Advice on cleaning a non finished maple neck

    Hope someone can help... I've been looking around on the web for some advice but it's not clear.


    I've just brought a yr 2000 Jackson PC1. It's pretty battered, but with a bit of polish (and a new floyd... previous owner must sweat pure acid !)it'll fix up pretty good.



    The only thing I'm unsure about is how to clean the fretboard and back of the neck. It's unfinished maple.


    Any one got a similar neck ? how do you clean it ? I use lemon oil on my rosewood fingerboards but I've heard it's a no no for untreated maple.



    Thanks


    Mike

    I second the comment on all maple necks being finisheed....well, sealed may be a better term. They are dipped in a sealer that soaks in and fills the grains. I use rubbing alcohols to clean my maple necks and fretboard. It'll break down the skin oils and grime then evaporate with no risk of soaking in.


    I use an old toothbrush with rubbing alcohol to get the crud off the fretboard. I also scrub my trem the same way to remove and nuetralize the acids. I sweat acid too. :)


    While we're on the subject, rubbing alcohol and a rag removes crud from strings too. Even better is a fine microabrasive scotchpad cut in strips. I wrap a strip around the string and go from end to end. They go from barb wire rough to nice and smooth again. Great for heavy handed players that shred finger skin onto the strings. If I don't do this, my acidic sweat and grime will eat a new set of strings alive while the guitar is sitting days after a gig.


    bd

    I support this! Great idea with the scotch pad! One guitar technician advised me to use a soft cotton cloth to wipe strings and fretboard every time right after playing. This helped me to save a lot to money on strings. I've got now a micro fiber cloth in every case and gigbag.
    When you say rubbing alcohol you mean something like isopropanol 70%? Will this work on painted necks as well or will it disolve the paint. I always used the like strong orange smelling furniture spray stuff for cleaning all of the guitar.


    Labrat

    regular iso 70% is fine. I use it on all finishes with no damage. The scotch pads are those green fiber pads from the hardware store used to sand and strip paint. Try the super fine ones meant to polish. They are like 000 steelwool. DO NOT USE STEEL WOOL. The steel strands stuck to your pickup poles and work into the windings and KILL your pickups. Unfortunately, I know this as a fact.


    bd