Are these harmful to guitars? Such as citronella, lemongrass etc..., used in mosquito repellants, bracelets etc...?
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Essential oils?
- Thread starter Lichlord2112
- Start date
It all depends on the guitar and what its covered in, right? For example, there have been many threads recently about maple and how youre not supposed to oil maple with same oils that you would use with dark woods.
Read about your specific gear and learn how to maintain it.
@edit
And if we are talking about clothing accessories and some mosquito repellants, well use your best judgement. Dont smear cream all over yourself and then play your bass, right?
Ew.
Last edited:
Cant find it right now but once im not at work ill try looking for a thread. Im pretty sure o saw a thread about how maple vs rosewood and other darker Woods use different cleaning materials to keep the wood clean and healthy
Turnaround
Commercial User
The reason you don't oil a maple fretboard is because it is pointless.
Maple fretboards have a finish applied to them. It may be a glossy finish, which will be obvious, or a matte finish which may look like there's no finish at all. But it's there. If you put oil on a finish, it is not absorbed into the wood and just sits on top of the finish the way a drop of water sits on top of a piece of glass. That doesn't do any good, and in fact can just create a sticky mess and cause dirt to adhere.
Some rosewood, ebony, pau ferro, and other darkwoods usually don't have a finish per se, though they may have a sealer. They may benefit from a bit of oil, mainly to make them look pretty, but also to inhibit moisture exchange. Oily woods don't require the addition of oil, though it may make them look prettier if they start looking dry. But the oil application, if used, should be applied sparingly and immediately wiped down to remove excess oil - basically rub it as if you were trying to remove all the oil.
Maple fretboards have a finish applied to them. It may be a glossy finish, which will be obvious, or a matte finish which may look like there's no finish at all. But it's there. If you put oil on a finish, it is not absorbed into the wood and just sits on top of the finish the way a drop of water sits on top of a piece of glass. That doesn't do any good, and in fact can just create a sticky mess and cause dirt to adhere.
Some rosewood, ebony, pau ferro, and other darkwoods usually don't have a finish per se, though they may have a sealer. They may benefit from a bit of oil, mainly to make them look pretty, but also to inhibit moisture exchange. Oily woods don't require the addition of oil, though it may make them look prettier if they start looking dry. But the oil application, if used, should be applied sparingly and immediately wiped down to remove excess oil - basically rub it as if you were trying to remove all the oil.
