I am completely baffled.....

So I'm noodling on the Strat last night, just watching TV and playing unplugged on the couch. I notice my fingertips are FILTHY so I'm like, "Yeah it could use a new set of strings and a fingerboard cleaning." It was late so I put it off till tonight. I happen to have a few new packs of strings (recent switch to Ernie Ball from D'Addario) and I have the Dunlop cleaning kit.

I take the strings off and start with the cleaner & prep with a clean rag....the board is FILTHY. I clean the board, do a pass on the frets with a micro paper thingy in the kit, wipe the neck down again and apply the wood conditioner. As I'm removing the excess conditioner I'm noticing the rag is still turning BLACK. WTF!

I let it dry a few minutes and start with the cleaner again. A couple of squirts on a clean rag and start wiping the board down....BLACK!!! I keep turning the rag and it keeps coming back BLACK with every pass. This is an 95 American Standard Stratocaster with a rosewood board...I'm the only owner of this guitar and have never seen this before. Last time I cleaned the board was maybe 6 months ago....this did not happen then.

I finally got to where I THOUGH i was GTG. Strung her back up with fresh Ernie Ball 10's....tune, stretch, tune, stretch, etc. Start playing a bit....fingertips are BLACK, BLACK, BLACK.

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!!?

Anyone?!?!?

I got nothing, but am interested to find out the cause.

Shit....was hoping someone knew what was going on. I must have spent a good half hour wiping that board down last night. Tonight I'm removing the bridge so I don't have to restring it and taking an old t-shirt to that neck till it stops.

I can't figure this out.... The board looks gorgeous and clean.

Are you sure the cleaner you're using isn't stripping the paint or something?

Do you pick up anything with dry rags?  Not one of those oil impregnated things.

Paint on the fretboard??? Don't think so.
 






 

Rosewood board, no paint and clean rags.

As for the lemon oil, yeah...It's not like I'm cleaning the board with every string change. Last time I cleaned it was maybe 6 months ago, usually just wipe it down.

I got the Dunlop cleaning system as a stocking stuffer so I've been using it. It has a "cleaner/prep" spray that you spray on a rag and wipe down, then a "deep conditioner" which is most likely lemon oil.

Can't wait for the baby to go to sleep so I can get at this.

This.

I just rub in some lemon oil when they start to look a little dry, usually once a year.

That black stuff is probably just crud built up from over doing it with the conditioner.

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