SteveFord Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 I think it was 2014 when Gibson touted a hand oiled fret board as a feature of the current models. I didn't think too much about it until I bought a 2014 Firebird V and the fret board on that is really nice feeling, it's one of those plays like butter things. Today I loosened the strings up on my 335, soaked a Scotchbrite pad in Lemon Oil and gently scrubbed the fret board lengthwise, let it sit for a bit, scrubbed it again and then buffed the residue off with a paper towel until the paper towel stopped picking up black residue. Now the 335 has the same feel as that Firebird. Much more better than just wiping Lemon Oil on with an old tee shirt and then buffing it off. I believe I ended up working it into the rosewood a bit instead of just letting it sit on the top and hoping it would get sucked in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Yep, one of those used with just a little force. Scrubbed the crud out, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Yep, one of those used with just a little force. Very little force, I hope. Those things are one step this side of sandpaper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 At least officially, Gibson hand oils every single fretboard. I believe that to be a lie, though. The grenadillo on my V drank up like Oregonian punk legends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Yes, VERY little force would be the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Hummm..Interesting. Thanks for posting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american cheez Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 people can say all they want about the magic of hand-oiled fret boards. they can never match the consistent precision of machine oiled ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Could you buff a fretboard with floor wax? https://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/briwax_original_wax_polish.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-fus68rl1gIVxp0bCh1_4g-0EAQYAiABEgKdHfD_BwE I use this on my floor and it polishes up great. It's got carnuba and beeswax in it so it should be ok. I'll try on and old guitar I've got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 It's all purely personal..... I've used spray furniture polish on guitar fretboards for ever.... The spray liquid component makes an effective cleaner/dirt remover.....the wax polish feeds the wood, buffs up really well and dry..... Previous trials with lemon oil and linseed oil, although well established, for moi left a sticky residue..... It's all purely personal..... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 It's all purely personal..... I've used spray furniture polish on guitar fretboards for ever.... The spray liquid component makes an effective cleaner/dirt remover.....the wax polish feeds the wood, buffs up really well and dry..... Previous trials with lemon oil and linseed oil, although well established, for moi left a sticky residue..... It's all purely personal..... V I hope you've checked if those sprays contain silicone. Silicone will add an extra layer and do more harm than good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I hope you've checked if those sprays contain silicone. Silicone will add an extra layer and do more harm than good I think it's safe to say most if not all spray furniture polish will contain Silicone, serious bad news, you can never get rid of the stuff without resorting to some heavy weight chemical solutions, but if you've already done put some on Versatile it's to late to worry about it. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Yep, one of those used with just a little force. Scrubbed the crud out, too. Are you sure that the crud and black stuff are not itty bitty little pieces of your fret board rather than just dirt and debris? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Re : 'It's all purely personal'...... Yes agreed, many polish products include silicone....it adds 'slip' when dry....which for many furniture folks is a desirable property.... Many guitarists like a fretboard with some 'tack' to the surface Others....probably the minority....like a slippery surface to facilitate slides and bends etc Never had any issues with silicone hanging around : it gets rubbed away in playing and wiping off sweat...... V PS It is particularly welcome on a violin/fiddle fingerboard.....and looks nice and shiny too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I use 'Wood Silk' which is a silicone- free polish available in many supermarkets (UK). Thin sewing-machine type oil is perfect but 3-in-1 does just as well. Use very sparingly, once a year maximum, leave it to soak in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Since 1971 I've never put anything on any fretboard except either Dunlop cleaner or Windex if I'm out of guitar stuff, for the every other string change cleanup. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 1507652624[/url]' post='1885751']Since 1971 I've never put anything on any fretboard except either Dunlop cleaner or Windex if I'm out of guitar stuff, for the every other string change cleanup. rct That's what I've used too, Dunlop. There was a thread in the past on this and talk about pure almond oil. So I finally found some and have used that for the fret boards since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tx-ogre Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 When I was living in Tucson, my guitar tech there recommended using Guitar Honey on my fretboards. He said it worked well in the desert environment. I have applied it about once a year to my ebony and rosewood fretboards and haven't found any reason to switch to something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 Yes, the black residue is not wood. I'd get the same results with an old tee shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 When I was living in Tucson, my guitar tech there recommended using Guitar Honey on my fretboards. He said it worked well in the desert environment. I have applied it about once a year to my ebony and rosewood fretboards and haven't found any reason to switch to something else. Gerlitz Guitar Honey works great! I've been using it for a long time. It depends a lot on where you live and the climate (as you intimated). Out here in California, the dry climate makes it necessary for me to put a little on my rosewood fretboards once every year or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Yes, the black residue is not wood. I'd get the same results with an old tee shirt. That's good news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 SteveFord, on 10 October 2017 - 05:03 PM, said: Yes, the black residue is not wood. I'd get the same results with an old tee shirt. That's good news... But wait... The same results as far as discoloration on the t-shirt vs scotch brite doesn't necessarily mean the effect is the same. It is an abrasive so you could be "polishing" the board more than just cleaning it. Not saying that's bad necessarily (could be good) but could be more of a polishing effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Does the fretboard know how the oil arrived on its surface or do machine oiled boards have less tone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 0000 steel wool with Lemon Oil might be a safer bet as it's less abrasive. http://www.gibson.com/Support/Tech-Tips/Smooth-Frettin.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 0000 steel wool with Lemon Oil might be a safer bet as it's less abrasive. http://www.gibson.co...th-Frettin.aspx Ah ha. Good to know. Thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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