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Maintenance

Alkaline1985

Alkaline1985

Jul 12, 2022
34
41
#1
Hey, a question about cleaning and maintenance, I got a ibanez SR2600.
  • neck type Atlas-415pc Panga Panga/Maple/Paduak/Purpleheart/Walnut neck w/KTS™ TITANIUM rods
  • top/back/body Poplar Burl topAfrican Mahogany body
  • fretboard Bound Panga Panga fretboardAbalone oval inlay

Question is, how frecuently should I clean the fingerboard?
I am using lemon oil, is it ok?

should I apply lemon oil to the neck too?
or what should I do with the neck since it is not varnish?
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For the body I just use a wet towel twice a week.

I play it everyday and I keep it tuned and I check the relief from time to time.
Change strings twice a year.

Apart from all that, I do not do anything else, should I?


Take into account the weather where I live (Madrid, Spain) is extreme, now is summer and its over 100ºF and dry, in winter we use to have less than 30ºF and wet (not as wet as a coast city, but rainy), and everything in between.

Thank you in advance :)
 
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#2
For me, I use lemon oil on the fretboard with each string change. About 3-6 months. If the fretboard seems a bit dry in between, I'll loosen the strings and apply.

On unfinished necks I use trewax or bowling alley wax a few times a month. I use a guitar polish on the body and on finished necks about once a month or more often, when I feel the need to.
 
#3
"First, do no harm."

Less is more when it comes to products on guitars. It can be very easy for innocent-sounding products - including those sold specifically for instrument use - to build up over time and end up causing significant issues down the road, in terms of damaging the instrument or interfering with future repairs. If you're considering a product, but you're not totally sure, it's almost always better to not use it.

It also helps to understand the problem you're trying to solve. Start with the problem, THEN worry about the products and/or maintenance. Is your fingerboard dirty? Damaged? Does it just not look the way you want it to look? Is there something else going on? If you start with the problem, and then try to figure out what to do about it, you will have a much better chance at actually doing something beneficial that is targeted at fixing your specific problem. If you start with a product, and just apply it because it's there and you assuming that doing so will solve some unknown potential problem, you run a greater chance of causing problems instead of fixing them.
 
#4
Thank you both.

The instrument is in good shape, It is brand new, I just want to keep it on optimal conditions for Many years :)

So i Guess i need to hidratate the fingerboard twice a year and maybe apply wax to the neck when necessary
 
#5
Clean it regularly with a microfiber cloth. Use a little hot water if the dirt is stubborn. You shouldn't need anything more than that in terms of routine maintenance.

Lemon oil doesn't hydrate. Lemon oil makes wood look wet, but it doesn't add any moisture and it's not very good at keeping the moisture already in the wood from escaping. Wood needs consistent water content in order to remain stable. Oil can't fill that role. If you are concerned about moisture loss and you want to leave the fretboard and neck unfinished, then the best approach is to keep the instrument in stable conditions year-round. Keep it between 40 - 60% relative humidity and the wood won't need hydration.

If you are concerned about hydration and you are unable to keep the instrument in stable conditions, then the best bet is to get the neck finished in a legitimate protective finish.

Lots of people happily wax or oil the bare wood on their instruments, and never have a problem, but if your goal is to protect and care for the instrument, waxing or oiling bare wood is a pretty poor tradeoff. Neither really provide much protection at all, both wear off quickly, both are easy to over-do, and both slowly contaminate the wood, making future repairs much more difficult.
 
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