Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Any suggestions? I've used Stryngfellow's (if that's how it's spelled) Lemon Oil and Dunlop's 02, but neither one seemed great. I'd like to try tung oil, but I'm not sure what...weight (viscosity?) to look for. Maybe just any old thing will do. Any suggestions or stories? 'Tis the season for dry fretboards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdgeOfDarkness Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I do not think you would want to put Tung Oil on it. I use lemon oil treatment. I used tung oil for the back side of one of my unfinished necks to smooth it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paul6string Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 You can use olive oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by paul6string You can use olive oil. Tasty! Would I rub fresh rosemary on a rosewood board to complement the oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members buntaluffigus Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 KY jelly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChS Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I've found Guitar Honey way better than Lemon Oil on rosewood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by buntaluffigus KY jelly. I've heard that should be used on pointy guitars only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members magentaplacenta Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Guitar Honey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by magentaplacenta Guitar Honey. And what exactly is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members buntaluffigus Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Loghead I've heard that should be used on pointy guitars only. How about some fried chicken grease? That stuff seems to juice up the board really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChS Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Loghead And what exactly is that? http://www.gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by ChS http://www.gerlitzusa.com/prd_honey.html Thank you, sir. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A.Pulverizer Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Loghead Any suggestions or stories? 'Tis the season for dry fretboards. Boiled linseed oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by A.Pulverizer Boiled linseed oil. Yeah? Last time I fooled with that stuff (about a billion years ago), it was really thick stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ice Aak Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Gerlitz guitar honey works great for rosewood boards (makes them smoother, darker and better looking i.m.o.), haven't tried on anything else though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loghead Posted November 19, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Ice Aak Gerlitz guitar honey works great for rosewood boards (makes them smoother, darker and better looking i.m.o.), haven't tried on anything else though Smoother, darker, and better looking are fine things, but I'm really thinking about what might be best for the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Randy Van Sykes Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I used olive oil on the back of an unfinished maple neck...it's been three months and it still feels nice, wood isn't dry...and my neck smells like a greek salad...mmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ice Aak Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by Loghead Smoother, darker, and better looking are fine things, but I'm really thinking about what might be best for the wood. And it does condition the fretboards as well (main/most important job), mine felt a bit dry and looked "sick" before, but not anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jake.lind Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Originally posted by EdgeOfDarkness I do not think you would want to put Tung Oil on it.I use lemon oil treatment.I used tung oil for the back side of one of my unfinished necks to smooth it out. I for one would not recommend lemon oil for any kind of fret board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jake.lind Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Actually, I wouldn't recommend naptha. Organic lemon oil is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pipedwho Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I've used bore oil, lemon oil, mineral oil, and other specialty products. I keep coming back to lemon oil because I like the smell. Lemon oil is basically mineral oil with a tiny percentage of actual lemon oil which not only gives it its fragrance, but also acts as a cleaning agent.That Guitar Honey looks interesting, I think I'll try it out next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armitage Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 The fretboard on most guitars is unfinished, and allows moisture in and out due to changes in the weather, changes of location (basement, bar, theater, indoors, out etc) making the wood expand and contract which causes cracks, bowing, and the frets to stick out the edges, ouch. The less change, the better for your guitar and it's setup. And remember you are not Feeding or Nourishing anything... that is dead. Lemon Oil is the industry standard for cleaning fretboards, (it has nothing to do with lemons BTW, it's a petroleum product, it's just yellow and has a tart smell). It cleans grungy fretboards well, but many strip the natural oil out of the wood. It replaces the oils with it's own that may later evaporate leaving the wood drier then it originally was. It's poisonous, and some brands are flammable. You can buy a Lemon Oil made from lemons at a health food store, but you wouldn't want that on wood. It's a different thing altogether and it's corrosive. Light Mineral Oil works great, (most lemon oils are 99% mineral oil) while not as good of a cleaner, (it doesn't have the solvent) it's much better for the wood. It's inert, doesn't evaporate, go bad or smell, and some people drink it as a home cure. Hamer, Martin and PRS recommend it over Lemon Oil. You only need to use a little. The best place to buy it is your local drug store. Really. The stuff for sale for human consumption is the purest/highest grade. They usually have to order it; it's worth waiting one more string change to do the job right. Dr Duck's, Gibson's Fretboard conditioner, bore oil, Fast Fret, Fender and Dunlop's fretboard stuff is all low grade Light Mineral Oil with a light solvent added, and that is the most expensive way to buy it! I'll use lemon oil on a guitar that got really grungy, or if I bought it used, for its solvent properties, or I'll use Naptha if it's really filthy, and I'll usually wait until the next string change to put on the Light Mineral Oil. And I only do that a couple times the first year, then every couple years on most of my guitars. Once or twice a year while touring or heavy gigging. That's all you need with Light Mineral Oil. You don't want any oil to absorb too deeply either; it's just a surface protectant. You could imagine how much oil would be leaking out the bottom of a '59 Les Paul with 50 years of oil soaking in. You don't want to over oil it either, you can make the fretboard punky and soft. That'll kill the resonance of the neck and make the wood pull out when you get a fret change. The oil is just there to slow the effect of temporary humidity changes from affecting the wood and to keep the board clean. I also wash my hands before I play most of the time. With over 60 guitars, that's a lot of strings to change, so I do my best to keep them alive if I can. I've seen a bunch of guys use goofy things. Some work, some LOOK like they work, and some cause problems later. Vegetable oils go rancid over time, 3inONE is a light mineral oil but has other crap in it (solvents) that may loosen inlays, it stains and it smells. Silicone/Armor All etc. looks great but contains silicone and that makes refinishing impossible... Linseed and Tung Oil dry hard; they're a finish... Linseed can feel gummy once it gets warmed up. Tung Oil on the back of an unfinished neck is great though. If you're going to use Linseed, (it smells) you want Boiled Linseed Oil. Be careful that Boiled Linseed Oil rags have a habit of spontaneous combustion i.e. they set themselves on fire after sitting a while. Here's what the Tox Health Data Base lists for ingredients for a few "name" Lemon Oils. Note: No Lemons involved. ======== Ingredients ======== Cas: 8042-47-5 RTECS #: PY8047000 Name: WHITE MINERAL OIL % by Wt: 99.0 Other REC Limits: NONE RECOMMENDED OSHA PEL: 5 MG/M3 ACGIH TLV: 5 MG/M3 Ozone Depleting Chemical: N ------------------------------ Name: VOC = 13 G/L % by Wt: NA Other REC Limits: NONE RECOMMENDED OSHA PEL: NOT RELEVANT ACGIH TLV: NOT RELEVANT And another... ======== Ingredients ======== Cas: 64475-85-0 RTECS #: PY8240000 Name: MINERAL SPIRITS; (ODORLESS MINERAL SPIRITS (HEAVY NAPHTHA)) OSHA PEL: N/K (FP N) ACGIH TLV: N/K (FP N) Ozone Depleting Chemical: N ------------------------------ Cas: 64741-88-4 RTECS #: PY8040501 Name: MINERAL OIL, PETROLEUM DISTILLATES, SOLVENT-REFINED (SEVERE) HEAVY PARAFFINIC; (HEAVY PARAFFINIC PETROLEUM OIL) OSHA PEL: N/K (FP N) ACGIH TLV: N/K (FP N) Ozone Depleting Chemical: N And another... ======== Ingredients ======== Cas: 75-28-5 RTECS #: TZ4300000 Name: ISO BUTANE, 2-METHYLPROPANE Other REC Limits: 1000 PPM OSHA PEL: 1800 MG/CUM ACGIH TLV: 800 PPM Ozone Depleting Chemical: N ------------------------------ Cas: 74-98-6 RTECS #: TX2275000 Name: PROPANE Other REC Limits: 1800 MG/CUM OSHA PEL: 1000 PPM ACGIH TLV: SIMPLE ASPHYXIANT Ozone Depleting Chemical: N ------------------------------ Cas: 64742-48-9 Name: ISOPARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS (NAPHTHA PETROLEUM), HYDROTREATED HEAVY, NON AROMATIC HEAVY NAPHTHA) ISOPAR G *93-3* Ozone Depleting Chemical: N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitArtMan Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 Fret Doctor. You can thank me later.http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Random Hero Posted November 19, 2006 Members Share Posted November 19, 2006 I use Dunlop lemon oil and another one, in a white bottle, I think it may be called Stringfellows. I'm not home now so I can't check. It's got a "Doctor" on the front.They seem to do the job for me, aslong as I don't use too much. It seems to retain the filth from my tips easier that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saturdaysaviour Posted November 20, 2006 Members Share Posted November 20, 2006 Originally posted by GuitArtMan Fret Doctor. You can thank me later.http://www.beafifer.com/boredoctor.htm Fret Doctor is GREAT. This is the one I would recommend, although I also have Guitar Honey which is really good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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