How to Clean a Fender Fret Board

Keep your Fender looking new.

Keep your guitar clean and looking new with regular maintenance. Regular cleaning keeps all your guitar parts moving as they should, also giving you a cleaner sound. Polishing your fret board protects the finish and helps your fingers to slide smoothly up and down when you are playing. Fender fret boards are often ornate or made with expensive wood. You can get cleaners that are designed for your wood type, or a general purpose cleaner from your local music supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers
• Phillips screwdriver
• Fret board cleaner
• Toothbrush (optional)
• 2 soft cloths

Instructions

1. Reduce the tension on the strings by turning the nuts loose. Cut all the strings with a wire cutter, just below the nuts.

2. Use the needle-nose pliers to unwind the ends of the string from the nuts. This will prevent you from getting your fingers poked by loose wires.

3. Turn the guitar over and use the Phillips screwdriver to remove the six screws which keep the back plate in place. Take the strings and push them toward the bottom of the guitar. Pull the strings free from the frame through the back of the guitar.

4. Spray some fret board cleaner onto the fret board and run the soft cloth up and down. If you haven't cleaned your Fender in a while, use a toothbrush to remove debris.

5. Rub the fret board down with a clean, soft cloth. Restring the guitar.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use abrasive cleaners.

References

• Aces and Eights: Fender Stratocaster

Resources

• Guitar Repair Bench: How to Setup, Repair, and Intall an Electric Guitar Nut