I use a little lemon oil to clean maple boards, it’s only to lift the DNA and won’t do any damage to the funish/seal, extream cases I’ve used lukewarm soapy water..maple fretboard are more hardy than you think.

The maple fretboard on my Fender Strat is now 5 years old. It is factory coated with a very hard varnish, and is super smooth. In spite of all my bending, hammering on, and other abuse, it is still in perfect condition. I have never cleaned it or even wiped it down, and it still looks pretty much like new…even though I play on it for at least an hour every day. The reason I wanted a maple fretboard is because they are significantly smoother than rosewood or other fretboards, and therefore it’s easier to bend notes on them. When it wears out, I will order a new neck from Fender, unbolt my old one, and bolt on the new one. Takes about 15 minutes. But I predict this one will last at least 10 more years.

This is the way that a maple fingerboard should look!!

This is a close up of Brownie, the Strat that EC used on the Layla album and the pic is from the back album cover of that name

I polish my frets with an 8000 grit fret eraser using a proper sized fretboard protector, wipe of any crumbles, then i use the fender polish on the whole guitar. Just a spritz or two on a clean microfiber rag. Seems to work as advertised.

Tim Lee wrote:

Yep, he played the heck out of that one!

This is my favorite track from the Layla album, its a great interplay between EC and Duane Allman. Tom Dowd, producer of the album, walked into the control booth as this was being played, realized that it was a totally impromptu jam and he hit record. Great live take

Clapton used a Fender Champ and Duane used a Princeton Reverb for the entire album – no effects

Still hard to believe that Duane was only 24 when this was recorded

I’d be careful with what cleaning products you use on it genaral things advertised as soap have a load of chemicals in them as well and I’d get a pure liquid soap product.

For general grime I use a toothpick along the edges of the frets and what’s called a nano sponge to get the rest of the grime off. You just have the sponge damp, I originally got them to clean my keyboard and mouse the ones I have were cheap from China and we’re advertised for taking marks off painted walls without damaging them that type of thing.

They are very mildly abrasive but everything I’ve used them on doesn’t appear to be marked in any way.

On another note the current poly coating on fenders could survive a nuclear explosion, the older fenders used to chip and age I’ve not seen an example of one from the last few years and where they has been damage it’s bruised the wood and the coating has flexed with it.

On yet another note you can make a fret guard out of plasticard which will let you Polish the frets.

As for Clapton’s Strat, he probably played on it 8 hours a day for 40 years….

Tim Lee wrote:

Hi guys,
I’m thinking of trading in some of my guitars and buying a Fender Player Strat over the holidays. The one I’m looking at has a maple fretboard but I’m concerned with how best to clean the fretboard. I don’t want to stain or damage the f/board so do y’all just run a damp cloth over it to get off any finger marks?
Appreciate any replies on this.
Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S.
Thanks,
Tim ( Phoenix, AZ )

Just to mention over in the UK the USA Fender elites (replaced by the ultra) are being heavily discounted the compound radius necks are pretty sweet and the noiseless pickups are great for your generic strat sound. Discounts are in the 4/500 mark.

Mm just looked up player strat different price bracket sorry