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Thread: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

  1. #1

    PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Hello everyone, i would kindly like to ask for your help and advice regarding the following:

    I recently ordered a new Fender CD-140 SCE as my beginner guitar at a professional music store. On the frets at the bottom end of the fretboard, i noticed these greenish adherences on the frets. I don't think this is something a new guitar should have. However, i'm no guitar expert. Could these traces be resulting from oxidation or could it even be mold? Is this something to worry about?
    This is the second a guitar i got from the store; i already replaced it once, since the first one showed similar adherences on the frets and also unusual traces on the fretboard itself. Now i'm thinking of returning this one as well and ordering it somewhere else.

    Thanks in advance!

    Images:



  2. #2
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Geez, is everything going green these days?

    (Sorry, I don't have a clue. Can you remove it with fretboard cleaner?)


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  3. #3

    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Thank you for your reply!! I'm sorry that my text above the pcitures is hardly readable, don't know why it has this blue color..
    I didn't try to remove it and have no fretboard cleaner yet, might give it a try or just return the guitar, since it is completely new..

  4. #4
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    I re-read your post again (color schemes are an oddity on this board sometimes; as you can see, I "season" my text specifically) and I noticed this time that it's an acoustic guitar. I still don't know what it is you've got, but I'm wondering if it could be some form of mold due to humidity. Does the store where you bought it have a climate-controlled room? It could be fluctuations in heat and humidity have caused this build up on the fretboard. If that's the case, and everything else about the guitar suits you, a simple cleaning should take care of it.
    Striving to be ordinary

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  5. #5
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Hand sanitizer is everywhere now, try it!

  6. #6
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Might be worth a try, but according to the CDC:

    DO NOT

    • Rinse or wipe off the alcohol-based hand sanitizer before it’s dry; it may not work well against germs.
    • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean surfaces. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is not designed to clear or disinfect surfaces.
    • Store alcohol-based hand sanitizer above 105°F (for example, it should not be stored in a car during the summer months).
    • Swallow alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning.
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  7. #7
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    I’m going to go with some sort of oxidation of whatever alloy those frets are made of. I always thought that frets were stainless steel but apparently “nickel silver” is also common. That alloy might be the source of your issue if it’s oxidation.

    I would research this first but my first guess at a remedy is a weak solution of vinegar and water on a damp rag.

  8. #8
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    I think it's residue from building it. Looks like the green is mostly in a line down the E and A strings and the B and E strings. Like they ran a polishing wheel down the neck and left the compound or something. I'll bet when they polished the sides of the neck the cloth wheel ran over onto the fretboard.

    I wouldn't worry about it. If you play it enough that will either go away or be replaced by even more crud. If it will wipe of easy with lemon oil go for it, otherwise ignore it and start rocking.

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  9. #9
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    I'm thinking it's more polishing compound from when they did the fretwork.
    Can you rub it off? You may need to loosen strings to get to it, but scrape a little with a fingernail or Xacto blade. If it comes off easy, don't worry about it. You can probably even leave it be until you change strings to get to the whole fretboard.
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  10. #10

    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Thanks again to everybody for their replies! I decided to keep the guitar. The green spots could be easily scratched off, though i didn't completely clean the frets yet. So it could've indeed been polishing compound residue.
    Guess I'm gonna start practicing now! :)

    Thank you!

  11. #11
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    ENJOY that guitar!!!
    Striving to be ordinary

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  12. #12
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    I'm really glad that this issue is solved. Congratulations, and to reiterate oldstrummer, Play that bad boy!
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  13. #13

    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Thank you!! Really glad I started learning during these crazy times.
    Stay safe you all! :)

  14. #14
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    From what I've read and heard, a lot of people have been learning guitar during this crisis. Of course it's an awful time, but it has given people time to slow down and pursue new interests. There'll be a whole new set of players coming out of this, and that, at least, is a good thing.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  15. #15

    Re: PLEASE HELP - Green adherences on frets of new guitar

    Indeed it is. Gotta see the good in everything!!

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