How to fix dry looking Pau Ferro?

[guts]

"If you keep your instrument in a properly humidified environment, there is no need to apply anything to the fretboard. The only reason you might do so is to make it look sexy."

From Turnaround in that thread. Which is what you're always saying and why you're almost always totally correct on this subject.

So if your fretboard doesn't look sexy, which is op's problem, doesn't oiling it seem like a viable option?

 

[Brad Maestas]

Food grade mineral oil is the only thing I use on non-finished fingerboards.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

what you're always saying and why you're almost always totally correct

Well, at least we can agree on something

 

[Pilgrim]

Personally, I say leave it alone. It's a light colored board, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Supadope]

Another vote for stewmac fretboard oil.

@Supadope check your pledge for silicone, trust me you dont want silicone anywhere near your instrument...

Interesting. @Axstar pointed this out, too. I didn’t think about this. And after reading, I couldn’t think why silicone would be bad, so a search turned up this explanation.

“The problem with silicones isn't as much that they eat into the finish or anything, the problem is they seep into cracks, scratches, nicks, and any bare wood, and YOU CAN'T GET IT OUT. When you go to have your guitar repaired and your tech needs to glue something or refinish anything, most likely the glue or finish will not stick to the wood, because of the silicone. That's why you don't want to use those products. It's a repair nightmare.”

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Same apples to waxing the finish on your instrument.

 

[Turnaround]

From personal experience, Fender factory Pau Ferro boards seem to have a dusting of something on them. You could see it on the board of my Mustang bass, as it arrived from the factory:

This might give you unexpected results if you try and put anything else over the top.

That's a quick-and-dirty sealer coat. It helps to prevent moisture loss from the wood and it probably does a decent job of it. But it looks like ... you know.

 

[SpruceApple]

I apologize, Perhaps I should have been more clear. This bass is actually pretty new and Im not very concerned about it being dry to the point where it’s going to crack or anything like that because almost every New Mexican fender I’ve seen with a pau ferro board the board looks very similar to it. Perhaps my pictures aren’t the best either. Either way I realize i used the description “dry looking” but I meant cosmetically not structurally If that makes sense. I’m not worried about the wood drying out on a bass that’s so new. I just want to make it look nicer

Someone recommended dying the fret board, and I agree if you are interested in aesthetics. StewMac has what you need.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

The local hardware store has what you need, if you're looking for wood-stain.

 

[edro]

Same apples to waxing the finish on your instrument.

Waxed mine since that carnauba guitar wax came out in the early 80's with the wood ball top...
Carnauba the hell out of neck backs... Slicks em up...

 

[Turnaround]

The local hardware store has what you need, if you're looking for wood-stain.

There is a significant difference between your average hardware variety wood stain and a wood dye. Your typical wood stain is pigment in a binder, much like paint. It tends to obscure some of the character of the wood.
Dye is more like ink than paint. Rather than applying pigments, which are finely ground particles, a dye is colour that is dissolved in it’s medium. It does not have the clouding or obscuring quality of a stain.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Ha, I'm zero for two on great suggestions in this thread, so far!
My memory fails me, because I remember having a very similar conversation with Ron Kirn back when I bought a Epiphone SG (Tony Iommi signature).
At the time I thought it would be a great idea to stain the fretboard Ebony, but I was advised that I would wreck the inlays & probably the overall timbre as well.

We're lucky to have pros like @Turnaround helping out there!

 

[Turnaround]

Ha, I'm zero for two on great suggestions in this thread, so far!

We're lucky to have pros like @Turnaround helping out there!

At least you are consistent. And I feel that it's my good fortune to be able to participate in such a great forum.

 

[Ostie]

Personally, I say leave it alone. It's a light colored board, and there's nothing wrong with that.

My FB on my tmb100 is very light. I tried to stain it darker but there must be a sealer on it ‘cuz it wouldn’t take the stain. Scraping the FB seems like a lot of work.....guess I’ll just have a light FB......

 

[lowplaces]

I have a pau ferro board on my Mustang PJ.

I wonder if it's okay to put this stuff on it ?

I have both light and dark that I have used on furniture here at the house. I may dab some on a tiny area of the board to see the result.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

That OE Scratch Cover is basically two oils & a lemon fragrance, but TBH I have no idea about the largest ingredient:

OLD ENGLISH® Scratch Cover - Dark Wood

Anyone know anything about C13-14 Alkane oil?
If it's made from Crude Oil (Petroleum), I'd avoid it.

 

[lowplaces]

It's used in skin care products.

C13-14 Alkane (with Product List)

 

[Erokker]

Title pretty much explains it but if you’d like some backstory I picked up a Mexican fender jazz V with a Pau Ferro board to have a inexpensive but respectable backup for gigs. View attachment 3452765

I enjoy the bass and the value I feel I get out of it. So I’ve started giving it some love. Have a new tort pick gaurd for it on the way already. View attachment 3452766
Im shopping pickups as well. but what I’m here to ask is actually about the fingerboard. It looks kind of dry and I guess untreated or unfinished. What would y’all recommend I use on the fingerboard to improve how it looks? A specific fingerboard treatment? An oil? Had a lot of basses over the years but this is actually my first with a pau ferro board. Most of my basses have had maple or ebony boards.

Been using Old English Lemon Oil for decades with no ill effects. Conditions the wood nicely and has a bit of petroleum distillates that do a great job of cleaning the schmutz.

 

[guts]

It's used in skin care products.

C13-14 Alkane (with Product List)

It's looks it's just a mixture of two different types of paraffin they decided to use. C13H28 and C14H30 it seems like. C13 comes from allspice essential oil, C14 is also an essential oil but it must have a variety of sources because I can't tell what plant it comes from. Alkanes are very unreactive. I would guess it's safe for most of the common types of glue and finish, otherwise there would be a bunch of angry customers.

Still I wouldn't use that stuff. I would buy something specifically designed for the job.

Also don't use stuff that has that in it on your skin. That stuff is bad for your skin. I mean it's probably fine in tiny amounts, but still.

 

[Turnaround]

Been using Old English Lemon Oil for decades with no ill effects. Conditions the wood nicely and has a bit of petroleum distillates that do a great job of cleaning the schmutz.

According to MSDS it's 90 to 100% petroleum distillates, with .1 to 1% limonene.