Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Stew Mac sells a handy little template kit called a "Fretboard Guard Part - # 3741" cost is around $11. and you get six of them. The Fretboard Guard fits over the fretwire and protects the surrounding fretboard, so you can work on the fret without risking damage to the immediate area. They're flexible and fit most fret sizes, you can tape them down if you're going to doing an extensive repair.

I use Neverdull to clean the frets, and fine guage steel wool to polish. If you feel ambitious you can get some fret files too, and dress and clean your frets.

I find that this particular Stew-Mac "convenience" is more hassle than it's worth. I just use a good quality masking tape (3M blue or bright green) and leave the fret tops exposed, then the polishing method of choice. Quicker and very easy!

Boy, I envy you guys' fastidiousness. I can hardly remember to dress and clean myself.

There is also a powdered Teflon lubricant available at Hobby stores. It's white instead of black like the graphite, and doesn't make nearly the mess.

beatlefreak wrote:There is also a powdered Teflon lubricant available at Hobby stores. It's white instead of black like the graphite, and doesn't make nearly the mess.

I just got my s\Strat back from an adjustment at my local luthier and he told me that pencil lead is the worst thing you can do to a nut, and graphite is not much better. There is a product called "Big Bends Nut Sauce" that is supposed to work best . Its Teflon impregnated, similar to the Teflon oil beatlefreak described.

The Teflon lubricant I described is powdered, dry, and comes in a tube similar to the graphite tubes. I found out about it several years ago when my son was in Cub Scouts. The Pinewood Derby races they haold every year banned graphite for use on the wheels because of the mess it creates. They do allow the dry Teflon lube.

Ric-O-Buc wrote:

beatlefreak wrote:There is also a powdered Teflon lubricant available at Hobby stores. It's white instead of black like the graphite, and doesn't make nearly the mess.

I just got my s\Strat back from an adjustment at my local luthier and he told me that pencil lead is the worst thing you can do to a nut, and graphite is not much better. There is a product called "Big Bends Nut Sauce" that is supposed to work best . Its Teflon impregnated, similar to the Teflon oil beatlefreak described.

Did your luthier repair guy give a reason why? Lots of these guys spread fables without any reason for what they say, just so they can sound authoritative to their musician customers, who they assume are tech ignorant. The only negative about graphite is the possibility of staining, and Kris' Teflon powdered stuff would take care of that.

Y'see, it all depends on whether you favor light or dark clothing when you perform...graphite will smudge the light and Teflon the darker colors.

But, seriously, I've never seen a nut or string (or fingertip) dissolve from the use of graphite or Teflon. "Nut Sauce" sells well, what with its double-entendre name and all. And some luthiers repair guys go through gallons every year.

I'm willing to be that a tube of powdered graphite or Teflon costs considerably less than the Nut Sauce, and will last a lot longer.