G:

TL;DR

• Fretboard oil = conditioner for unfinished wood (not a cleaner, not used everywhere)
• Your guitar is a entity["brand","DeArmond","guitar brand"] import (Indonesia-made, early 2000s)—nothing exotic that changes cleaning rules
• Whether you use oil depends entirely on what the fretboard is made of

1. What I meant by “fretboard oil” (and why it matters)

This is one of those terms that sounds more complicated than it is.

Fretboard oil = a very light conditioning oil
Used on:

• Rosewood
• Ebony
• Other unfinished dark woods

Purpose:

• Replace lost moisture
• Reduce that dry/ashy look
• Smooth feel slightly

It is NOT:

• A cleaner (it won’t remove grime)
• Something you use often (maybe 1–2× per year max)

2. The critical distinction (this matters more than anything)

You only use it if the fretboard is unfinished wood.

If your fretboard is:

• Dark brown/black, matte → use oil (lightly)
• Light maple, glossy/clear-coated → DO NOT use oil

Oil on a finished maple board just sits there and makes a mess.

3. Your specific guitar (from the photo)

From the back stamp:

• DeArmond
• “Crafted in Indonesia”
• Serial starting with IC00…

That lines up with early 2000s DeArmond imports (Guild/Fender-era production).

Typical specs for those:

• Rosewood fretboard (most likely)
• Poly finish on body/headstock (like what you’re seeing)

So:

You probably can use fretboard oil—but only lightly and only after cleaning.

4. What you should actually do in your situation

Given what you described (grime + green on frets):

Step order (corrected and simplified)

1. Dry clean first

   • Toothbrush
   • Toothpick for edges

2. Target frets (your concern)

   • Small amount of isopropyl alcohol on cloth/swab
   • Wipe frets only

3. Assess the fretboard

   • If it looks:
     • Dry/ashy → tiny amount of oil
     • Normal → skip oil entirely

4. If using oil

   • One drop on cloth
   • Wipe across several frets
   • Let sit ~2–5 minutes
   • Wipe OFF excess (important)

5. Why I didn’t emphasize oil earlier

Because:

• It’s optional
• It’s easy to overuse
• It doesn’t solve your main problem (grime/oxidation)

Your real issue = buildup + fret oxidation, not dry wood.

6. One correction to your assumption

You said:

“I don’t think you mentioned fretboard oil”

That’s actually good instinct—because:

Most people use it too often and for the wrong reasons

If you:

• Clean properly
• Keep strings reasonably fresh

You might barely need it.

Bottom line

• Your guitar is standard construction → no special cleaning rules
• Focus on mechanical cleaning + light fret solvent use
• Fretboard oil is a finishing step, not a requirement

And if the board doesn’t look dry after cleaning, skipping oil is the correct move.

G:

TL;DR

• Pickups = mostly safe to clean, but keep liquids minimal
• Grime on pole pieces/screws → mechanical first, then tiny solvent if needed
• Light rust = cosmetic; don’t overfight it
• Biggest risk isn’t damage—it’s getting liquid inside the pickup

What you’re actually dealing with

From your description:

• “skin layer” → oil + dead skin + dust (normal)
• “slight rust” → oxidation on steel screws/pole pieces (also normal)

These are surface issues, not functional problems.

Safe cleaning approach (do this in order)

1. Dry mechanical pass (start here)

• Toothbrush (what you already have)
• Toothpick for tight edges around screws

This will remove most of the gross layer without risk.

2. Light solvent (only if needed)

If the grime is stubborn:

• Use isopropyl alcohol
• Apply to:
  • cloth or cotton swab (NOT directly on pickup)

Then:

• Wipe/scrub the metal parts only
• Immediately follow with a dry wipe

Important constraint (this is the real rule)

Do not let liquid seep into the pickup housing

Pickups aren’t meant to be “wet-cleaned.”

• Liquid can get inside → coil or wiring issues over time
• Especially risky if:
  • There are small gaps around screws
  • Pickup isn’t fully sealed

So:

• No dripping
• No soaking
• No spraying anything

Rust on screws / pole pieces

You’ve got two options:

Option A (recommended)

• Clean what you can
• Leave the rest

Light rust:

• Does not affect tone in any meaningful way
• Is extremely common

Option B (if you want it cleaner)

• Very light rubbing with:
  • dry cloth
  • or slightly alcohol-damp swab

Avoid:

• Sandpaper
• Steel wool (magnetic debris risk near pickups)

What NOT to do (this matters more than what to do)

Avoid:

• Spraying cleaners directly
• Using WD-40 or oils (they migrate into electronics)
• Heavy scrubbing that flakes plating off screws
• Flooding with alcohol

One subtle thing people miss

Those “gross” screw tops:

• Often have tiny recesses
• Skin/oil packs into them over time

Best tool:

• toothpick tip + light rotation

It’s slow, but it works better than brushing alone.

Bottom line

• Your instinct to “just scrub it” is mostly correct
• Add:
  • toothpick detail work
  • tiny controlled alcohol use if needed

And stop short of trying to make it look factory-new—because chasing that is where people start causing damage.

G:

TL;DR

• That’s not just grime anymore — it’s embedded gunk + dried oils + light wood surface oxidation
• A toothbrush alone will never finish this in a reasonable time
• You need to escalate to:
  (1) scraper → (2) solvent-assisted wipe → (3) optional light oil
• You will not damage the fretboard doing this if you stay controlled

What I’m seeing in your photo

image_group{"aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["rosewood fretboard heavy grime buildup before after cleaning","guitar fretboard caked dirt embedded grain","dirty guitar fretboard between frets close up","fretboard cleaning halfway result streaky wood"],"num_per_query":1}

That streaky, gray-beige look:

• Packed dirt inside grain
• Hardened skin oils
• Possibly a bit of dead skin “plaque” layer

The key insight:

You are not cleaning a surface—you are excavating pores

That’s why brushing alone is stalling.

The correct escalation path (this is standard practice)

What you’re running into is exactly where most guides say:

“Switch from brushing to controlled mechanical + chemical cleaning.”

This aligns with common guidance from places like entity["organization","Fender","musical instrument manufacturer"] and entity["organization","StewMac","instrument repair supplier"]—they explicitly recommend removing buildup before conditioning.

Step-by-step (optimized for your exact situation)

1. Stop brute-force brushing

You already proved:

• It works
• But it’s inefficient and uneven

Continuing = wasted effort + unnecessary wear

2. Add a scraper (this is the missing piece)

Use:

• Wooden toothpick
• Popsicle stick
• Even a plastic card edge

Method:

• Go with the grain
• Light pressure
• Focus on dark/packed areas

You’ll see:

• Material lifting out in strips or flakes

This is the biggest improvement step.

3. Controlled solvent assist (now it actually matters)

After loosening:

• Very small amount of isopropyl alcohol
• On cloth or swab

Then:

• Wipe across the fretboard
• Follow immediately with dry wipe

This does two things:

• Breaks remaining oils
• Carries loosened debris out of pores

4. Re-brush lightly (short pass)

Now the toothbrush becomes effective again:

• Much less effort
• More even result

5. Optional: fretboard oil (only if needed)

After cleaning, evaluate:

If it looks:

• Dry / gray → use a tiny amount
• Normal → skip it

Oil will:

• Darken the wood
• Even out appearance

But it is not required

What you should NOT do (important here)

Do NOT:

• Spend 30 minutes per fret brushing
• Flood the wood with liquid
• Jump to steel wool yet
• Try to make it “perfect” in one pass

Reality check (this matters)

Even after proper cleaning:

• It may not look “brand new”
• Some discoloration = permanent wear or staining

That’s normal.

The goal is:

Clean, smooth, hygienic—not showroom fresh

The key shift in mindset

Right now you’re thinking:

“Why isn’t brushing enough?”

The correct model is:

Brushing = finishing step
Scraping = primary removal

Once you flip that, the whole job speeds up dramatically.

Bottom line

• You’ve hit the exact point where toothbrush-only stops being viable
• You need:
  • wooden scraper + light solvent assist
• This is standard, safe, and expected for this level of buildup

And yes—what you’re seeing is completely normal for a guitar that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time.

G: TL;DR

• Brats: 15–20 min total, medium heat, turn every few minutes
• Burgers: 3–5 min per side (medium), adjust a bit for thickness

Notes

• Brats: cook until firm and browned (internal ~160°F if you care)
• Burgers:
  • Thin → ~3 min/side
  • Thick → ~4–5 min/side

Also: don’t stab brats if you can avoid it—you lose juices.

G:

TL;DR

Yes — V7 and V8 use the same charger and docking system.

What actually matters

• Both V7 and V8 use:
  • Same voltage charger (26.1V)
  • Same plug type
  • Same wall dock style

Dyson themselves group them together:

• “Dyson V6™, V7™, and V8™ vacuum charger” are listed as the same category citeturn0search2
• Third-party and replacement chargers explicitly confirm cross-compatibility across V6 / V7 / V8 citeturn0search1

Practical answer

• Your V7 charger → will charge a V8
• Your V7 wall mount → will physically fit and charge a V8

No adapter needed. No rewiring. Just swap the vacuum.

Concrete example (same charger type)

product["turn0product1","Dyson V6/V7/V8 Charger 26.1V",{"render_as":"block","description":"Standard cross-compatible charger used across V6, V7, and V8 cordless Dyson vacuums."}]

That’s basically the shared ecosystem you’re in.

One small caveat (not a dealbreaker)

• Some V8 kits come with slightly different docks (tool holders, shape tweaks)
• But electrically and functionally → identical

Bottom line

• You can upgrade V7 → V8 and reuse everything charging-related
• The break happens later (V10 and up), not here

You’re still in the same “generation” of Dyson hardware.

G: Short answer: you’re half right, but in a misleading way.

What you’re remembering (the “truth inside it”)

Human skin oils do interact with unfinished wood (like rosewood/ebony fretboards):

• They can temporarily darken the wood
• They can make it feel smoother/slightly conditioned

That’s why old, well-played fretboards often look:

• darker
• “broken in”

So yes, there’s a kernel of truth:

contact from playing does affect the wood in a way that can look beneficial

Where the idea goes wrong

Skin oil is not clean oil. It’s a mix of:

• oil (sebum)
• sweat (salt + water)
• dead skin
• dirt from your hands
• environmental junk

Over time, that mixture:

• hardens into grime (what you just removed)
• holds moisture and salts against the wood
• can actually dry the wood out long-term
• contributes to fret corrosion (that green/gray you saw)

So:

What looks like “conditioning” is actually contamination + buildup

The correct model (this is the useful mental shift)

Think of it like this:

• Light, constant contact → harmless / mildly beneficial patina
• Accumulation over time → damaging buildup

Same principle as:

• cast iron seasoning vs. burnt grease layer

Why cleaning is still the right move

By cleaning:

• You remove:
  • salts
  • hardened debris
• You keep:
  • the underlying wood intact

Then if needed, you can add:

• controlled, clean oil (fretboard oil)

Which gives you:

• the benefits people think skin oil provides
• without the downsides

Practical rule going forward

• Normal playing → fine, no need to obsess
• Visible buildup → clean it
• Dry-looking wood after cleaning → light oil
• Otherwise → leave it alone

Bottom line

You didn’t invent a bad idea—you just stopped one step too early in the chain.

• Skin contact ≠ problem
• Skin buildup = problem

And what you cleaned off wasn’t “useful oil,” it was the part that had already gone bad.

G: You’re close, but the mechanism isn’t what you think.

Key correction:

The wood is not selectively “absorbing the good oil and leaving the bad behind.”
It’s mostly absorbing very little, and what stays is just a thin film until it builds into grime.

What actually happens

Unfinished fretboards (rosewood/ebony):

• Dense, tight-grained wood → low absorption
• They don’t drink in skin oil like a sponge

So:

• Light playing → leaves a micro-film on the surface
• Some of that slightly conditions the feel/appearance
• Most of it just sits there until it accumulates

Why it looks like beneficial absorption

Over time:

• Repeated contact + light cleaning →
  • evens out color
  • smooths the surface
  • creates that “played-in” look

That gives the illusion of:

“the wood is being nourished”

But really it’s:

mechanical wear + light surface conditioning + periodic removal of buildup

Where your model breaks

This part is the issue:

“maintenance removes the bad parts and leaves the beneficial oil behind”

In reality:

• Cleaning removes almost everything on the surface
• The “benefit” isn’t retained oil—it’s:
  • smoother wood fibers
  • cleaner pores
  • absence of corrosive residue

The more accurate model

Think of it like this:

• Playing → deposits mixed material
• Time → that material separates into:
  • harmless film (short term)
  • harmful buildup (long term)
• Cleaning → resets the surface
• Occasional fretboard oil → replaces what little conditioning you actually want

Why fretboard oil exists at all

If skin oil were reliably beneficial:

• You wouldn’t need it

But in practice:

• Skin oil is inconsistent and contaminated
• Fretboard oil is:
  • cleaner
  • controlled
  • predictable

Bottom line

You’re right that:

• contact itself isn’t harmful
• and contributes to a “played-in” feel

But wrong that:

• the wood is meaningfully absorbing and retaining “good oil” after cleaning

What you want is:

clean surface + minimal residue + occasional controlled conditioning

—not a curated layer of leftover human oil.

G:

TL;DR

• Same basics as guitar, but: fewer wraps, more tension, stretch slower
• Don’t over-wind, don’t kink the strings, and seat them properly at the bridge

The bass-specific differences (this is what people forget)

1. Fewer wraps on the tuning posts

• Bass strings are thick → don’t need many wraps
• Aim for:
  • ~2–3 wraps max
• Too many wraps = tuning instability

2. Don’t sharply kink the strings

• Guitar habit: bend the string hard before winding
• Bass: avoid sharp bends

Instead:

• Light guiding bend is fine
• But no aggressive crimping

Reason:

• Bass strings have a core + winding → kinking can weaken them

3. Seat the string at the bridge properly

This matters more on bass than guitar.

• Make sure the string:
  • is fully seated in the saddle groove
  • isn’t riding high or twisted

If not:

• You get weird tone or buzzing

4. Stretch slower and more gently

Bass strings:

• Take longer to settle
• Hold more tension

So:

• Tune up
• Light stretch
• Retune
• Repeat a couple times

Don’t yank hard like guitar strings.

5. Watch the nut slots

Thicker strings = more friction

If tuning feels:

• jerky
• “pingy”

You can:

• add a tiny bit of graphite (pencil) in the nut slot

6. String-through vs top-load (if applicable)

If your bass allows both:

• String-through body = more tension feel
• Top-load = slightly looser feel

Just be consistent with what you expect.

What stays the same

• Tune up gradually
• Keep downward angle over the nut
• Clip excess string after winding
• Check intonation later if needed

One thing people overthink

You do not need:

• special tools
• complicated winding tricks

Bass restringing is simpler than guitar once you avoid over-wrapping and kinking.

Bottom line

If you remember nothing else:

• 2–3 wraps
• no hard kinks
• seat the string cleanly
• stretch gently

That avoids 90% of bass restringing problems.