerboard so that only the frets are showing. This will mean that once you get as far as the 8th or 9th fret, you will have to start ripping the tape in half in order to keep things neat. If you couldn’t wait to put the almond oil onto the board, then you will no doubt be having difficulty now, as the masking tape will not stick. All good things come to those who wait.
 
Using an old pair of scissors, or the edge of a work surface if you’re feeling flash, cut two or three 2” squares of 600 wet and dry paper. This will be plenty. Wrap the square around your finger and rub along the length of each and every fret. Only move onto the next fret when all of the scratches left by the wire wool have disappeared.
 
Fingers sore? I have news for you. Do exactly the same thing now with the 1200 wet and dry. Don’t cheat yourself. If you have knowingly left scratches, you will feel them later when you bend strings.
 
Time to get the wire wool out again. The fine OOOO grade will remove any traces of the 1200 wet and dry paper, and will leave the frets looking like chrome. You will probably feel quite pleased with yourself. It’s crucial, however, that you don’t get too carried away. The next part, although extremely straightforward, needs patience.
 
The masking tape must now be removed, but you have to lift the two ends towards the centre. This method prevents the lacquer on the edge of the fingerboard from chipping off.
 
The worst is now over. Wash your hands and find a clean, soft cloth. Put a few drops of the almond oil onto the cloth, and wipe well into the grain of the fingerboard. Turn the cloth over and buff the whole neck. It’s important to remove the excess oil as, although it protects the fingerboard, it can actually cause the strings to deteriorate. Wait half an hour or so for the area to dry before restringing.
 
You should now have a neck which looks like a million dollars. The chances are that it’s better now than it was when it was made. Most manufacturers simply cannot afford the time for such luxuries.
 
So what can you do to keep it looking that way? Regular maintenance is the key. Keep a small towel or cloth in your case or gigbag so that you can give your hands a wipe before, and the strings a wipe after, you’ve played. Products like Fastfret are fine but they are by no means a long term solution. Keep it clean, and clean it often.