Rubbing alcohol to de-gunk once or twice a year and a very small amount of mineral oil as needed.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Caring for rosewood fingerboard.
- Thread starter Jinobass1
- Start date
Rob Allen recommends MinWax Poly Satin for fingerboards if you feel it needs more than a wipe down with a damp cloth.
I just sanded my SRF705 fingerboard down to 2500grit, (to fix damage from PO using round-wound strings...) now I'm trying to decide if it needs anything further or if I should call it good.
-Ian
I just sanded my SRF705 fingerboard down to 2500grit, (to fix damage from PO using round-wound strings...) now I'm trying to decide if it needs anything further or if I should call it good.
-Ian
Bingo! I'm baffled by the notion that a hydrophobic substance can hydrate anything.
I just wipe them off with a damp cloth if needed. Maybe some fretboard conditioner if the board seems dry. I've had the same bottle since 2009 and it's over half full. They don't need much. I feel like the natural oils in my skin keep keep them plenty lubricated.
I have ALWAYS looked to the experts for stuff like this, instead of guessing what works. Roger Sadowsky clearly describes his procedure and uses boiled linseed oil.
Roger’s Blog: Fingerboard Cleaning and Oiling: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know. – Sadowsky Guitars
Roger’s Blog: Fingerboard Cleaning and Oiling: Everything You Could Ever Want to Know. – Sadowsky Guitars
I’m sure people who use linseed oil regularly are aware of the risk (its pretty well known), and those who are unaware are hopefully able to read the precautions listed on the container when they buy it.
"those who are unaware are hopefully able to read"
Given the things I've seen many examples of in recent years, I doubt that.
I noticed Sadowsky recommends Windex, that's a new one to me, but he also warns about spontaneous combustion:
"caveat with linseed oil is the potential for spontaneous combustion"
Given the things I've seen many examples of in recent years, I doubt that.
I noticed Sadowsky recommends Windex, that's a new one to me, but he also warns about spontaneous combustion:
"caveat with linseed oil is the potential for spontaneous combustion"
Last edited:
Remember classic 'Murrican logic: if some is good, more is better.
Not in this case.
Remember classic 'Murrican logic: if some is good, more is better.
Not in this case.
That may be the axiom of some Americans, but I use my F-1 oil very sparingly (as Music Nomad suggests). Obviously for fingerboards which are more dried out, a little bit more liberal an application is needed.
I should add: I have very few instruments with Maple fingerboards. I have a few, but I have just never liked them and tend to shy away from them. Since damage (pitting, etc.) is difficult to see on such boards, I tend to use a little bit more (probably a touch more than I should) to make sure I'm getting the coverage the fretboard needs.
Recent years? There have always been people who don't read directions or follow directions, this is nothing new since forever.
Linseed oil is not spontaneously combustable, if there are a number of rags with linseed oil on them in the wrong container, in the wrong conditions, it can happen.
It's not a reason to be deterred from using it on a rosewood fretboard.
The three or four drops it takes to do a fretboard is a fairly small concern.
Reading is not a strength of any 'Murricans under 30. Their actual literacy is something I prefer not to debate, but their tendency not to read directions is well known. There's a reason that all manufacturers include with new appliances is a "quick guide."
And since it's not needed, the "why bother" question is the one I keep bringing up.
And since it's not needed, the "why bother" question is the one I keep bringing up.
it bears repeating:
linseed oil is spontaneously combustible
Haven't you tried to sell anything online & the prospective buyers ask dumb questions that were answered in the text of the ad?
linseed oil is spontaneously combustible
It has gotten worse in recent years & continues to get worse.
Haven't you tried to sell anything online & the prospective buyers ask dumb questions that were answered in the text of the ad?
Yup, when selling some stuff on Facebook, I put my general location in the ads. Then people get interested and ask where I am....clearly they can't read a 30-word ad.
Hi I clean the fret board with WD40 and then massage a bit of finishing oil in. I have doing this since since 1992 on the same jazz bass. Works well for me.
Oil does not hydrate anything it feeds the wood if it looks hungry ( cabinet makers expression.
Oil does not hydrate anything it feeds the wood if it looks hungry ( cabinet makers expression.
Attachments
Good reminder.
Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) generates heat as it cures, as do stains and finishes where it's an ingredient. It can self ignite under the right conditions, such as a balled up rag dropped in the trash. It's not really boiled, metallic driers are added to make it polymerize. The real danger is the combustion can happen hours later when the area is unattended and a small fire can grow without being noticed for a while.
My neighbor had his trash can go up late at night after he unknowingly tossed a bunch of rags used to wipe off Minwax Natural stain in his outdoor trash. Fortunately, the can was outdoors and a passing neighbor noticed the fire before it escaped the can and possibly lit up the siding.
Raw linseed oil shouldn't be as dangerous, as it doesn't cure the same way and dries far more slowly It's not a bad idea to treat them the same, as some potential is still there.
I drop my oiling rags in a bucket of water or spread them flat on concrete, they'll harden overnight (even underwater!) and can then go in the trash.
