Members PaulyWally Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 Old English Lemon Oil General Finishes Butcher Block Oil "with pure food-safe mineral oil" My guitar tech says to use 100% lemon oil. I'm not even sure if Old English is 100% lemon oil. And then I thought, what about butcher block oil? Talk to me, baby... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brother Mango Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've used Old English with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitargod0dmw Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 What kind of wood are we talking here? I've used the Old English on my rosewood boards plenty of times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrcrow Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 i have used only linseed oil on ebony and rosewood it doesnt sink in all that much but helps to loosen the crud around the frets cleaning with warm water and a drop of washup then oiling seems to me the best bet...not too much water though...and the oil displaces any moisture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zebra Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've used Old English plenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MisfitKay138 Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 i just used the crap thats made for guitars. i figure with my luck ill {censored} something up, so if i use whats made for it, then i can think its not my fault if it gets {censored}ed up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hawkhuff Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've used Old English with no problems. Me too. I now use boiled linseed oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrcrow Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 Me too. I now use boiled linseed oil. snap! professor cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted December 15, 2008 Moderators Share Posted December 15, 2008 I don't use anything but the oils from my fingers. If an instrument had been sitting unplayed in an unregulated climate for several years, that'd be a different story. In those cases I use something that is a light oil with no additives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hi.flyer Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've used Old English plenty. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hi.flyer Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 ...the oils from my fingers. Gross! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dDigitalPimp Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 whenever i change strings i use this stuff on the board on my basses and guitars (all rosewood) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've used Old English plenty. +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knuckle_head Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I'd have to know what result you want. Both Old English and butcher block oils leave residue. You will potentially forfeit a set of strings in doing this. Old English evaporates faster and better. Butcher block oil is basically mineral oil - not bad but there are way better things. Both of these are more for cleaning purposes. If that is your intent then an orange oil cleaner chased by lemon oil works very nicely. If you want to make your board less susceptible to absorbing finger goo then consider the linseed oil or even a tung or gunstock oil. These kinds of oils build over time so it isn't something you want to do frequently - linseed oil is awesome and builds the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulyWally Posted December 15, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I'd have to know what result you want. Just a mild cleaning/conditioning. Mostly cleaning... but with winter upon us I figured I'd try to condition it a little bit, and kill two heart patients with one strip of bacon. I don't care to scrub every spec of dirt out of the wood grain. But I do remove any buildup next to the frets with a toothbrush. And then I'm just looking for something safe to rub on lightly with a cotton ball or cheesecloth. I don't want an oil that will build up... nor one that is used for "finishing". I've tried tung oil before, and was entirely dissatisfied with the overall results. I also don't wish to spend that much time and care in applying it for a simple cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dabbler Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 I started out using linseed oil. I can't remember if raw or boiled, but it was whatever Dan Erlewine said to use in one of his books. Then Dan changed his advice and said to use lemon oil. So on the advice of others in HCEG I got me some Old English. Here's my take: Linseed oil is like a "finish". Old English is like a cleaner/polish. If a board on a new guitar I get (I'm talkin rosewood) is kinda rough lookin', I'll put the Linseed oil on it. At the next string change I re-evaluate the board and usually wind up using Old English threafter. If the board is pretty smooth on a new guit, I will skip the Linseed and go straight to Old English. So, IMO, they both have their place. Try them for yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrcrow Posted December 15, 2008 Members Share Posted December 15, 2008 diy linseed oil kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 82Daion Posted December 16, 2008 Members Share Posted December 16, 2008 Old English isn't really a pure "lemon oil." To get that, you'd have to go for a lemon essential oil from an aromatherapy store or something like that. When I need to clean fingerboards, I use Murphy's Oil Soap once about every 6 months, which cleans and conditions the board at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rowka Posted December 16, 2008 Members Share Posted December 16, 2008 I use pure no-petrolium-products-added lemon oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted December 16, 2008 Members Share Posted December 16, 2008 I've used light mineral oil for 37 years....3-in-1 type works well on fretboards for years. Fast Fret is a light mineral oil you could put on there, too. I found lemon oil to be sticky but that's just my assessment because it looks like others have used it and they like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bryan316 Posted December 16, 2008 Members Share Posted December 16, 2008 Linseed oil. Why? Lemon oil is acidic and can work on the glue holding your dot markers, and rubbing off onto your strings the acids can tarnish and corrode your strings. Linseed oil is more neutral and performs just as well as lemon oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurfu Posted December 16, 2008 Members Share Posted December 16, 2008 I've used Old English on my two ebony-fretboard basses since about 1992... they get the treatment about once every other year or so... take the strings off and apply the lemon oil in several light coats, then let it dry overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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