What do you recommend for maintenance on (a) fretboards (mahogany), (b) laquer (as on a strat) and (c) on acoustic guitars (esp. the tops). By maintenance I mean cleaning, re-hydrating (seems like fretboards can really dry out sometimes) and polishing.
Tapehead- Couldn't help but overhear...
I've found that the simpler, the better. And lose the silicone. Fingerboards may lighten, but seldom need much other than a rubdown with a gentle abrasive cloth, like a scotchbrite pad. Some like to use steel wool, but I end up losing the bits and pieces in the rest of the guitar. Not good to get that stuff in the pickups. Fretboards are unlikely to be mahogany - usually if they're not a lacquered maple, they're a polished rosewood, rosewood substitute (pau ferro) or an ebony or ebony substitute (like phenolic). I wouldn't glop much of anything on a fretboard, although oil sure makes it look nice. Problem is, you want a dry fretboard or you will have wet and dirty strings. That's where a nice polishing comes in handy.
Lacquer begs for Pledge! But it's not a good idea for the same reasons you want to keep fingerboards clear. Whether an electric or acoustic, the main objective is to keep the surface clean and let the finish be the finish. If you have to use something (can't resist) then look for a product like Endust that professes not to be a wax. It makes little difference; they all seem to be full of silicone and that's the one thing you don't want on an instrument. You just never get rid of it. Meguiar's Mirror Glaze (check out an auto body supplier, Stewart - MacDonald's or
www.lmi.com )is a classic final buffer; just enough grit to clean and polish. It's also used to keep aircraft acrylic windshields clear; not much in the way of oil.
There. I feel much better.
[This message has been edited by Treeline (edited 03-23-2000).]