The Importance of a Clean Fretboard.

Apart from the strings, the fretboard is the part of the guitar that we touch most. This contact leaves behind dead skin, finger oils, sweat and anything that may be on our fingers, as well as dust and dirt from the environment. Eventually these ingredients create a nasty layer of unsightly gunk that leaves the fretboard looking dull and lifeless, and feeling sticky.

Not only is all this gunk unsightly, but it provides food that allows bacteria and moulds to grow, especially in the small gaps where the frets meet the fretboard and within the grain of the wood. If left without maintenance, these bacteria and moulds can eat away and decay the wood, resulting in loose frets, stains and pitting which can require the costly services of a luthier or guitar tech to remedy.

Regular maintenance and cleaning with high quality products, like Wraith Fretboard Cleaner and Wraith Fretboard Conditioner, can help prevent the adverse effects of sweat, dirt, bacteria and mould. These products not only clean the fretboard but protect, preserve and beautify the wood, making your guitar look and feel as great as it sounds.

One of the ingredients in our fretboard conditioner, rosewood essential oil (Aniba Rosaeodora), has been proven to have antimicrobial properties, helping to kill the bacteria and moulds that call your fretboard home and helping to preserve your fretboard.

Natural waxes have been used to seal wood against environmental factors for thousands of years. The natural waxes in our conditioner seals the board, stopping sweat and other liquids from soaking into the wood. These waxes also give the wood a long lasting, soft sheen that no other guitar care product can match.

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