Cleaning/maintaining my tribute Legacy neck

[sassafrassquatch]

I have a recent (Indonesia made) Tribute legacy with the maple fretboard. I bought lemon oil with the intention of cleaning it, but the internets quickly told me that on a maple fretboard lemon oil is a no go.

I cant tell if the fretboard is finished or not and not sure where to find that info so, what would be the best way to keep my fretboard clean?

Also, is there anything else I should be doing in terms of maintenance. Right now I just wipe down dry often, and use a guitar polish occasionally.

[louis cyfer]

it is finished, no maintenance needed for the fretboard.

[suave eddie]

I thought there was a recent thread about this.

I cant tell if the fretboard is finished or not and not sure where to find that info so, what would be the best way to keep my fretboard clean?

Maple fretboards are always finished. If you look at a very used maple board you can see where the finish has worn through and the maple rapidly turns dark and ugly (IMO). So the only maintenance needed is when it gets really dirty and gunk builds up behind the frets--in which case you can use Naptha (lighter fluid) to clean it (it evaporates cleanly).

[Boogie Bill]

On a maple board, a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth is about all you need. Most modern finishes are poly, and are quite durable. A spritz of cleaner polish, like the Dunlop 65, won't hurt it--but it you have a satin finish, it won't do much in the way of polishing.

On a nitro finished maple neck and board, like my vintage Fender, I liked to use a bit of carnauba wax to protect it. Back in the '70s there was a company called Tres Amigos that made a fantastic carnauba product, but these days I use either Planet Waves' or Dunlop's products.

Lemon oil is fine for a rosewood or ebony board, but they only need to be treated a few times a year. Again, a damp rag will remove 99% of the dirt and contaminants, just wipe it dry; and then apply your oil. Some people swear by bore oil, various linseed products, Howard's Orange Oil, etc. I like the Dunlop 65 Fretboard Cleaner, followed by their Conditioner. I also like Gerlitz Guitar Honey on my fretboards.

Tools need to be kept clean to maintain maximum performance and a guitar is no different. You're on the right track. And remember to maintain your instrument at the proper temperature and humidity levels.

Good luck!

Bill