Advice For Oiling

[Shakin-Slim]

Now, I know I'll probably be told to search for this but it's hard to find anything specific when it comes to oils, because it usually recedes into discussion over which oil is better without technically answering the question.

So, I have a Warwick with a bubinga body and wenge neck and fretboard and a Fender with a rosewood fingerboard. Could someone please tell me a good oil specific to each of these woods or one that will work for all of them, and the best way to go about doing this. Cheers

Shaun

[snyderz]

I like Howard's Feed N' Wax on Warwick bodies, and orange oil on rosewood boards.

[Shakin-Slim]

Cool I'll look into that. The only problem is most of these brand names I can't find here in NZ but I'll look into the orange oil.

[walterw]

warwick recommends and sells a specific wax for their unfinished instruments. i wouldn't use anything else.

fenders come with some kind of hardened oil coating on their rosewood, you probably don't need to even mess with it.

real orange oil or lemon oil is an acidic solvent, good for severely cleaning stuff but that's it. most "lemon oil" is just inert mineral oil with fragrance added. it might provide a little water resistance, but that's about it.

[Chasarms]

I wouldn't put anything on the Fender FB.

[ia02]

One reputable local luthier here in St. Louis MO uses a product called "Williamsville Wax" on rosewood/ebony/unfinished fretboards. It is available at woodcraft.com.

"Williamsville Wax is an 18th century cabinetmakers' formula of beeswax, lemon oil and other natural oils. It preserves, protects, and enriches the beauty of fine furniture. Contains no silicones, detergents, solvents, turpentines or other flammable ingredients."

At his reccomendation I used it on my rosewood fretboards on my basses and my Taylor acoustic. It soaks in fast an lasts a decently long time. I wouldn't use it more than once or twice a year. Clean the fretboard and shine the frets with 0000 or 00000 steel wool first and the finish with the wax.

No idea on the Warwick, other than the stuff warwick reccomends,which I believe is some type of wax.

[Holdsg]

Originally Posted by ia02

One reputable local luthier here in St. Louis MO uses a product called "Williamsville Wax" on rosewood/ebony/unfinished fretboards. It is available at woodcraft.com.

"Williamsville Wax is an 18th century cabinetmakers' formula of beeswax, lemon oil and other natural oils. It preserves, protects, and enriches the beauty of fine furniture. Contains no silicones, detergents, solvents, turpentines or other flammable ingredients."

At his reccomendation I used it on my rosewood fretboards on my basses and my Taylor acoustic. It soaks in fast an lasts a decently long time. I wouldn't use it more than once or twice a year. Clean the fretboard and shine the frets with 0000 or 00000 steel wool first and the finish with the wax.

No idea on the Warwick, other than the stuff warwick reccomends,which I believe is some type of wax.

I took your advice and ordered me some Williamsville Wax for my vintage Tobias Growler (natural, some kind of oil finish that was well aged) for both the body and fretboard. I am very pleased with the results. Brought out some lustre from the wood that I hadn't ever seen before, and the fretboard feels quenched. So thanks from a new convert.

[ia02]

Originally Posted by Holdsg

I took your advice and ordered me some Williamsville Wax for my vintage Tobias Growler (natural, some kind of oil finish that was well aged) for both the body and fretboard. I am very pleased with the results. Brought out some lustre from the wood that I hadn't ever seen before, and the fretboard feels quenched. So thanks from a new convert.

Awesome. Happy to help. If you use a very small amount at a time the bottle will last forever. I think I've been using mine for two or three years and probably still have 90% of it left. Great stuff!

[lethargytartare]

I'm in the "do nothing" camp -- used to oil my FBs, but don't any more. And if I did change my mind there, for a warwick I'd agree with Walterw -- I'd use what warwick sells/recommends.

BTW: they have a funny comment in their manual covering maintenance of the FB:

"All fingerboards that come standard with Warwick basses are not lacquered and thus require a little maintenance once in a
while to avoid getting rough or dull.
To clean and protect the fingerboard use products specially made for this purpose and that are available at selected stores or specialist shops. Please refer to the manufacturer's product information to achieve the desired result. You can also use the
Warwick Beeswax for your fingerboard's maintenance."

So maintenance to avoid it getting rough or dull -- which doesn't sound like high-priority stuff. But the second part is the best -- a whole lotta words that don't actually say anything: "use products specially made for this purpose" - presumably you're reading this manual to find out what those are. "at selected stores or specialist shops" since you (the manual) didn't say what they were, it'd be hard to know WHERE to find them (the unidentified "them," that is). "achieve the desired result" whatever that is -- beyond "clean and protect," without some definition of what you're protecting the FB FROM, it's all nicely ambiguous. And then closes with "or use our beeswax, which we recommended for everything else." LOL I have to think someone told them this was the best way to recommend their own product without actually claiming that it is the ideal or preferred option...maybe to avoid the whole fretboard-care debate...great stuff...

[Hookus]

I work as a woodworker by trade, as a job, and on any unlacquered wood bodies I would use Briwax, and on a rosewood or ebony FB I use teak oil after cleaning it with turpentine.