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.
Coconut Oil?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I recently started using coconut oil on my hair too. That is what made think of using it.
It's surprising that nobody ever mentions the fact we produce oils naturally through our fingers. If you play your bass with bare hands like most people do, the oils on your fingers will transfer to any parts of the bass you touch. Speaking of cheese, if I didn't clean my upright fretboard often enough, that's precisely what I'd end up with. Uprights are more prone to this type of buildup and more so if you throw bow rosin into the equation. Still, having experienced this myself, I feel like removing oil buildup and dead skin from a fretboard is more important than adding it. A clean fretboard will shine better than a gunky one.
KNOW YOUR OILS
Lemon oil is an essential oil. Essential oils are made of terpenes and terpenoids, which are generally dimers of isoprene. They smell strongly and can be highly varied in their scent. The lemon scent we are all familiar with is from a terpene called limonene. Pure essential oils are expensive and the scent would knock your socks off, so it is usually used in a carrier oil.
Coconut oil is a vegetable oil. Vegetable oils are long-chain fatty acid triglycerides. Coconut oil in particular has carbon chain lengths of C8-C18 saturated and C18 unsaturated. Saturated means the carbon chain are all single bonds, and unsaturated means there is at least one C-C double bond. These double bonds will oxidize with time, leading to rancid odor and a darker color. Vegetable oil are often used as carrier oils for essential oils in cosmetic products.
Boiled linseed oil has been partially polymerized through the double bonds by heat treatment. It has different properties from normal vegetable oils. However, it can still oxidize and if you use it on your fret board it will turn darker with time.
Mineral oil is a combination of long-chain hydrocarbons. It's called "mineral oil" because it can be obtained from coal, but is more commonly obtained from petroleum these days. Mineral oil does not have the shelf-life problems that vegetable oils do. Fret board oil product often contain mineral oil.
Lemon oil is an essential oil. Essential oils are made of terpenes and terpenoids, which are generally dimers of isoprene. They smell strongly and can be highly varied in their scent. The lemon scent we are all familiar with is from a terpene called limonene. Pure essential oils are expensive and the scent would knock your socks off, so it is usually used in a carrier oil.
Coconut oil is a vegetable oil. Vegetable oils are long-chain fatty acid triglycerides. Coconut oil in particular has carbon chain lengths of C8-C18 saturated and C18 unsaturated. Saturated means the carbon chain are all single bonds, and unsaturated means there is at least one C-C double bond. These double bonds will oxidize with time, leading to rancid odor and a darker color. Vegetable oil are often used as carrier oils for essential oils in cosmetic products.
Boiled linseed oil has been partially polymerized through the double bonds by heat treatment. It has different properties from normal vegetable oils. However, it can still oxidize and if you use it on your fret board it will turn darker with time.
Mineral oil is a combination of long-chain hydrocarbons. It's called "mineral oil" because it can be obtained from coal, but is more commonly obtained from petroleum these days. Mineral oil does not have the shelf-life problems that vegetable oils do. Fret board oil product often contain mineral oil.
depend of the level of humidity you have where you live.
I only put some oil during winter because it is dry here, otherwise it would be way too much.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
No need to gunk up the strings. Plus, most boards are the type that don't require oil, like ebony.
@Spidey2112 be careful when cooking with coconut oil. It works like a natural laxative. My friend found this out after using some in brownies that her husband ate too much of.
I have read somewhere once that it is not a good idea to use any kind of food oil for this purpose, because it will deteriorate and it supports the growth of certain kinds of fungi. Better use a specific fretboard oil, or a funiture oil without silicones.
In addition to it going rancid (although it apparently is more stable than most other vegetable oils) is contains lots of saturated fat. Not good for your arteries. There are many claims from the pseudoscience realm claiming health benefits from coconut oil, but they are unsubstantiated. There's better oils to put on you popcorn and brownies.
There is a valve/slide oil made for trumpets, trombones and other valve instruments that works great on fingerboards. It is called "Al Cass silde and valve oil". It is very light and fine, It will not go rancid or collect dirt. You can buy it at music stores or on E-bay.
A 4 oz bottle will last you the rest of your life.
A 4 oz bottle will last you the rest of your life.
Check out a company called Lizard Spit. They have a fret board conditioner. I have use it once and so far so good.
According to Fodera yes, their saying is "If your body can ingest it you're good to go."...
MSDS for AxWax: "Highly Refined Petroleum Distillates"
.... This means mineral oil!
I cannot find the MSDS for Bore Oil but it's website says: "Most bore oils on the market are cheap mineral oils!"
... This means they are using mineral oil that's not cheap!
OP, if you want to use coconut oil for your fretboard, make sure it's pure fractionated coconut oil. That stuff doesn't go rancid and can be used on cutting boards. You can find it on Amazon.
If Bore Oil is actually using plant-based oil, which I doubt because of their language when the words "mineral oil" is used, it would be fractionated coconut oil.
.... This means mineral oil!
I cannot find the MSDS for Bore Oil but it's website says: "Most bore oils on the market are cheap mineral oils!"
... This means they are using mineral oil that's not cheap!
OP, if you want to use coconut oil for your fretboard, make sure it's pure fractionated coconut oil. That stuff doesn't go rancid and can be used on cutting boards. You can find it on Amazon.
If Bore Oil is actually using plant-based oil, which I doubt because of their language when the words "mineral oil" is used, it would be fractionated coconut oil.
Last edited:
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,077
- 46,033
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Food grade orange oil (i.e. no petroleum products as carrier) is even better for brownies. It's a very strong general purpose cleaner as well, but it can discolor plastics pretty badly in some cases.
Coconut oil would probably work if you used refractionated oil. This from cuttingboard dot com:..
"...the refractionation process, ... is a fancy way of staying that the oils have been steam distilled. During this distillation process, coconut oil is separated so that the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) are removed and only the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are left. This leaves an almost pure oil that will NOT go rancid, is shelf stable and is superior to most other oils for treating not just cutting boards, but your kitchen utensils, salad bowls, countertops... you get the idea."
So this specially processed coconut oil might work OK. But you would be experimenting with your ax if you used it. Best try it on a cheap board you would not mind funking up.
"...the refractionation process, ... is a fancy way of staying that the oils have been steam distilled. During this distillation process, coconut oil is separated so that the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) are removed and only the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are left. This leaves an almost pure oil that will NOT go rancid, is shelf stable and is superior to most other oils for treating not just cutting boards, but your kitchen utensils, salad bowls, countertops... you get the idea."
So this specially processed coconut oil might work OK. But you would be experimenting with your ax if you used it. Best try it on a cheap board you would not mind funking up.
I've used mineral oil - works great for cleaning.
I view fretboard care as a 2 step process. Cleaning, and hydrating/sealing.
The Dunlop fretboard kit has always worked well for me.
FORMULA 65 CARE PRODUCTS
I'm sure its a variation of mineral oil and linseed, but have no reason to use anything else
I view fretboard care as a 2 step process. Cleaning, and hydrating/sealing.
The Dunlop fretboard kit has always worked well for me.
FORMULA 65 CARE PRODUCTS
I'm sure its a variation of mineral oil and linseed, but have no reason to use anything else
Last edited:
Agreed! I doubt anyone wanting to buy a Sadowsky or Fodera really cares if the manufacturers recommend buying a $5 bottle of oil that would, according to most manufacturers’ recommendation on usage amount, last 10+ years before needing to get another bottle.
I don’t know whether or not my unfinished neck is “healthier” because I put Dunlop 65 lemon oil on it once every year or 2, whenever it looks dry...but I like the way it makes it look, and doesn’t have any negative effect on me in any way, so why not use it?
I find the naysayers a bit ridiculous on this topic. Who cares if people want to spend approximately $0.50 per year (straight line depreciation of a $5 bottle over 10 years)? I’m sure you blow more than $0.50 per year on things others would classify as frivolous and unnecessary. But panties will still get wadded up anyways, for no real reason.
