Fretboard oil.

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mickeyj4j
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Fretboard oil.

Post by mickeyj4j » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:44 pm

Hi I want to ask
1. what is a good oil to use for reoiling a guitar neck.
Some ideas I seen around are.....
Lemon oil, boiled linseed oil, dunlop fretboard oil, danish oil, bogie juice, fast fret, olive oil, mineral oil
There may be more options just getting some ideas
2. How much and how often to apply.
Just a simple musician who plays for fun and enjoymet here.

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kiwigeo
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by kiwigeo » Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:49 pm

I use Martin fretboard oil....

Olive oil will go rancid over time.....not a good choice IMO.
Martin

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Mark McLean
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by Mark McLean » Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:07 pm

I like Gilly Stephenson Orange Oil. You will probably find it at your local hardware store. A little bit on a soft cloth goes a long way.

old_picker
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by old_picker » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:56 am

lemon oil is good
don't use boiled linseed oil as it has hardeners in it - it will go sticky and set over time like a slow drying varnixh

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demonx
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by demonx » Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:30 pm

Different timbers I use different products.

I tend to stay away from oil on a fingerboard, my favorite product is an Australian Wax. (some waxes are good, others will make a big sticky mess)

Some timbers are best not waxed and I'll buff them with a furniture polish.

mickeyj4j
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by mickeyj4j » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:06 pm

demonx wrote:Different timbers I use different products.

I tend to stay away from oil on a fingerboard, my favorite product is an Australian Wax. (some waxes are good, others will make a big sticky mess)

Some timbers are best not waxed and I'll buff them with a furniture polish.
So what is this wax product you speak of.
Just a simple musician who plays for fun and enjoymet here.

mickeyj4j
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by mickeyj4j » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:07 pm

Oops double post.
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J.F. Custom
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by J.F. Custom » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:25 pm

First thing I'd clarify is that you only mean the fretboard? Your title says fretboard, but your post says neck.

As above. Not olive oil. Not Danish. Products like the one Martin mentions are often mineral oil or synthetic based, which I'm usually a little cautious about - though I should clarify I'm not specifically talking of the Martin brand one here, I've never used it. More of a general comment on "fretboard oils". Lemon or orange oil is good, very light and has the benefit of being non-toxic and smelling good! That's what I use if I'm ever re-oiling. If it was a new fretboard/raw timber, I often give a coat of hard burnishing oil (an 'organoil' product that is a blend of tung, citrus, eucalypt and a natural thinner) as a start. This is thin, soaks in and sets up hard to protect the wood. After many days I'll buff this back and apply a final top of citrus only. That's it. You don't need much and really, you rarely need to re-apply. Don't over oil.

If the neck itself (not the fretboard) needs an oil, the hard burnishing oil mentioned is what I use on oiled necks - it gives good protection, wear and feel. This is it in use actually -
jfcustomneck.jpg
Hope it helps.

Jeremy.

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Nick
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by Nick » Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:00 am

J.F. Custom wrote: I often give a coat of hard burnishing oil (an 'organoil' product that is a blend of tung, citrus, eucalypt and a natural thinner) as a start.
:shock:
Hopefully that's easy to find on the shelf, you wouldn't want to go ask the young girl behind the counter! :wink:
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mickeyj4j
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by mickeyj4j » Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:05 pm

J.F. Custom wrote:First thing I'd clarify is that you only mean the fretboard? Your title says fretboard, but your post says neck.
yep a typo I am talking about fretboard/fingerboard.
8
J.F. Custom wrote:As above. Not olive oil. Not Danish. Products like the one Martin mentions are often mineral oil or synthetic based, which I'm usually a little cautious about - though I should clarify I'm not specifically talking of the Martin brand one here, I've never used it. More of a general comment on "fretboard oils". Lemon or orange oil is good, very light and has the benefit of being non-toxic and smelling good! That's what I use if I'm ever re-oiling. If it was a new fretboard/raw timber, I often give a coat of hard burnishing oil (an 'organoil' product that is a blend of tung, citrus, eucalypt and a natural thinner) as a start. This is thin, soaks in and sets up hard to protect the wood. After many days I'll buff this back and apply a final top of citrus only. That's it. You don't need much and really, you rarely need to re-apply. Don't over oil.
Great info so how often do you recommend.
J.F. Custom wrote:Hope it helps.

Jeremy.
Yep it all helps.
Just a simple musician who plays for fun and enjoymet here.

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demonx
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by demonx » Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:38 pm

mickeyj4j wrote: So what is this wax product you speak of.
I'll have to check the exact name next time I'm in the workshop as there are a few very similar named & labelled in the range and I've picked up the wrong one by mistake at the store myself and I've been using it for years!

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kiwigeo
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by kiwigeo » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:24 pm

Ive mentioned using a Martin product. This product and alot of the "lemon oil" products seem to me to be largely naptha with a bit of lemon oil added to make it smell less "chemical".

After a long think the question that comes to mind is.....does a Rosewood fretboard really need an "oil". Rosewood is a naturally oily wood and Ive never heard of a rosewood fretboard cracking because it hasn't had oil (or wax) applied to it.

My overall feeling is that a majority of fretboard products function as cleaners more than conditioners.
Martin

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J.F. Custom
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by J.F. Custom » Fri Oct 02, 2015 10:31 pm

@Nick - Ha! Fortunately, it's reasonably handy over here as it's an Aus product. Not so sure about in NZ...

@mickeyj4j - that's not a question that can be answered as simply as that and really, Martin hits the nail on the head as to why.

Indeed, there are builders who do not oil their fretboards at all, just fine sand, buff and away you go. Thereafter they also rely on the natural oil in your hands to keep the fingerboard conditioned while playing with, as Martin suggests, a 'clean' on occasion. Many of the products do indeed market themselves as cleaning and conditioning in one. We know that citrus is used in cleaning products too.

Whether or not to oil and how much will come down to personal preference - how often the instrument is played, species of timber used and its natural oil content or propensity to crack, variability of climate lived in, acceptable levels of grime etc...!

Less is more.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

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demonx
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Re: Fretboard oil.

Post by demonx » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:08 pm

The one on the left

The one on the right had no place anywhere near a guitar!
image.jpeg
image.jpeg (87.56 KiB) Viewed 12399 times

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