Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What's a good way to clean a Ric from the brief non-lacquered fretboard era? I have a 620/12 that is in need of a cleaning, especially the frerboard.

Usually, I wax the body and fretboard all together. I imagine I need to be much more careful not to get the wax on the fretboard with this guitar.

Naphtha (lighter fluid) is a popular cleaning agent. Apply sparingly to your cleaning cloth (don't dribble it, especially near the nut where it might seep under the nut and affect the glue). It may be a little difficult to find & buy nowadays - I've only seen it at Walmart in the checkout lanes ("Ronsonol" lighter fluid, 8 oz. yellow plastic bottle). I imagine smoke shops carry it.

My local Walmart no longer sells it, apparently, although it's readily available via ordering:

https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Ronson ... 3AIn-store

I'd only buy Ronsonol, which truly has naphtha.


Some use info:

https://duckduckgo.com/?va=g&t=hj&q=nap ... tar&ia=web

As you can see, you might be able to use this on a variety of guitar parts. I'd be really hesitant about applying to RIC finishes... (no, I wouldn't do it). (There's a good chance this could remove unwanted wax.)

You should be able to pick up a quart can of naphtha from about any hardware store with a good paint department. It is a commonly used paint thinner and fairly mild as solvents go.

*Technically* speaking, all Rickenbacker fretboards over the last 7 decades have been non-lacquer.

Thanks for the suggestions on cleaning. Is steel wool ok on these fretboards? Also, any suggestions on oiling the fretboard?

Small pieces of steel wool will break off during use and these can accumulate on the pickup magnets. If you use this on an assembled guitar (pretty much the case with a set-neck Rick), then you would have to/should cover & tape off the pickups; a PITA, at best. I would avoid using steel wool. If you think you need something abrasive, then maybe a 3M pad would work. Cleaning with some naphtha and those plain small makeup remover pads would be most convenient; you can buy a pack of 100 for two or three dollars just about anywhere.

Long ago I read up on fretboard oil. I decided on this stuff, and I think it's good:

https://www.doctorsprod.com/product-page/fret-doctor .... Watch the application/use video there. Using a brush to spread out the oil seems good. I may try this next time, as I usually just apply oil to a small pad and then, in turn, apply the oil to the fretboard and work it in with the pad, repeating as necessary to achieve a decent saturation.

https://bolesblogs.com/2013/08/28/fret- ... rd-rescue/

I couldn't find my bottle of this; couldn't remember the name and had to search the Internet to run across it. While doing so, I saw that there were references to a multitude of oil recommendations as well as fretboard cleaning techniques. You should just do a couple of simple searches. But naphtha and Fret Doctor Oil work for me; we all have our preferences. The main thing to do is not screw up your guitar with some products/techniques/recommendations that are far out in left field.