Tea Tree Oil For fretboard?

Lemon oil works great and doesn't smell like *** like the tea tree oil would. As far as effectiveness goes, I can't see it being any better than any of the other products out there, natural or otherwise. I also don't see where it would necessarily hurt it though either.

 

I haven't heard of anyone using it so I'd personally rather use lemon oil or Fret Doctor.

 

Get some Gorgomyte. It cleans and conditions the fretboard while also cleaning the frets. I used it on two basses (both 13 years old) this morning. The fretboard wood looks revitalized and the frets look like they're new. It comes in a cloth, so it's incredibly easy to use.

 

Another you may not have heard of but is excellent is mayonaise. Has some nutrients in it that help the wood and it really brings out the grain.

 

Mayo can rot and do other nasty things. Use it if you want to---I'd not touch it with a ten foot butter knife. Might as well use a pork chop.

 

Mayonaise is vegetable oil, vinegar (maybe a little bit of lemon juice substituted for some of the vinegar), some egg (to get the oil and vinegar to mix together), and maybe some seasonings.

If I knew which of these ingredients had the proper "nutrients that help the wood", I'd just use that and eliminate everything else.

 

Basic homemade mayo would be just egg yolk, olive oil, and some lemon juice (as a binder). I'd be good with two out of three of those things on my bass. Pretty sure it doesn't need protein.

The tea tree oil would clean and sanitize the wood, not sure that it would really give it much polish or "treat" it as some other products do, but it wouldn't harm the wood.

 

I have no idea what oil my luthier used when he re-did my frets, but dammit, my hands smell fishy after playing my jazz bass...

/at least my tone now has plenty of Omega-3

 

I know that some luthiers use linseed oil,you might want to look into it.

 

+1
Lemon oil contains solvents and is good for cleaning but dries up the wood. Olive oil and other vegetable oils meant for food will mold and create a mess. Linseed oil is the way to go, it coagulates and seals the pores, keeps the moisture inside the wood.

 

+1

Used it recently, it is awesome!

 

I found this on another thread...recommended/used by a good source.(builder)
STEWMAC.COM : ColorTone Fretboard Finishing Oil

 

Boiled linseed oil is good for hydration.
Sadowsky and Planet Waves and some others sell dedicated clean and hydrate products.
This stuff isn't expensive; $10-15.

I wouldn't mess with anything else, myself.
Mayonnaise, lemon oil...ymmv

 

Hey Chef,what planet wave product is the one you recommend.....i guess it would be very easy to find thru GC.

 

I just rub some dijon mustard on there and it's good to go.

 

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