Polishing the frets... ...d'oh!

[Fabbio]

Hi guys!!!

Just a quick note to inform you all that I had a very '"d'oh!" moment yesterday: i took notice that the frets on all my guitars weren't exactly 'shiny' like the brand new ones I usually see in guitar shops. I decided to try and put a little silverware polish (the white one, you put it on the frets, let it dry, then wipe it away) on the frets of the most stained one, the trusty Ibanez RG731.

Just three words: OH MY GOD.

Years of dirt, sweat (and tears, I may add) had made a struggle bending strings easily and just having plain dexterity on that fretboard a wish.

Now I noticed that with zero friction and great tactlie sensations even my playing has improved a little. ANd it's very 'eye candy' to see those shiny frets on the fretboard. It felt like a new guitar and I quickly cleaned all the frets on the other three guitars.

And I was thinking of buying a new axe just for having that 'brand new' sensation on my hands. It took only a (roughly) 3 euros bottle of polish and a couple of hours (it's been more boring restringing the guitars than cleaning them).

Did you ever have an epiphany like this?

:Smokin::Smokin:

 

[Wolfeman]

I always polish mine with a small fret buffer every time I change strings... Good habit to get into...

 

[Notuern]

Everytime i change strings i pull out my kit of fine steelwool and lemon oil, and i drench the steelwool in the lemon oil, and i brush it gently over the entire fretboard, both wood and frets, just to get rid of all bumps that may occur in the wood and the frets.
And at the same time i adjust the intonation of the guitar, and check the height of the pickups etc.
This way i will always have a guitar that feels and sounds entirely new.
And ofcourse i always wash my hands before playing guitar, although it doesnt do that much of a difference in my case, sence im cursed with sweaty palms! :'(

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I polish my frets about twice a year. I use Silvo or Brasso, does the same job. Takes a while, but man, what a payoff!
Hawe's Lemon Oil is also recommended to clean & dress the neck once you've finished with the fret polish (use VERY sparingly).

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

steel wool #0000 mang. i use it everytime i change strings. i swab my ebony jackson deck and also hit the frets.. it removes everything. then i take a pussy hair worth of lemon oil and give 'er a rub.

 

[Fabbio]

Heh...

I guess it's like a thing that's so understated that it never occurred to me. Not even to my fellow bandmates.

Well, lucky me; I have a new tool in my bag of knowledge regarding guitars.

As for the sweaty palms... ...it happens. To me it's a small issue in summer when here in Italy the climate (weather?) is HOT and HUMID, in winter I have the exact opposite problem: especially when I play drums with my band it takes a little to warm the hands, otherwise the sticks tend to slip away from my hands because of no-friction.