Perhaps "hydrate" isn't the technically correct term. But the oil is absorbed by the wood and prevents shrinkage and cracks due to the wood drying out.
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Caring for rosewood fingerboard.
- Thread starter Jinobass1
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I use conventional 10w30.
And no, I'm not interested in a synthetic vs conventional debate.
And no, I'm not interested in a synthetic vs conventional debate.
- Oct 30, 2013
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I think the lesson in this thread is there are a ton of things that will work just fine without ruining your instrument. There are folks strongly supporting and/or opposed to certain methods, but I have yet to meet a bass player whose instrument failed them due to their choice of fretboard conditioning.
Fret Doctor was the first product for guitar fretboards (which I saw anyway) to be made from plants. There's a lot of science behind it.
Now, there are multiple plant-based treatments out there.
Now, there are multiple plant-based treatments out there.
I can't say I've had an instrument fail, but before I gained some knowledge, I had fretboards so dried out, they required replacement.
Nope, not lemon oil.
Lemon oil is bad for wood.
Lemon oil products are mineral oil with lemon fragrance.
Mineral Oil is fine to use on wood. Why would the lemon scent matter?
Nope.
Real lemon oil is mineral oil which is a good viscosity oil for preserving wood, mixed with a small amount of lemon juice, not enough ro smell, which acts as a super mild solvent/cleaner.
What you're describing is closer to consumer grade furniture polish, which is mostly parafin with lemon fragrance added.
Lemon oil is oil from lemon, and not at all good for wood.
Mineral oil is mineral oil... then stuff gets added to it, and it gets marketed as a lot of different stuff including what you are calling lemon oil.
Apple juice is juice from apples, nothing else...just juice from apples.
Lots of stuff is marketed as apple juice, when it is not just juice from crushed apples.
LEMON OIL IS NOT GOOD TO RUB ON WOOD.
Mineral oil is fine, but eventually ends up coming back out on your hands because it is not a drying oil.
Linseed oil protects wood from adverse conditions, but is not always essential for a rosewood fretboard depending of who you are and where you live.
I agree, mineral oil will not hurt wood at all.
Lemon scent doesn't matter, but lots of folks here think lemon oil is lemon oil when it is mineral oil with lemon scent.
Mineral oil is temporary and comes out on your hands as you play, if you enjoy that, then have at it.
Linseed oil is my preferred product because it helps the rosewood last 30-50 years on a bass neck.
The guys over at Fodera recommend the same, just plain old mineral oil. If that’s what Sadowsky and Fodera recommend, well that’s good enough for me! I also use it on ebony fretboards too.
Not sure where you're getting that; Lemon juice is high in citric acid and is a well regarded, safe wood cleanser.
The oil in lemon oil does not come from lemons; The oil, in the case of real lemon oil, is purified mineral oils formulated specifically to preserve wood. The only lemon in lemon oil is filtered lemon juice extract used to degrease and clean.
If you're still not convinced, you can also clean rosewood with another mild acid solvent, pure white vinegar, followed by wiping water dampened cloth, though it will dry out natural and preservative oils on its own, and you'll want to use some kind of oil.
And yep, pure Linseed oil is another good preservative, though I'd stick with pro level mineral oils unless you particularly like that new-90's PRS smell that stays in your case forever with Linseed.
I use GHS fast fret for both the strings and the board... it's mineral oil. Can't get any more basic than that. My second choice would be Ballistol, which is a German all-purpose (mineral?) oil that was once marketed towards gun owners in the early 20th century, but can be used for just about anything.
Mineral oil is recommended by Sadowsky, Fodera, Godin, and many others, for cleansing and protection. Many say that fingerboard wood doesn't lose "oil", it loses "humidity". The oil prevents the loss of "humidity", but also prevents its absorption. I understand that mineral oil should be applied to properly hydrated fingerboards, not dry ones.
Lemon oil (Limonene) is cold-pressed from the aromatic rinds of lemons, not the fruit.
Lemon oil contains terpenes, aldehydes (citral and citronellal), and esters, not really what you want on your fretboard.
I believe we are talking about two different things.
I believe there are no products aimed at the wood business that are lemon essential oil based.
But it's not important so I'm out.
The odd marketing is that most of what is marketed as ‘lemon oil’ is mostly mineral oil. This for example
https://www.whatsinproducts.com/types/type_detail/1/21856/standard/p class="p1">Old English Lemon Oil-05/18/2017/p>/18-030-176
Also, actual lemon oil, from lemons, would be pretty bad for wood. It is very acidic. People just like the smell.
I have long used the Dr. Ducks Axe Wax, like OP. Also, not a wax, but a combination of natural oils, which aren't dissimilar from mineral oil in effect, but have a more subtle smells. I use bees wax on my Warwicks as they recommend that specifically. (Though I had used Dr Ducks for 10 years on one before I read that and it was fine too)
But mainly, agree with the person above, that the main takeaway here is that there are various oils that seem to be working well.
To those suggesting you should never oil, congrats, you are lucky. Ive filed many sharp frets for folks that were not so lucky and didnt take care of their instruments until it was too late.
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