Restoring maple fretboards

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WhiteShadow

WhiteShadow

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Just bought this charvel. Haven't got it yet, but from the pics, the fretboard looks disgusting. The guy said its not dirty, its just discoloration. This is going to be a project guitar I'm going to restore to its former glory. What is the best way to restore maple necks back to their bright, like-new shines and pristineness?
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0000 steel wool will clean the gunk off but I don't know of any way to restore an oil finished neck to it's never before played light maple color. Those are the oils from the players hands, soaked pretty deeply into the wood.

In my opinion, this is the whole point of an oil finished neck and what makes a Charvel or any other oil finished maple neck look cool and look like the guitar has mojo. The oils from the players hands continue to add "finish" to the neck everytime you play it. Look at some pics of older or vintage maple neck Charvel guitars. That is this guitars future too.

I, for one, can't stand the way oil finished maple necks look when they are new. They don't look comfortable yet. They don't look like they will feel like a perfectly worn in pair of jeans or baseball glove. I don't even want to pick up a guitar when the maple neck looks new because I know which type of maple neck feels better and it isn't the new looking one.
 
Even the headstock maple yellows over time and that has nothing to do with it being touched. Maple looks white when it comes out of the tree. It doesn't stay that way.
 
My ‘restored’ 84 neck (back) is so dark it looks almost painted. But damn, does it feel amazing.
 
I don't care if its perfect, just want to get as much of the previous owner's bodily fluids out of the neck as possible
 
WhiteShadow said:
I don't care if its perfect, just want to get as much of the previous owner's bodily fluids out of the neck as possible
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Pick up the 0000 steel wool and rub it on the fretboard. Polish the frets too while your at it. Cover the pickups with masking tape first though
 
Does anything need to be done after the steel wool? Does it take the finish off?
 
I’d just do a minor cleaning and leave it alone.
Seriously, if your buying a maple neck/fretboard guitar that’s been played…..that’s part of the charm and character. Relax.
The Covid does not reside in the neck. Your fine.
Chubtone knows necks. Listen to him.
 
I personally, can't wait till my maple necks get worn in and dirty. They play so much better, weird but that's the way maple behaves. My worn in Wolfgang's are all dirty and gritty, but they play the best. Would never clean them.
 
if you want it to look as "new" as possible then sanding is probably the only option. I use to use steel wool etc to clean mine but nothing got it back to new looking, now I just embrace the "greening"
 
Hopefully the guy you bought the charvel from didn’t play after shaking one off. Or dropping a deuce and not washing his hands or digging out some nostril boulders ?
I like the worn look on fenders after years of use. Not dirt on a fretboard. Some clean their fretboards every string change and once or twice a year condition the fretboard and some like the frets and fretboard to look like a hoarders house floor.
All personal preference.
Funny people will pay big bucks for a guitar that looks like it was dragged behind a truck for a few miles but if a amp head has a nick in tolex it looses half its value. Seems odd to me ???
 
I bought a San Dimas on eBay long ago. It had spent its whole life in Puerto Rico. When it got to the AZ climate, oh man, the drying out process took a long time and that thing just didn't play right until it had acclimated. I was afraid to use steel wool on the wood, as it felt moist for months and I didn't want to gum it up any more.
 
Yeah painted or sealed wood dries slowly over the years. Fretboards and necks seem to gain or loose moisture depending on climate.
If it gets too dry I imagine it can get brittle. I has a USA Jackson with a ebony fretboard that developed a crack in the fretboard. It was after that I paid more attention to neck and fretboard care.
People pay big bucks for a instrument and some don’t give two thoughts to regular maintenance or care.
 
So... I don't really care about it darkening. I know that's natural. I just kind of want to touch it up a bit and make it look a bit refreshed. I'm also worried that it'll feel slimy and grimy. Just wondering, should this be the case, what's the best thing to do to get it back to feeling smooth/clean? Just the steel wool?
 
WhiteShadow said:
So... I don't really care about it darkening. I know that's natural. I just kind of want to touch it up a bit and make it look a bit refreshed. I'm also worried that it'll feel slimy and grimy. Just wondering, should this be the case, what's the best thing to do to get it back to feeling smooth/clean? Just the steel wool?
Click to expand...
Or you can try the power washer as recommended
 
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