Maybe it should be called something like fingerboard oil, but even that would be misunderstood by someone.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
My boards dry!
- Thread starter fnp5150
- Start date
your hands have oil in them. just play.. if you want to finish a fret board.. tung oil. if you want the strings deader.. use eucerin cream. doesn't work on coated strings. if you want the strings to feel smoother nut sauce. if you need extra grip gorilla snot. I have eczema. so I've been trying stuff for a while. also I'm the third guitarist in any band.. lol
Your grubby little booger pickers are all the oil your board needs
Well said...and so tastefully expressed!
Opinions vary from "product X is great" to "You don't need anything".
Would make sense to not put anything on the FB unless there is a real issue that can be seen/felt or heard.
Lots of ppl recommend a product, but was it really necessary?
Having no real effect, good or bad, would indicate not necessary.
Would make sense to not put anything on the FB unless there is a real issue that can be seen/felt or heard.
Lots of ppl recommend a product, but was it really necessary?
Having no real effect, good or bad, would indicate not necessary.
Last edited:
If I buy a bass used, the first thing I do is fretboard cleaning (Dunlop ultimate lemon oil) and then replacement strings. I will have nobody else's booger picker oils on my fretboard but my own. 
No sweat though, under 30 mins - 1 hour without string tension will be fine. Leave them off for a few days and that might be a different story.
No sweat though, under 30 mins - 1 hour without string tension will be fine. Leave them off for a few days and that might be a different story.
You don’t have to remove or even loosen your strings. Take a thin rag, thread it under the strings at the body end of the fretboard, move it up next to the first fret. Place a couple of drops of a decent FB conditioner starting between the nut and first fret, and, pull it back and forth from the sides until clean then move down the fretboard.
I lived in Las Vegas, NV for 34 years, and with apologies to Pilgrim? A summer day there, with 20% humidity, would have felt like the tropics. The average humidity in Vegas is only about 26%; high of 46% in the monsoon season; a low of about 7% the rest of the time. Mostly, it's closer to the low... So, as for the fretboards on my rather large bass/guitar herd? The ones with lacquered, sealed, or synthetic 'boards? An occasional wipe down with a damp cloth. Ebony 'boards? Real - and pretty expensive - lemon oil (made from the peel only). Alembic, in their maintenance instructions, says to use it. Since they're the ones that made my $8K bass? I do what they say... All the others? Boiled linseed oil - from the art supply store. However...
Since I moved to northern Indiana 3 years ago, low humidity and dried out fret boards, are no longer a problem. Now, when I rotate 3 instruments out for a month of playing, I just check and adjust the set up as necessary, and look at the fretboard. Since the humidity here is pretty high, even in the house in the winter? I haven't had to do much of anything to any instrument's fretboard. So, given where you live? Everyone who's telling you that you don't need to do anything, is pretty much right. But, it's always a good idea to check; and... if putting a little something on that fretboard makes you happy? Go for it. And, yes, you can slack the strings off, and oil it that way. I only have 2 basses - out of 24 - that don't wear flats; that's how I did it...
Last edited:
Will it "kill" your fretboard to not oil it? No.
Would it make it look nicer when oiled? Yes.
I use this:
Works like a charm and smells really nice.
Would it make it look nicer when oiled? Yes.
I use this:
Works like a charm and smells really nice.
I haven't oiled any stringed instrument I've owned going back 60 some years.
Pretty much the same.What does the left picture look like with black point adjusted to match the right picture?
Just wait until you change strings next time to oil the board. It may not need it, but it looks better.
Just follow the cosmo model diet from the 70's... but instead of cotton balls soaked in orange juice, substitute scotch. Makes the day much more interesting.
Again, it's cosmetic more than anything else:
Dry, blotchy, uglier than home-made soup.
Evenly colored, not blotchy.
Dry, blotchy, uglier than home-made soup.
Evenly colored, not blotchy.
You should be comfortable removing your strings (and as others have said, doing so won't impact your setup). Suggest getting comfortable with this, and also I think every bassist should be able to do basic setup work. YouTube is a thing.
D
You loosen the strings, apply a suitable type of oil and re-install the strings. It's as simple as that. Your setup will still be the same.
I disagree strongly with the comments about fretboards not needing oil (unless it's a finished fretboard of course). It doesn't need to be done very often but if the fretboard gets VERY dry it can definitely crack. This may not be critical to the functionality of the instrument but it won't look very nice.
Don't saturate the fretboard with oil or you will dampen the tone (and you can also risk frets starting to pop up). In fact, anyone who think tonewoods don't matter can try to really soak a rosewood board with oil and see what happens (I won't recommend it though as it won't be reversible until it SLOWLY dries out again). If you can't hear a difference you need a new set of ears.
Use only a little bit of oil on a lint free cloth. Rub the oil onto the fretboard until you have very thin layer covering the entire fretboard. Wipe off any excess immediately. You don't want it to soak or to leave any "wet" areas. It's really just about sealing the surface of the wood against humidity. After this treatment the fretboard should be fine for years. It will most likely look a lot nicer too.
Oh, and you don't need one of those outrageously overpriced fretboard oils. Baby oil is cheap and works fine.
I disagree strongly with the comments about fretboards not needing oil (unless it's a finished fretboard of course). It doesn't need to be done very often but if the fretboard gets VERY dry it can definitely crack. This may not be critical to the functionality of the instrument but it won't look very nice.
Don't saturate the fretboard with oil or you will dampen the tone (and you can also risk frets starting to pop up). In fact, anyone who think tonewoods don't matter can try to really soak a rosewood board with oil and see what happens (I won't recommend it though as it won't be reversible until it SLOWLY dries out again). If you can't hear a difference you need a new set of ears.
Use only a little bit of oil on a lint free cloth. Rub the oil onto the fretboard until you have very thin layer covering the entire fretboard. Wipe off any excess immediately. You don't want it to soak or to leave any "wet" areas. It's really just about sealing the surface of the wood against humidity. After this treatment the fretboard should be fine for years. It will most likely look a lot nicer too.
Oh, and you don't need one of those outrageously overpriced fretboard oils. Baby oil is cheap and works fine.
I disagree that you shouldn't condition the board. A nice, lush, dark rosewood board is a BEAUTIFUL thing. I hate a dry looking board. Just loosen the strings and be careful. You could also protect the strings somehow by wrapping them in paper with tape or something. F-one oil is the best and will get the darkest results. I use about 2 drops per fret until I get to the smaller ones. rub it evenly, let it set for 30 minutes, wipe, repeat. (a little oil on flats is never a bad thing, though, I purposely treat my strings with tiny amounts of Eucerin cream and am not shy about it getting on my fretboard either. Of course, I always rub it off but what stays behind has positive results, IMO) I've done this many times and it always looks and feels awesome. You can see how nice and dark my boards are:
Last edited:
I use this as well - works great on my ebony and rosewood boards.
