Fretboard conditioner?

You need to condition rosewood fretboards from time to time, maybe once a year or so, depending on environment and usage. I use lemon oil with a sunscreen protectant (for those 4th of July outdoor gigs) by the brand name of Weiman. It's also a cleaner and moisturizer and does not contain silicone. I clean with it, wipe it down, then saturate and let it stand for a while to soak in real good, then wipe down again. As an added bonus, take the residue and wipe down the back of the neck and you'll have a really fast sliding neck too. Since it is a furniture polish, you could use it on the whole guitar, which I sometimes do as well. Word of caution - be careful with spillage - it will stain clothing, carpet etc. if you spill it on those types of things, and make a non-carpeted floor extremely slick and dangerous.

 

Boiled lindseed oil is the best conditioner for fingerboards or any type of wood. You can find it at The Home Depot or Lowes. You don't take it home and boil it...it comes that way.

 

My take is that if the bass is going out of whack when it's humid, oiling it will probably help. If not, it's not necessary. My reasoning is this: Rosewood is naturally oily. Heat from your fingers opens the pores and draws the oil to the surface and, with age, it dries out and absorbs more moisture/humidity. Wood expands when it absorbs moisture. The back of the neck is finished and doesn't absorb as much moisture so the top of the neck expands more than the bottom, (i.e. it warps). To see this effect to the extreme, spray paint one side of a long piece of cardboard and put it in a damp cellar for a few hours. Oiling a dry fingerboard minimizes the absorption making it more stable when the humidity changes.

 

I use this:

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Finishes&NameProdHeader=Fingerboard+Oil

One drop between each fret, once a year.

 

Howard Feed-N-Wax, great stuff for boards

Brian

 

I've recently been using Planet Waves Hydrate and I am very pleased with it.

roger

 

I've been using the wonder wipes fretboard conditioner from Ernie Ball. cheap and easy to use.

 

+1 on the EBMM Wonder Wipes. I use their body polish and fretboard conditioner. The fretboard conditioner is great for maple boards. It works good on rosewood too.

 

+1. I rip them in 3rs or half and a big container will last me a couple of years. Amazing stuff and smells "citrusy"!

 

EB wipes work great. No fretboard conditioner is needed on a finished maple fretboard -- Fender for example -- only on unfinished EB maple boards.

 

I'm using an Orange Oil and beeswax concoction called 'Howard's Feed n' Wax' furniture conditioner. I took this tip from Carl at Lakand. Mmmmm, orangy!

I can't see needing to use it more than once a year or so.

 

I use rendered chicken fat. It's an old family recipe my grandmother taught me, which I do not recommend to anyone who is unfamiliar with the process.

Lowbrow

 

Mmmmm, chickeney!

 

Roger can you use that on the back of the neck neck and body on tung oiled basses?

Does it feel greasy after applying?

 

I've been using ColorTone Fretboard Finishing Oil from Stewart-MacDonald ever since Matt Pulcinella recommended it. It penetrates the wood and dries hard, unlike linseed or other oil finishes which may become sticky when warm. Good stuff, highly recommended!

 

+1...I love the stuff!

Kim

 

I've been using this stuff on my rosewood and ebony boards...
http://www.gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html

Good stuff from my experience.
---
c

 

I've used this on the '69 Jbass for 30+ years.




Dittos on the Howard's feed'n'wax.

Used it on the most recent refin on the '69J.

From this:


to this:


to this:


Thank you, Howard's!