Removing 'ebonised' fretboard stain

Jools

Hi folks, first post so please be gentle...

So I got my hands on a old(ish) Ibanez AS80 and at first the fretboard just looked a bit dirty but on first clean (using dunlop 01) the cloth came away with a dark brown stain. I kept going but it just kept coming off.

I did a few googles and found a forum suggesting the stain was the cleaner sucking the life out of the Rosewood (sorry forgot to mention, it's a Rosewood board). I fear I was doing harm and asked around. Dunlop techs reassured me the 01 cleaner would not do this and this was either a manufacturer or owner stain. They said it would come out but would take some doing and the amount of cleaning and end result would depend on the cleaner used.

So my question is, does anyone have any experience of removing the stain from a fretboard, or even has tried ebonising a rosewood board, what stain did you use and why on earth why? Any help pointers or suggestions gratefully taken on board.

I do like the grain and colour of Rosewood and I am starting to see a real nice colour coming out but will I ever get it to show properly...

Cheers

Jools

octatonic

It is usually done on light (and therefore less desirable) pieces of rosewood.
I do not know for sure but I don't think you will be able to remove it.

jdbwales

Scrape the fretboard lightly and carefully with a razor blade.

Brize

Have you tried lighter fluid?

Roland

If it’s only coming off with the cleaning fluid, and not colouring your fingers when you play, then I’d be tempted to leave it. @WezV probably has a better idea.

WezV

jdbwales said:

Scrape the fretboard lightly and carefully with a razor blade.

This one.  2 or 3 razor blades for the board as you want them sharp.

if it’s coming away dark brown then that’s the stain they used, not black

if Fiebings is used on raw wood, and rubbed back well a few minutes later, it doesn’t lift at all.  But it’s likely this was done to the Ibanez after it left the factory as they have never been shy of a light board, and likely done on top of a fretboard oil

Jools

Thanks for the responses all.

I am currently using Dunlop fretboard cleaner and prep 01 followed by the deep condiitoner 02 in cycles.

I've done three cleans now I've noticed that some frets are producing less residue than others so it does look like an inconsistent amount of stain has been applied across the board. Backing up the thinking it's been done by a previous owner.

Haven't tried the razor blade route as I had assumed this works for grime that sits on the surface, but not for absorbed stain/oils. I can't seem to get any off onto my finger immitaing playing (not strung yet) so it definitely sitting in the wood but close enough to the surface to lift with a cleaner.

Also not tried lighter fluid, seems a bit harsh and am willing to go slow with some patience with the less intense cleaner.

I really want to see the colour of the rosewood, starting to see some of the lighter 'veins' (not sure what they are called) and love this aspect of rosewood. I have done a number of little repairs on this guitar now and am itching to hear how it sounds, yeah probably should have done this first...

If and when I get to a point where no more stain lifts I will post back with results in case it helps someone else doing the same.

Thanks again all.

Cheers

Jools

boogieman

I would try some lighter fluid on a soft cloth to see if it actually is a wood stain and any more comes off. It honestly won’t do any harm, it evaporates completely after a short while. 

vale

i've got a little 1960s teisco Et & the fretboard stain has just rubbed off like 3 day old mascara, not even worn away, leaving whatever wood they used for their boards clearly showing.
i suppose it depends on whether it's a deep stain or a surface laquer. i think if i took a baby wipe & some pent up aggression to mine i could probably get most of it off.

maybe experiment carefully & watch out for glued-on bits (binding, etc) if using strong solvents. & consider non-workshop things. for example, superdrug acetone-free nail varnish remover is amazing for getting years-old stickers off guitars. babywipes good for a quick non-harsh clean up. you don't always have to go full on chemical warfare to get a good result.

skunkwerx

Wouldnt surprise me if that dunlop prep 1 is close or pretty similar if not the same to naphtha which is pretty much lighter fluid. Evaporates real fast which is why it needs a condition afterwards. 

It may be slightly less harsh or diluted, but thats just my own speculation as there is no chemical content listings on the bottle.. 

Which, if any legal eagles are about, would that then mean its not something as harsh or hazardous as naphtha? 

Jools

I think you're right skunkwerx, the way it dries out the board it does work like I'd expect lighter fluid to work, dunlop techs did say it can do very little harm. As it's currently lifting the stain, or appears to be, I will continue with it and see where it gets me, then move onto the harder stuff if I get no joy.

skunkwerx

One thing to bear in mind though if you’re doing it often is the drying/moisturising could potentially loosen your frets. 

I’ve heard as the board is moisturised it can soften the wood, particularly under the frets if it seeps into the groove where the tang is which cant be reached to be wiped off. 

Jools

Hadn't thought of that, I don't leave it too long before conditioning but may revert this to a longer term project rather than get it done now. Good excuse to get the other repairs finished and restring... Thanks.