Fret Cleaner Recommendation: If You’re Unsure, Just Buy This! [Music Nomad MN104]

Hello!
I’m Takuto Fujioka, also known as the guitarist specialist chiropractor.

Do you take care of your guitar maintenance yourself?
Cleaning a guitar, polished to a shine from your own finger grime, can make you feel even more attached to it.

There are a ton of maintenance products available at Sound House, but with so many options, it can be tough to decide.
The one maintenance tool I struggled with the most is the fret cleaner.
Since frets are made of metal, I initially used the all-purpose metal polish, Pikal. However, being a petroleum-based product, it had a distinctive smell and felt greasy. When the blackened cloth would end up on my hands or guitar, I’d start wondering if I was really cleaning or just making a bigger mess. The masking and gloves required to avoid this became a hassle.

That’s when I discovered Fret Butter.
It’s a revolutionary fret cleaner that essentially says, “No need for tedious prep work—just wipe down the fretboard and frets together!” It even has a pleasant sweet scent, so you can clean your frets while feeling like you’re floating on air.

After a while of using Fret Butter, though, I started to wonder.

“Wait... it’s convenient to clean both the frets and fretboard at the same time, but isn’t that just spreading dirt between them?”

I began questioning whether I was actually cleaning or just moving grime around. I lost faith in my process.
So I went back to basics—masking the fretboard and trying an automotive compound.

Still, I wanted to use guitar-specific items for guitar maintenance. That’s when I came across this product while browsing Sound House:

Music Nomad / MN104

【MUSIC NOMAD MN104】
It’s a fret cleaner, despite its somewhat cryptic name.
What immediately caught my eye was the phrase ‘petroleum-free’, which was a must for me.
Since it’s hard to know how a product works until you try it, I placed an order right away!

With its glossy exterior and gold cap, this fret cleaner exudes a certain luxury.
It’s called Frine, apparently.

The back of the package claims:

＼＼＼The Ultimate Fret Cleaner／／／

What a bold statement. I finally found the one—
I couldn’t help but feel excited.

According to the product description:

• Enhances playability and prolongs string life.
• Leaves frets smooth and shiny.
• Effectively removes oxidation.
• Petroleum-free.
• Safe to use on all metal fret wires.
• 30ml content.

When I squeezed some onto a cloth, it felt more fluid than a typical compound.

With a water-like consistency, it seems like it’ll spread well with just a small amount. It reminded me of sunscreen.
This time, I’ll use a fretboard guard to polish without masking. I’m also checking how easy it is to wipe off if it gets on the fretboard because the fretboard guard can get the gap between the fingerboard and frets.

On the left is after polishing, and on the right is before.
My impression after trying it is that it’s a very user-friendly fret cleaner.
As I mentioned, the watery texture spreads easily with just a small amount, making it simple to wipe off without leaving residue between the frets and fretboard.
The finished result is smooth, as the product description claims. To compare it to skincare, it’s like applying lotion to your skin—not sticky, but leaving a soft and smooth feel. Polishes and cleaners often feel sticky afterward, but with Frine, your hands remain clean, so you can confidently restring right away.
And best of all, no smell! I never thought the absence of a scent on the guitar and my hands would be such a huge benefit until now.

Let me mention a couple of concerns, rather than just the positives.
First, the polish result—while the frets do get clean, I feel it’s a bit lacking in ability as a polishing agent. If you look closely at the photo, you can still see slight tarnish or scratches where the strings frequently make contact with the frets. I think products like Pikal or automotive compounds would give a shinier finish. I’ve also read reviews that Montreux polish is very strong for tough grime, so I’d like to try that someday.
Another thing is the amount. Since it spreads well, you can thoroughly clean with just a small amount, but with only 30ml, it might run out sooner than expected. It’s something I’ll only know after continued use, but I’d be happy if it lasts long.

In conclusion, I’d describe it as “not quite ultimate, but a solid, reliable fret cleaner anyone can safely use.”
In terms of overall ease of use, it’s the best fret cleaner I’ve tried so far. So if you’re unsure which fret cleaner to get, I’d highly recommend giving this one a try!
See you soon!

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