I've scoured the internet and found many different opinions on the subject so I'm asking here.
What's the best method of getting scratches out of a Rosewood fretboard?
My beloved Fender Telecaster has some ugly scratches on the board and some small grooves either side of every fret near both ends of the fret wire.
They have no impact on intonation or playability whatsoever, but they're there and I see them everytime I play the damn thing. I could live with them if it was me that did it, but they are unfortunately the work of a shoddy tech that got lazy with a fret file... (22 times).
I've heard 0000 Steel Wire Wool is good. Some people suggest ultra fine wet/dry paper. The scratches are in the centre (near the dot marker) of the 3rd, 4th & 5th fret. The grooves are at the end of the fret wire but still on the rosewood; both sides of each end (4 per fret, if you will). I think that the best I can hope for them is to soften them up a bit.
Any advice much appreciated.
Comments
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The fretboard was probably finished with a radius block and sandpaper in the first place so you don’t need to be shy about using it.
The tech left the metal filings from the frets stuck to the pole pieces when I picked it up. That should've been a clear sign that it was something of a rush job.
I don't like to let aesthetic dents and marks bother me too much as they give a guitar some character - but paying for someone else to make those dents for you sucks.
Anyway thanks for the tips, all. I'm gonna give it a go with sandpaper tomorrow. I'll take some before and after photos so you can gaze in horror at my workmanship..!