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Fret Doctor review thread and comments from TB-ers

Please describe your experience with Fret Doctor

  • Tried Fret Doctor, loved it, never using anything else again

    Votes: 11 45.8%

  • Bought it, used it, meh

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Interested in trying, but never used it

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • Think other products work just fine, not interested in trying it

    Votes: 4 16.7%
  • Total voters
    24
bassman_al

bassman_al

Supporting Member
Commercial User
Apr 16, 2008
2,299
117
Fairfax, VA USA
Disclosures
Dealer for Aguilar, Lindy Fralin, KorgUSA
#1
Hi all,
I have never done this before, but I was so happy with Fret Doctor fingerboard oil/cleaner/preservative, that I decided to start this thread.

Fret Doctor is an expensive ($20 shipped for a 30ml bottle) but highly effective oil for rosewood fretboards. It also is useful for conditioning and cleaning other wood surfaces, but its price point makes it an expensive choice.

I used Fret Doctor recently to clean all 3 of my rosewood fretboards and the results were wonderful.

I don't want people to think that I am connected with Fret Doctor in any way. I am not here to solicit or sell anything . For that reason I am not including any links to the product. if you want that, you can PM me or research it yourself. Not hard to find on the web.

So please leave your comments, thoughts and ideas about this product. Positive or negative. Please be specific about your own experience with Fret Doctor, and let us know if you have actually used it before.

Thanks guys!
 
#2
i've grown skeptical of the entire idea of slathering oil, especially inert mineral oil (which is all 90% of any "lemon oil" you buy is), on raw fretboard wood.

notice how widely opinions vary, with people using everything from olive oil to dish soap on their fretboards, apparently with no significant effect one way or the other.

that said, to paraphrase the dos equis guy, "i don't always oil my fretboards, but when i do, i choose fret doctor."
 
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#4
walterw said:
i've grown skeptical of the entire idea of slathering ...inert mineral oil (which is all 90% of any "lemon oil" you buy is), on raw fretboard wood.
Click to expand...
Bingo! That's the thing, all the time you see people proclaiming how great a given oil is, when really it's usually just a cheap petroleum product mixed with a solvent and a fragrance. "Mineral" oil is not mineral, and "lemon" oil is mostly not lemon--like 0.1%.

In most cases a solvent is only needed if you want to remove a buildup of gunk in/on the wood grain--and even then, why go on to add petroleum gunk right back in? :p

Mostly I let my finger grease be all the oiling my fretboards need, but in the occasional cases where the wood seems too dry, I'll use the Fret Doctor.
 
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#5
j_nition said:
what is the point of oiling a fretboard? Is there a tonal result or is it cosmetic?
Click to expand...

Both of those, plus a structural element too. Tonally, oiling the wood changes its density (especially over a period of years), and density is a part of what makes one wood sound different from another. How much of a difference does it make? Weeellll.... realistically anywhere from "none" to "I think I heard something, maybe". :) Cosmetically, oiling gives a nice depth of color and a "rich" appearance to woods that might otherwise look flat or dry. Structurally, if a wood is so dry that the grain starts to separate, oiling swells the grain and brings it back together. And over a period of many years, it will even crystallize, essentially petrifying the wood. But honestly, we're talking about a hundred or more years--this crystallization phenomenon is discussed mostly around antique violins, cellos, etc.
 
#6
Thanks Bongo! Great additions to this thread. I am told by Ed Boyle (the guy who sells FD), by the way, that Fret Doctor is definitely not mineral oil. I am no chemist, so I'll leave the comments to the more knowledgeable on this board.
 
#8
My experiences:
First, I also felt better about what wasn't in the bottle after checking out the website.
No wax, no petroleum product and it won't become rancid. I'm also not a fan of putting anything on my fb that will trap crud- that bugs me. On other basses, I have used waxy products that shine beautifully but tend to be crud magnets. I have applied fret doctor to my pau ferro board four times during the past two years and have not noticed any buildup or accumulation of dirt/debris.

The oil is relatively light, penetrates quickly, doesn't smell funky or toxic and leaves the board a few shades darker. When you lightly buff it out, it has a natural satiny sheen.
 
#9
i've discovered some new stuff that also claims to be plant-based rather than petroleum-based, and is like less than half the price of the fret doctor, music nomad F-one oil.

it seems to absorb and "go away" just like fret Dr, and the bottle applicator nozzle is definitely more convenient.

so far i like it (as much as i like any board oil, which is not much).
 
#11
bongomania said:
Structurally, if a wood is so dry that the grain starts to separate, oiling swells the grain and brings it back together.
Click to expand...

Actually oils will not swell the fibers - water will. What the oil does is to produce a coating on the fibers that resists water ingress and egress. So to be effective, you might want to increase the equilibrium moisture content of the wood, then apply oil.
 
#12
Walter, thank yoiu for posting! That product sounds impressive, with some very heavy hitters singing its praises on the testimonials page.

Fret Doctor is $12 shipped for a 15 ml bottle

F-One is $8 shipped (with Amazon Prime free shipping if you have that service) for a 60 ml bottle.

Quite a difference in price, and seems like a really good product. May have to try it. Anyone here using it already?
 
#13
bassman_al said:
Walter, thank yoiu for posting! That product sounds impressive, with some very heavy hitters singing its praises on the testimonials page.
Click to expand...
wow yeah, i didn't read the testimonials; so tom anderson is using the f-one oil now!

that's a pretty good endorsement.
 
#17
I use it. I don't know if it's superior to other products, but it does what it's supposed to do. Last time I changed the strings on my Lull I noticed the fretboard was really dry in spots and the Fret Doctor worked wonders on it.
 
#19
Stands for "Material Safety Data Sheet". It tells you whether a substance is considered toxic, in what specific way, whether to avoid specifically touching/drinking/breathing it, and what to do if you accidentally touch/drink/breathe it.
 

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