You probably know that the guitar fretboard is filled with guitar strings and parts called frets. Other people might not know that there are actually tabs for every string on the fret board and even more importantly, how to clean the fretboard. How clean a guitar fretboard is important because it makes tuning and maintenance of guitars much easier. The last thing you want is to have to listen to that atrociously dirty, Jazzmaster-Esque, string noise all day long. Luckily, there is a simple way to get your guitar fretboard back in order: Clean it! So here’s how:
How To Clean A Guitar Fretboard?
1. Get your guitar fretboard wet
If you want to use a liquid cleaner, you can simply spray the entire fretboard with it. However, for best results, you should use a dedicated cleaner. The best cleaners for guitar fretboards are:
2. Get your guitar fretboard dry
You might think that the process of cleaning the guitar fretboard is complete after getting it wet and then drying it off, but that’s not quite right. You need to get rid of all remaining moisture on the surface of your frets (and I don’t mean with a towel). To do this, simply blow dry your guitar after getting it wet and dry. If you want to get rid of any remaining moisture on the surface, first use an air compressor to blow air all over it until there is no more moisture left on your frets; this will ensure that there won’t be any more water left in the pores of your frets after drying them off.
3. Apply finish
After cleaning and drying up all moisture from your fretboard, you can now apply a high-quality finish on top of the wood surface if you so choose. This will make sure that future dents or scratches won’t show up through the finish layer and will keep them hidden from view. The best product for this purpose is Gibson’s Fretboard Conditioner or any other high-quality wood conditioner or finish (such as PPG’s Ultra Finish). This will also make sure that your frets won’t get any dirt or leftover moisture from the fretboard, so you will have to clean them again at some point.
What Is The Correct Finger Type On A Guitar Fretboard?
1. Number of frets
The most commonly used finger in a guitar is the index finger. It is used to fret the strings on the first, second, third, and fourth frets. The next most commonly used finger is the middle finger. It is used to fret all strings on the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth frets. The ring finger has a special role in that it can be used to play any string on any fret. Finally, there are the pinky fingers which can be used to play all strings on all of the remaining frets (except the very highest ones).
2. Fingerstyle
There are two different finger styles that can be used: the flat finger style and the rounded fingerstyle. The flat fingerstyle is in the form of “fingernails” or with your fingers pressed on the fretboard. The rounded fingerstyle is when you use your fingers like a pick and press down on the string.
3. String type
The strings used on a guitar are either nylon or steel. Nylon strings have a brighter tone than steel strings, and they are more popular among rock musicians because of this reason. However, steel strings can produce a much warmer sound than nylon, so if you want to play mellower music then it’s recommended that you use steel strings instead of nylon ones.
4. String gauge
The size of the string is measured in millimeters, and this measurement is known as the gauge. The most commonly used gauges are 12-52, 10-46, and 10-46. The size of the string, in turn, determines the pitch it produces. The lower the number of the string’s gauge, then the higher its pitch will be.
5. String height
The height of a string can be measured by using a ruler to measure from one side of each string to another side and then multiply this number by 2. This will give you the approximate distance between these two points on each string. This is an important measurement because it determines how easy or difficult it is to play each individual note accurately on your guitar neck. If you have a high fretboard then your strings should be adjusted so that they sit at about this same height or slightly above it so that you can play all of your notes without needing to bend them too much or use any excessive pressure when strumming them with your fingers (see image below).
Why Is The Fretboard So Dirty?
1. The action of the strings
The height of the strings is another factor that determines how easy or difficult it is to play each individual note accurately on your guitar neck. If you have a high fretboard then your strings should be adjusted so that they sit at about this same height or slightly above it so that you can play all of your notes without needing to bend them too much or use any excessive pressure when strumming them with your fingers (see image below).
2. The shape of the fretboard
You may have noticed that some frets are so badly worn out that they look like they’re made from a different material than the rest. This is because there are two types of frets, one for metal and another for wood. When metal and wood are combined, the result is a composite material known as ebony, which has a much smoother surface than either metal or wood alone. So if you notice some very worn-out frets in particular on the low E-string side then this could be due to damage caused by wood being used in place of metal on those particular frets.
3. The type of strings used
The most common types of strings are: – Nickel-plated steel – Chrome-plated steel – Nickel-plated copper – Chrome-plated copper
4. The age of your guitar
A guitar with a high action may be easy to play but it will also sound thin and lacking in bass response. On the other hand, a guitar with low action may not be as easy to play but it will have a lot more bass response, especially when played through an amplifier or effect pedal (see image below).
5. The amount of wear on your guitar neck
This is another factor that determines how easy or difficult it is to play each individual note accurately on your guitar neck. If you have a high fretboard then your strings should be adjusted so that they sit at about this same height or slightly above it so that you can play all of your notes without needing to bend them too much or use any excessive pressure when strumming them with your fingers (see image below). A worn-out fretboard is more likely to cause unwanted string buzz if you don’t regularly retune the strings. This is because the metal used in the fretboard becomes thinner and thinner as time goes by and so the metal will begin to vibrate at higher frequencies than before which can cause string buzz if not properly dealt with in some way (see image below).
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a good idea of what factors affect the sound of your guitar and how to deal with them if they ever become an issue. Just remember that: – Your guitar should be set up properly by a professional at least once every 2-3 years. – If you notice any excessive rattling noises coming from your guitar then adjust the truss rod immediately so that it’s tightened enough to stop the rattling but not so tight that it causes damage to your neck or fretboard.
