Scour power

This was the Ibanez JPM neck which was under my care recently. Click here to know what I'm talking about: JPM revival. Take a look at how much gunk accumulated over the years. On most parts, you can barely see the wood grain. Removing this layer of dirt was a challenge. A mere rubbing off with mineral oil/ fretboard conditioner didn't work. It's been there for some time & turned stubborn. Several attempts were insufficient to solve the problem.

Enter the scouring pad. That's right folks, it's what Mums use in the kitchen to fight tough stains, including the effective removal of rice that had hardened overnight in the pot. Similar applications? You bet. If you are interested, please stick to the delicate version as indicated above. Luthiers would resort to zero grade steel wool but I do not believe in using a metallic supplement to get the job done because metal is still tougher than wood & it might result in scratching instead. The idea here is to preserve the fretboard's top most layer & only deal with the blanket of dirt.

I didn't use the entire piece for this assignment (each pack contains 2). Smaller, pinch-sized portions were used instead. Dab each piece into mineral oil/ fretboard conditioner before scouring the dirty surface. Add more as you go along. Judging by how black each piece is, you can tell how much dirt was successfully removed. These five pieces lasted me from the 12th fret to the 24th. 

Here's the end product of this assignment. Please invest in the necessary TLC for your loved instruments. Of course, you can trash one guitar & buy another but there are some things that are worth your time & effort, especially the ones that mean something to you. If you are clueless about how things should be done, send it to someone who knows.