Homepage Forums Discussion Popular Topics What’s the best oil for applying to fretboard?

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    • #110700
      Anonymous
      Guest

      In my experience i’ve found that raw linceed oil is the best, now for cleaning the gunk off, i’m not to sure how i feel about using steel wool, ouch, to rough, i’d recomend spending 50 cents and buying a cheap square headed toothbrush, dip it in water clean and whipe with a cloth and repeat, good luck, oh oh, ps, tape your wood leaving your frets exposed and clean them with BRASO, available at you local grocery store, make sure not to get it in the grain beacuae when it dries it will leav the white powder in the grain whick is hard to get out, hence the taping

    • #101034
      Anonymous
      Guest

      I swear by Homer Formby’s Lemon Oil. No silicones, linseed oils, or beeswax. No greasy build up…leaves a beautiful luster…..breathes life back into the finger board.

    • #87187
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Lemon Oil is definitely the best. Furniture oil may contain waxes or polishes that cause buildup on the freboard. Lemon oil cleans and replinishes moisture in the wood. also makes a great string lubricant if you don’t have fretease or fingerease.

    • #85883
      Anonymous
      Guest

      : Some say lemon, some say furniture, what say you? Hi! from Down-Under …… Aus. I have been playing and servicing Guitars for quite some years and Yes you can use the prepared brand name stuff if you like or if you wish to spend money all the time. I have found it quite necessary to keep my own Guitar strings & fretboards clean. I honestly can’t play the guitar with rusty strings like some. I also have many to clean up from players who don’t and have got a huge build up of sweaty scum and spilt beer etc. I have used for some years now "Lavender Oil". You know the kind of little bottles that you can get for a few bucks each. Not the thin burner type oil !!! But the thicker type oil that you can buy in good stores. So why Lavender Oil??? It just smells great every time you open your case. I don’t try to use it on the strings. ONLY at string change time on the fretboard. I use a thinner general purpose Oil on the strings, and whilst I am cleaning the sweat off the strings I place a thin bit of cardboard under the strings and cover the fretboard so I am not wiping the sweat into the fretboard, but off the strings. I am sorry! But I disagree with using steel wool on the fretboard at all. I have seen too many scratched necks to do it any more, especially laquered fretboards. You will find if you use the Lavender Oil on a soft (small) cloth and mixed with some of your own elbow grease rubbing it will actually clean off the residue scum and after adding a bit more clean oil, it will look and smell unreal. "No Scratches" "No Knives" Just Ahh!! PS. If you like to use silicone spray like finger ease. I have found that it can be safer for your Fretboard if you likewise use the peice of thin cardboard under the strings to protect the neck. This way you can spray the strings with Silicon spray getting that smooth feeling and protect the fretboard at the same time!! Whoah! The thin cardboard cut to the size a bit over your neck can actually be kept there under the strings whilst in the case, if you like. Happy Cleaning Guys and Gals. regards Keith.

      • #107598
        Anonymous
        Guest

        Just a word of caution about silicon based products: If you ever need to have the guitar finish touched up, warn the repair guy, silicon is difficult to remove, and it wreaks havoc with laquers and the like when re-finishing, etc. Keep the stuff away from you axe — that’s my advice. Later, Bill

    • #85874
      Anonymous
      Guest

      : Some say lemon, some say furniture, what say you? I took the advice of the great NW folksinger of the 60"s & ’70’s, Jon Adams, and have used "Fiddlebright" ever since. Originally concocted for cleaning violin bows, it’s mostly lemon oil and a few mystery cleaning ingredients. I use it on acoustics & electrics, on the fretboard and also for genereal cleaning/polishing and nourishing of the wood. I’ve even cleaned tired strings to give them andother day or two of bright life. I don’t have nay financial interest in this product, incidentally. I just like it.

      • #87232
        Anonymous
        Guest

        lemon juice mixed with a bit of water does the trick the acids get all the scum out

    • #85889
      Anonymous
      Guest

      : Some say lemon, some say furniture, what say you? I say the best oil to use is The "doctor stringfellow" LEM-OIL from a firm in Texas called Kyser Musical Products.

      • #111694
        Anonymous
        Guest

        how do you apply lem oil? with the strings on or off? I wasn’t sure if it was ok to get lem oil on your strings, I thought it might deaden them.

    • #85888
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Well, it depends what you want it for. I regularly use lemon oil to wipe down my strings and fingerboard after playing and many time even before playing — it keeps things clean, fast, and prevents string corrosion, and gunk build up under the strings and along the frets (which is disgusting and makes playing unpleasant). If you’re trying to add a finish to protect the fingerboard (with the strings removed), I recommend a Danish or Tung oil. Wipe on, let sit for 30 minutes (maximum) wipe off and polish. If a second or third coat is required, repeat, but do not saturate with oil, and do not allow it to sit for for than 30 minutes at a time (it can become gummy and difficult to remove, if you apply too much). Check out my guitar tips at: http://members.home.net/wilkatguitars/ A clean axe loves to be played, and you’ll not want to touch one of those grungie axes that some folks keep — they’ll freak you out and sound like mud (especially with all that crap under the strings!) Later, Bill

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