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green frets on a maple fretboard
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Author:  Conor_Searl [ Tue Oct 03, 2017 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  green frets on a maple fretboard

I wanted to experiment with a more readily available lacquer, that a cabinet maker friend recommended. It's a two part post cat system, and the finish seems hardy enough. However on the tele that I experimented with the edges of the frets have all gone green.

I've seen this on lots of old dirty guitars, but I've only done a couple string changes and been diligent in cleaning the fret board off when changing the strings. I can scrape the green off the frets with my fingernail, or the edge of a pick, so it doesn't seem like sweat is sinking in between the fret and the finish. I'm confused. I know I have pretty corrosive sweat and I'm brutal on strings, so I'm assuming this likely has more to do with my hands than it does anything else, but I've played lots of maple boarded guitars, with nitro and other poly finishes and never experienced this. Is it possible my sweat is reacting with this particular finish in a way it wouldn't with a more traditional instrument finish?

Author:  Chris Pile [ Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: green frets on a maple fretboard

Something in your finger funk is reacting with the metal of the frets - not the finish.

Author:  Conor_Searl [ Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: green frets on a maple fretboard

Chris Pile wrote:
Something in your finger funk is reacting with the metal of the frets - not the finish.


Haha, I figured as much. I assume it is likely then that the fretwire that was used in this neck is a different alloy than what Fender, Gibson or Martin would be using? (Those are my other main guitars, and I've never seen as much green on those frets.)

Author:  Chris Pile [ Tue Oct 03, 2017 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: green frets on a maple fretboard

I've seen lots of green discoloration on Fenders... On the older stuff where the finish looked inches thick it would grow right down past the surface of the finish.... Sorry, don't have anything better to help you out.

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