My frets tarnish very quickly is this the same on most strats?

[Beau-Zam]

Hi, I have 2 , 2018 mexican player series strats, I love the guitars and have upgraded the pickups in them, but there is a couple of things I'd like to improve.
I've noticed the frets tarnish very quickly, within a couple of days after polishing they start looking dull and if left too long they get worse.. is there a way to polish the frets so they stay shiny for longer?

Also the other issue is the saddles are also getting spots of rust and look dull... they are the fender bent saddles.... could I buy a set of chrome or stainless steel ones and would they fit?

 

[Guy Named Sue]

The saddles you can just toss in a jar, pour a can of coca cola and leave it for a day or two. Then scrub it lightly, they will look shiny as new.

For frets, I use 0000# grade steel wool to polish up, it doesn't take much at all. Just cover the body so you don't get steel wool particles stuck to the pickups.

 

[nutball73]

I play all my guitars as mu h ss possible. The playing keeps the frets shiny.

 

[CyFan]

Keep in mind that the chemistry between you and your guitar is more than just creative. If you sweat while playing, and who doesn’t occasionally, and fail to wipe down your fretboard and strings adequately this kind of tarnish can occur. Some people’s personal chemistry is very caustic in this regard and therefore even more important to wipe things down.

 

[brians]

Keep in mind that the chemistry between you and your guitar is more than just creative. If you sweat while playing, and who doesn’t occasionally, and fail to wipe down your fretboard and strings adequately this kind of tarnish can occur. Some people’s personal chemistry is very caustic in this regard and therefore even more important to wipe things down.

This is the trick. I am fanatical about wiping strings and fretboard when I'm finished playing and it pays off. When I do polish my frets I use Autosol metal polish, it does a great job and my frets don't tarnish. You can use it on the saddles too.The one area that tarnishes quickly for me are the two pickguard screws under my hand, but a bit of the same polish works.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L22 using Tapatalk

 

[Red Bread]

They make erasers in different grits of abrasiveness just for fret polishing
They work great!
Easy to use and much less chance of scratching your fret board wood
You can get that StewMac or on Ebay cheap
When i restring a guitar i like to go over my frets with 1000 grit one
When i have to recrown or level frets they take the file marks out quick and easy,,ill use 180 then 400 grit to clean them up and 1000 grit to polish
In my opinion much better for fret and boards then OOOO steel wool and no chance of the steel wool particles to get in my pick up magnets

 

[vid1900]

Don't use steel wool on a guitar!

Don't bring magnets or soldering guns, near your pole pieces!

Don't wax rosewood fretboards!

Different batches of fretwire lose their luster and oxidize at different rates - get stainless when you re-fret...

 

[Beau-Zam]

Thanks everyone

 

[spizike231]

Don't use steel wool on a guitar!

Don't bring magnets or soldering guns, near your pole pieces!

Don't wax rosewood fretboards!

Different batches of fretwire lose their luster and oxidize at different rates - get stainless when you re-fret...

Why so?

I’ve used steel wool on my Taylor every time I change strings.. to clean the fretboard and frets.

Same with my Strat since I got it in 2016. No issues.

Just make sure to cover the pickups or sound hole with a paper towel so you don’t have anything magnetized to the pickups.. even if something does stick, just remove it.

 

[Cerb]

If the frets tarnish you don't play it enough

 

[Thrup'ny Bit]

The strings polish the frets where they need to be polished. Just wipe the blood and sweat off before you put the guitar away.

 

[Miotch]

Never polished my frets unless leveling. Mine don’t do this but I have a neutral ph chemistry. Wipe down after every time you play. About the only other thing you can do is maybe change your diet. I wouldn’t worry too much about frets unless they get rough and impede a smooth bend. But even strings last about 3 times longer if you wipe them down every time