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Oiling the fingeboard

lowstrung

lowstrung

Jan 2, 2006
35
10
65
Athens, Greece
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#1
Hi
I want to ask the experts if it is necessary to apply fretboard conditioner (freboard oil) on the rosewood fingerboard to a new old stock Fender Precision Highway One which I recently purchased.The instrument was in a shop for almost 7 years.
 
#2
I just use a good quality wax polish on mine when I change the strings. The solid stuff, not the standard furniture spray. It's always brought mine up fantastic.. On the odd occasion I also shine the frets with a mild oven abrasive, making sure I put masking tape over the board first.
 
#5
the more i research this the more i'm convinced that none of it makes much difference good or bad.

i like the idea of fret Dr and the music nomad F1 oil, as they're supposed to be plant oils rather than plain ol' mineral oil like everything else (including "bore oil"), but even then i've pretty much stopped using any of it.

if you're hell-bent on using something, a once-a-year quick wipe is plenty; definitely avoid prolonged soaking, that's a recipe for soggy fret slots and loosened frets.
 
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#8
Just clean the gunk off with a damp rag. There is absolutely no need to oil a rosewood or ebony board. If you just want to darken the board, wiping a thin layer of boiled linseed oil once every two or so years is all it will take.
 
#9
eukatheude said:
I use almond oil on my basses. Rub it on with my fingers, leave it sit for a while and then wipe off the excess.
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ChefKen said:
As per Alembics instrctions I use pure Lemon oil on Ebony and Rosewood whenever I change strings. Heavy coat, wait 10 mintes and rub clean.
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that's what i'm talking about! "almond oil"? "pure lemon oil"? it's all just mineral oil with fragrance and coloring added. soaking the board with it accomplishes nothing except maybe softening the fret slots.

(OK, real lemon oil is apparently a thin, volatile cleaner, and something you won't find at the hardware store next to the mineral spirits.)
 
#10
walterw said:
that's what i'm talking about! "almond oil"? "pure lemon oil"? it's all just mineral oil with fragrance and coloring added. soaking the board with it accomplishes nothing except maybe softening the fret slots.

(OK, real lemon oil is apparently a thin, volatile cleaner, and something you won't find at the hardware store next to the mineral spirits.)
Click to expand...

So do the rosewood fretboards NOT tend to dry out over time, as stated by both Fender and Music Man (years, I believe is what's insinuated, but nonetheless...)? Both makers recommend the use of some kind of oil to keep the fretboard from drying out in their little handbooks (I'd have to to look to see just what they recommend, but again, they do recommend it).

Thanx....
 
#11
It probably isn't a bad idea to do it once in a great while, but you can go way overboard with it and I've seen people do it. I'm with Walter...I think the need for it is grossly overstated.
 
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#12
About a week ago, I was rotating some strings and noticed my fretless ebony board was getting ashy. I typically use Olde English lemon oil, yes I know it's not real lemon oil, but ran it out and let it slip my mind. I held a paper towel firm to a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and briefly tipped it. Scraped off all excess and wiped the board, immediately wiping dry once the entire board was done. Board looks great. Haven't noticed any stickiness or smell. Time will tell.
 
#14
walterw said:
that's what i'm talking about! "almond oil"? "pure lemon oil"? it's all just mineral oil with fragrance and coloring added. soaking the board with it accomplishes nothing except maybe softening the fret slots.

(OK, real lemon oil is apparently a thin, volatile cleaner, and something you won't find at the hardware store next to the mineral spirits.)
Click to expand...

Nope. Dunlop (and similar brands) lemon oil is mineral oil with fragrance and coloring added.
The one I use is 100% almond oil, normally used as a skin moisturizer or something like that. My frets are fine.
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#15
I use Howard's Weed 'n Feed (wax & orange oil) because I have a 15 oz bottle and would like to use at least half of it before I die.

Do not attempt to "marinate" or soak your board with any preparation. The stuff may wick-up at the exposed endgrain (frets). Wipe on and wipe off immediately.

Riis
 
#18
Dunlop makes a great pure lemon oil for fretboards. No wax or other ingredients....thats the key. 4.99 from Sam Ash. Brians guitars stocks lemon oil as well as they are an Alembic dealer. GC often has a kit of 4 or 5 products including lemon oil.....The others in the kit are a waste of money IMO
 
#19
Oiling the board is unnecessary but it sure does look good. If done occasionally shouldn't hurt anything. When done often and/or to excess, it will cause the wood to soften in the fret slots. This can cause frets to come loose.

Vegetable based oils can and do turn rancid. While there may be a ton of anecdotal evidence on guitar forums to the contrary, the chemistry is such that they all breakdown over time. Not recommended.

Formulations such as tung oil, boiled (no longer boiled except in rare and expensive formulations, is now linseed oil with chemical dryers added) linseed oil, mineral oils (lemon, orange, etc.) and the like are bona fide wood finishes and as such are appropriate for coating wood surfaces.
 
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#20
Geri O said:
So do the rosewood fretboards NOT tend to dry out over time, as stated by both Fender and Music Man (years, I believe is what's insinuated, but nonetheless...)? Both makers recommend the use of some kind of oil to keep the fretboard from drying out in their little handbooks (I'd have to to look to see just what they recommend, but again, they do recommend it).

Thanx....
Click to expand...


The wood should be dry to begin with. My friend grandfather has a 60 year old Martin with a rosewood board that has never been oiled. Despite popular knowledge, it hasn't cracked, split, turned to dust, or imploded. Yes it is totally unnecessary.
 
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