Coconut Oil?

[bassrique]

Ow my eyes!!!

Then I take it you don't like this bass?

Oh my back!

 

[Kipp Harrington]

This stuff. Lakland recommends it for their bass fretboards, so I think this would be the best choice

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I'm WARY of many personal anecdotal "facts"

Any oil is sealer, (rub that greasy forehead, or behind the ear nose, that's 100% natural oil). Dust instead of only adhering due to friction will accumulate in the layer of sticky oil , therefore a solution (solvent say, naphtha, alcohol ETC ) to dissolve it to remove it, AND the gunk, will need to be employed periodically, the solvent is more readily absorbed by the wood (being less viscous) and is indiscriminate as to which oil is being removed / dissolved (the natural wood's or the surface application/treatment.)

So what is the answer?
Wood will continue to lose water, through the endgrain mostly, and this is the vesicle system of the tree, so a good hardened seal at the ends would seem to be one answer.

The topical treatment of oils CAN have a benefit, in that it impregnates and "softens" the surface fibres, and some just below the surface via "Wicking".
This adds the benefit of keeping the exposed to evaporation surface from drying too much , shrinking and becoming rigid.
The rigidity, and shrinking cause the "cupping" as mentioned (although it's just as likely they the shrinkage occurred in the neck shaft wood) the fretboard end chipping (see mention of endgrain)

Humidifying in dry environments is another answer. (humidifying means water)

Oil is a minor mitigation of the dehydration, by slowing the evaporation of the water in the wood and maintaining elasticity of the surface fibres: and cosmetic primarily.

Adding to my already long post, notably the engrain is often sealed at both ends for wood to be stored for lengthy periods of time to stabilize it, and to reduce warping.
Also note that many guitars have their fretboard ends sealed by laquer or poly at the headstock, and often at the heel and at the side, leaving only the fretboard surface the only one exposed to the open air (for the reasons I mentioned)

People don't freak out over oiling the inside of hollowbody instruments do they? (they use humidity control processes)

All of this said, I clean ( with a mild abrasive pad, and elbow grease, a stiff brush for the grain pores) and seal my unsealed wood with an appropriate treatment, raw mineral oil wiped on and buffed vigorously. And for the Warwicks carnuba wax on the body surfaces, applied judiciously with a copious amount of elbow grease to create heat that assists in the hardening and limiting the thickness of the layer (also acts as a pore fill for a shiny body surface that acts as a barrier to sweat)

 

[king_biscuit]

I have had good results with Fret Doctor.

https://www.amazon.com/Fret-Doctor-Fingerboard-30ml-Bottle/dp/B01AV6385G

 

[Nev375]

This is what I use regarding this thread. But not on my basses.

 

[frankie5string]

I bought some of that, just to see what it was like. I'm not comfortable slathering that paste on the fingerboard. Even for their rosewood fingerboards - I wouldn't use it. My rosewood Skyline, if you look really closely, seems to be sealed with something that looks like cyanoacrilate (although it might not be) so that Feed n'Wax stuff wouldn't actually do anything other than gunk it up and force you to spend time with a toothbrush scrubbing it all off. On the USA Laklands I got to handle, their fingerboards also seem sealed with something.

It MAY BE ok for the back of the neck on their hand-rubbed USA necks, but it's basically useless on the Skylines, because they have a polyester finish on their necks - it'll just rub off. I don't recall them saying it was for their fingerboards, only the backs of the neck... and keep it far away from the polyester or nitro body finishes or you'll never get it off - it's like Benny Hill chasing the girls on his TV show... lol!

This stuff. Lakland recommends it for their bass fretboards, so I think this would be the best choice
View attachment 3613472

 

[bassrique]

This stuff. Lakland recommends it for their bass fretboards, so I think this would be the best choice
View attachment 3613472

Back when all I played was fretless, I used another brand of orange oil and bees wax. I liked it.

 

[Vinny_G]

people don't freak out over oiling the inside of hollowbody instruments do they? (they use humidity control processes)

This is precisely why this oiling thing makes no sense. The inside of a hollow body is not finished but nobody feels the need to protect it.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Vinny

You can put fertilizer on your fingerboard if you want

I tried but...

That was a bad tip!

greetings

Wise

 

[KarateChris]

I would not use any food type of oil. I oiled a bo staff and a jo staff (hey, I'm a martial artist!) with olive oil. At an outdoor seminar a bunch of insects were attracted to my bo and jo staffs. Probably not what you want to happen while playing an outdoor gig.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

This is precisely why this oiling thing makes no sense. The inside of a hollow body is not finished but nobody feels the need to protect it.

Notably though, all of the endgrain IS sealed (the soundhole edges, the fretboard, the soundboard ETC) with Shellac, varnish what have you, and the really old method instruments ARE sealed with varnish, shellac etc, after assembly in the soundbox.

 

[Vinny_G]

Hi Vinny



I tried but...

View attachment 3613491

That was a bad tip!

greetings

Wise

I love your spirit, Wisebass. Whenever I see one of your messages, I know it will make me smile.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I love your spirit, Wisebass. Whenever I see one of your messages, I know it will make me smile.

yeah he's such a Wise--ss

 

[OptimalOptimus]

To manage the humidity level, it's an air humidifier that you need. Oil doesn't hydrate anything because oil doesn't contain water.

Depend where you look. Some manufacturer even say that we should use lemon oil every 6 months to keep the great look of the wood. The wook will absorb the oil and keep it from drying.

But whatever

 

[Vinny_G]

Notably though, all of the endgrain IS sealed (the soundhole edges, the fretboard, the soundboard ETC) with Shellac, varnish what have you, and the really old method instruments ARE sealed with varnish, shellac etc, after assembly in the soundbox.

I'm not sure this is the case with recent guitars, but I could be wrong.

 

[nalapit13]

Would coconut oil be a good choice for treating a unfinished fretless fingerboard?

I use Vaseline.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Depend where you look. Some manufacturer even say that we should use lemon oil every 6 months to keep the great look of the wood. The wook will absorb the oil and keep it from drying.

But whatever

a lot of things are said by a lot of people, that does not Necessarily-make it true.

 

[Vinny_G]

Depend where you look. Some manufacturer even say that we should use lemon oil every 6 months to keep the great look of the wood. The wook will absorb the oil and keep it from drying.

But whatever

This is the problem. It is not because a manufacturer claims something that he is necessarily right.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I use Vaseline.

incidentally? or purposely?

 

[Fishheadjoe]

I Pledge to use only mineral oil from here on in.
Fishheadjoe