applying olive oil

Platypus_Of_420 · #1 02-09-2006, 05:24 PM

hey, i'm thinking about putting some olive oil on my squier affinty p bass' neck and fingerboard, the search forum didnt really tell anything. would it be best for the neck or the fingerboard? and how much should i put on the neck/fingerboard? i've never applied oils to a neck before and some help would be greatly appreciated.

for reference, the fingerboard is rosewood

adept_inept · #2 02-09-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platypus_Of_420

hey, i'm thinking about putting some olive oil on my squier affinty p bass' neck and fingerboard, the search forum didnt really tell anything. would it be best for the neck or the fingerboard? and how much should i put on the neck/fingerboard? i've never applied oils to a neck before and some help would be greatly appreciated.

for reference, the fingerboard is rosewood

im not sure about the oil, but im digging the mitch hedberg quote in the signature

hedberg was the ****... too bad he died in my state...

Platypus_Of_420 · #3 02-09-2006, 06:22 PM

ah yeah i feel ya, sad days. i didnt even know he died til last summer, when i found out i was pretty pissed off. he was and still is one of my favorite comedians.

Platypus_Of_420 · #4 02-09-2006, 07:11 PM

anyone????!! it cant be that hard to explain

mactac · #5 02-09-2006, 07:14 PM

i wouldn't do that.... it'll start to stink when it rots.

try beeswax or lemon oil or something

SGT. Pepper · #6 02-09-2006, 07:21 PM

Olive oil is fine. A guitar buddy of mine swears by it and all of his Les Pauls are $1200.00 and above. Use it sparingly as you should any oil. One drop per fret for the first 12 and one drop every other fret for 13 to 20-24.

Platypus_Of_420 · #7 02-09-2006, 07:28 PM

how do i drop the oil on there? what do i need to use to drop it? do i need to spread it?

as i said before, i have absolutely no idea to what i'm doing when it comes to this.

Magneto · #8 02-09-2006, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGT. Pepper

Olive oil is fine. A guitar buddy of mine swears by it and all of his Les Pauls are $1200.00 and above. Use it sparingly as you should any oil. One drop per fret for the first 12 and one drop every other fret for 13 to 20-24.

I'll bet there are many oils that could be used successfully, but not sure if I would experiment with them on my basses.
"Use it Sparingly" is very good advice. With any oil (especially used on fretboard) using just the right amount is important. JUST a touch too much and your fretboard will be weeping oil onto your strings like crazy. And it doesn't matter how well you originally wipe it off, it still weeps.

If you try it, let us know how it works out...

Mag...

fretlessrock · #9 02-09-2006, 07:53 PM

Vegetable oils like olive oil turn rancid. Not if. When. When it turns rancid you will wish you hadn't used olive oil on your bass.

the_home · #10 02-09-2006, 08:44 PM

As mentioned above, olive oil will turn in certain weather conditions (or eventually even if kept indoors). It is also a heavy oil and is not absorbed by the wood as readily as a lighter oil.

I have always used lemon oil as a fretboard treatment. There are also commercially available formulations for keeping your board from drying out too much.

I'd stay away from the heavy oils, myownself.

Platypus_Of_420 · #11 02-09-2006, 09:52 PM

aahhh alright, lemon oil it is. when i get some i'll put some on my neck and fingerboard. how do i put it on there, how much on the neck and fingerboard, and what do i need to spread it with, etc.

nappingcracker · #12 02-09-2006, 10:05 PM

I take a good, cotton "face" cloth (tight weave, very soft) and hold it on top of the open lemon oil bottle, tip the bottle to wet the cloth clogging the top, and then dab the first few frets before rubbing parallel to the fret. if it seems like you have too much on the cloth, just rub the excess over the next few frets before evening it out.

A dab'll do ya, much better do do very little over time than to drown it all at once. keep your guitars in good humidity above 50%, (i keep it %60-65, cold dry area with gas heat). you do not want to rot the wood, just keep it protected.

Platypus_Of_420 · #13 02-09-2006, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nappingcracker

I take a good, cotton "face" cloth (tight weave, very soft) and hold it on top of the open lemon oil bottle, tip the bottle to wet the cloth clogging the top, and then dab the first few frets before rubbing parallel to the fret. if it seems like you have too much on the cloth, just rub the excess over the next few frets before evening it out.

A dab'll do ya, much better do do very little over time than to drown it all at once. keep your guitars in good humidity above 50%, (i keep it %60-65, cold dry area with gas heat). you do not want to rot the wood, just keep it protected.

well, i keep my bass and all my music gear downstairs. and its not cold to me but other people say its cold. but i know its heated. do you think that'd be good? the house is heated around 70 degrees basically all the time. i couldnt say how well it heats downstairs though. do you think that'd be good for its climate?

nappingcracker · #14 02-10-2006, 06:01 AM

that is warmer than my apartment (~60 degree F), but it is humidity that is the killer. dont let your fretboard dry out, get a hygrometer when you can, and keep relative humidity around 60%+

BurningSkies · #15 02-10-2006, 07:38 AM

The key here is to not soak your fretboard. I only do mine a couple times a year to clean of the schmutz and make sure it doesn't get too dry.

I use the lemon oil right out of the bottle, and do use just a drop per fret at the low end and a bit less in the 'dusty' part of the neck. I use my *gasp* finger to spread the oil evenly on the wood and then let it sit for a while (like half an hour or so). I wipe it off with a papertowel, and then let it sit for a bit longer and then re-wipe. Once it looks like all the excess has bled out of the wood and it's dark and dry I restring. No stress.

fraublugher · #16 02-10-2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by BurningSkies
" schmutz "

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

TB word of the day.

Ha! dont use chicken fat either , oh wait, that's shmaltz , carry on.

BurningSkies · #17 02-10-2006, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

TB word of the day.

In my mind schmutz is always that stuff that builds up on the fretboard around the frets...it's sorta got the consistency of swamp mud crossed with silly putty.

Glad I can be here to amuse.

AlembicBob · #18 02-10-2006, 10:18 PM

Best bet is *pure* lemon oil. Be careful of furniture polish labelled as lemon oil as they typically will have a wax base that will help generate build-up. You typically have to go to a high-end cooking shop to get the good stuff.

Showdown · #19 02-11-2006, 05:36 AM

I use Guitar Honey fingerboard oil. Another one is Dunlop 65 lemon oil. And Kyser makes Dr. Stringfellow lemon oil. Any of these will work fine. The last two are available from Musicians Friend, and many other places. I can't seem to find anyplace that has Guitar Honey, they may not make it anymore.

Showdown · #20 02-11-2006, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

In my mind schmutz is always that stuff that builds up on the fretboard around the frets...it's sorta got the consistency of swamp mud crossed with silly putty.

Glad I can be here to amuse.

According to James Jamerson, that is what makes the "funk". He never cleaned his.